NW Portland Staff Bios
NW Portland Massage Therapists
Hannah Peterson (Lead LMT) – Hannah graduated from East West College in 2011, and has been practicing massage consistently for the past 11 years. She loves providing a deeply relaxing massage that puts people back into a grounded space in their bodies. She is passionate about filling her clients up with a loving and joyful experience that they can take with them out into the world.
Austin Johnson – Austin graduated from Portland’s East West College in 2018. He incorporates a blend of Deep Tissue, Thai,and Swedish techniques to create an intuitive and therapeutic massage. He strives to promote a space of deep relaxation and healing so every client can bring tranquility home with them.
Arjuna Bressak – Arjuna graduated from the Florida School of Massage in Gainesville, FL in 2006, and has been practicing massage for the last 16 years. He is also a Reiki master with 20 years of healing experience. His massage styles include Swedish, Deep Tissue, Trigger Point, Neuromuscular and others. He specializes in releasing upper back, shoulder, and neck tension using light to deep pressure. He integrates all of these modalities depending on the client’s needs and provides the most heavenly relaxing massage experience. The massage he offers is intuitive, present, therapeutic, and powerful. He uses slow, flowing massage techniques. Arjuna believes that a massage should be deeply relaxing, and has even had clients fall asleep during their treatments. He identifies as a gentle soul, and his life philosophy is to work from a place of love, caring, and compassion for all.
Andrew Baxter – Andrew graduated from the Onondaga School of Therapeutic Massage in Rochester, NY in 2011 and has been an active LMT in both NY and OR ever since. He uses a combination of many modalities, including Swedish, Deep Tissue and Trigger Point massage in his treatments and believes a slow and focused attention to problem areas is the best way to treat adhesions. Andrew believes bodies are meant to be in perfect balance and uses communication and massage to help retrain the body to let go of physical limitations and imbalances that have formed over time. He has been with The Dragontree since 2015.
Brandi Rieg – Originally from Portland, Oregon, Brandi went to East West College of Healing Arts in 2010 for massage therapy. Since then she has worked in a variety of spas in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii. While she was in Hawaii she studied one of her favorite modalities, Lomi Lomi. She is also trained in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Pregnancy, and Aromatherapy.
She loves how massage helps to quiet the mind and bring awareness to the body and believes massage therapy is essential part in overall health and well-being. She feels privileged and excited to share her massage experience and skills with others!
Brent Luebbert – Brent graduated from East West College of the Healing Arts in 2018. His practice primarily pulls from Swedish, Deep Tissue, and Myofascial Release techniques but may include elements of CranioSacral and Thai Massage as well. He has an intuitive approach to massage and aims to seek out the underlying causes of the pain and address the whole body as an interconnected system. His years as a professional dancer have given him an appreciation of how bodies hold tension and how those tension patterns can turn into pain and potentially injuries.
Elizabeth Karambales – Elizabeth graduated from East West College in 2018. She specializes in Deep Tissue, Trigger Point and Sports massage. She views bodywork as a key tool in relieving chronic pain and improving quality of life.
Emily Giugni – Emily brings 23 years of experience to The Dragontree. She graduated from McKinnon Institute for Massage (Oakland, CA) in 1998, and then Portland’s East West College of the Healing Arts in 2001. After graduation she worked at Calistoga Ranch, an Auberge Resort, in Napa Valley for ten years before returning to Portland and building a practice focused on chronic pain. She has extensive training in John Barnes’ Myofascial Release, firm massage, and leaning into discomfort. She describes her massage table as “a safe place to let it all go, and find joy and ease in your body again.”
Heather Bjorndal – Heather graduated from the Everest Institute in Tigard, OR in 2013. She specializes in Swedish, Deep Tissue, and sound healing. She finds joy in helping her clients find relief from stress, chronic pain, and injuries. She is a strong believer in self-care and shares the importance of that in each of her sessions. “You cannot pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first, so that you can go out and care for those you love more fully.”
Katrina Meyer – Katrina graduated in 2013 from Cortiva Institute in Boston, MA. She describes her style as a fusion of Swedish, Deep Tissue and Myofascial Release, incorporating Reiki and Thai Massage as needed. She likes to focus on slow, flowing strokes for deep relaxation, believing everyone can benefit from compassionate touch. In her own words, “Our bodies know how to heal themselves, but sometimes need a little assistance; what I do is less like being a mechanic, and more like a gardener clearing away weeds and watering so the plants can do what they already know how to do.”
McKenzie Michaels – McKenzie graduated from the Tennessee School of Therapeutic Massage, in 2013, and has been a practicing LMT ever since. She is proficient in Classical/Swedish, structural based Deep Tissue therapy, Prenatal, Trigger Point, and Sports Therapy massage techniques. She provides a calm and nurturing environment where her clients can achieve better mind/body awareness, relaxation, and tension release. Her philosophy is best summarized in this quote from St. Francis of Assisi: “He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.”
Rob Harrold – Rob graduated in 2014 from The New School of Massage and Bodywork in Chicago. His style can best be described as a fusion of Deep Tissue, Thai, and Sports Massage. He begins by using several techniques such as Neuromuscular and Trigger Point Therapy with the intention of releasing any apparent muscle tension. He then follows up with Sports Massage and Thai stretching techniques to help restore the affected area back into alignment. His philosophy is that every joint in the body should be in a “balanced” state, and his job is to correct imbalances caused by muscle tension.
Bios coming soon: Cory McVenes, Tucker Susko
Interested in being part of the Dragontree community? Give us a call at (503) 221-4123! We are always looking for AMAZING therapists who are passionate about supporting clients to become their most vibrant, centered, and peaceful self.
NW PORTLAND ACUPUNCTURIST
Kathleen King – Kathleen is a national board certified acupuncturist and received her masters degree in Acupuncture and Chinese medicine at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in Portland, Oregon in 2007. Kathleen also holds an Associate degree in Physical Therapy and she brings over twenty-five years of experience working in acute care, in-patient and out-patient, spine, and neurological patient populations.
Kathleen utilizes various modalities within each treatment session that might include: trigger point release, cupping, Shiatsu massage, as well as lifestyle and nutrition instruction. She specializes in: Acute Pain, Sports Injuries, Chronic Headaches, Back Pain, Acid Reflux (GERD), Stress, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Bell’s Palsy, TMD (Temporal Mandibular Dysfunction), PMS, Scar Tissue Restrictions, Body Mechanics and Kinesiology.
She strives to bridge eastern and western medical perspectives and encourages a team approach to optimal wellness.
NW Portland Estheticians
Jennifer Smith (Lead EST) – Jennifer graduated from the Euro Institute of Skin Care in 2010, and has been a licensed practicing esthetician ever since. One of her specialties is aging and dry skin. She employs result-oriented exfoliation, hydration, and recommendations using products from our remarkable skin care lines to rejuvenate skin. She also helps cure acneic skin with deep pore cleansing, extractions, treatment and home care strategies to return skin to balance. For a deep relaxation treat, book a 90 minute facial and receive facial massage, neck/shoulder, hand/arm, and foot/leg massage. Jennifer is ingredient savvy, and has a natural and holistic skin care approach.
Mary Ann Faulhaber – Mary Ann graduated from Paul Mitchell School of Portland in 2018 for her Esthetics License and from Spectrum Advanced Aesthetics in 2019 for her Advanced Aesthetics License. She specializes in anti-aging modalities to give her clients the preventative aging results they want and deserve. She believes anti-aging isn’t just about looking younger but taking the measures to care for the well-being of the skin from now to the years to come. Her passion in Esthetics is treating and maintaining the health of the skin, believing healthy skin is beautiful skin.
Julie Butler – Julie graduated from Career Academy of Beauty in Southern California in 1999 and has been a licensed esthetician for 23 years. With over 20 years of experience in the spa and wellness industry as a skincare professional, Julie has dedicated her practice to a philosophy rooted in holistic health and mind/body connection. She believes that healthy skin is a reflection from within. Julie approaches every treatment experience whole-heartedly and with mindful intention. She offers a nurturing and therapeutic touch that is tuned in to each unique skin type and personalized treatment. Establishing a sincere connection and building lasting relationships provide the greatest reward in her work.
As a product knowledge geek at heart, she is a forever student seeking continued education in the ever-changing world of skincare. Julie values environmentally conscious and results-driven treatments that provide a synergistic balance between science and nature. Having experienced her own skin challenges with inflammation, she brings compassion and empathy to the table when suggesting a practical and effective home care routine.
Outside of the treatment room, Julie is dedicated to growing her craft as a ceramic artist. Her passion for making pottery, drawing, painting, cooking, hiking and exploring the great outdoors with her dog is where she is most in her element. She looks forward to sharing her love for skincare and thriving in a like-minded community at The Dragontree Spa.
Lynn Rice – Lynn graduated from Aesthetics Institute in 2002 and brings 20 years of experience to The Dragontree. She specializes in relaxing facial massage as well as reflexology to the feet, hands, ears and scalp. Lynn offers a professional, compassionate approach to skin care, analysis and her client consultations. Educating her clients regarding the function of the skin as well as the importance of a home skin care regiment based upon their individual needs is second nature to her. She is enthusiastic about continuing education, learning specialty services and building a repeat clientele.
Makeala Oldridge – Makeala graduated from Premiere Asthetics Institute in Bend, OR in 2020. She also has 10 years experience as a makeup artist. She feels confident working with all skin types (aging, acne, sensitive, dry, discoloration) and specializes in facial massage, peels, and extractions. She creates a safe space for her clients to experience their skin care treatment, and is passionate about helping others feel healed, loved, and confident in their skin. It is important to her that all humans can feel accepted and can embrace their true selves.