Mel Saroyan

   I am a lifelong learner—someone who has spent decades exploring how people heal, how the body communicates, and how the mind and spirit express themselves through physical patterns. Nothing in my path has been random. Every discipline I studied, every challenge I faced, and even my recovery from cancer has brought me to a place of purpose: to support others on their journey toward ease, wholeness, and deeper self-awareness.

   My work specializes in chronic tension, injuries, somatic awareness, and somato-emotional release. I help clients experience forms of healing that may be new to them—from gentle, non-invasive touch to meridian-based tissue manipulation, to active and resisted techniques that awaken the body’s own corrective mechanisms. The field of bodywork has evolved far beyond the early days of “deep tissue or bust.” Today, powerful and sophisticated modalities allow for profound change without force. Part of my mission is to educate the public about this new landscape and expand their understanding of what bodywork can truly offer.

   What I provide is not a menu of techniques. Clients come to me to participate in a creative, integrative approach to healing—one that addresses the interconnectedness of body, mind, and spirit. Each session is a collaboration in which we listen to the body together and allow its rhythms, tensions, and stories to guide the work.

My academic foundation is a master’s degree in theoretical linguistics, a training that honed my ability to listen deeply and discern subtle meaning—skills that now help me understand not just what clients say about their pain, but how they say it. For nearly two decades, I have trained and practiced in shiatsu, the Japanese meridian-based manual therapy that informs much of my structural and energetic understanding. My extensive background in Craniosacral Therapy shapes both my hands-on approach and my therapeutic philosophy, emphasizing the body’s innate intelligence and capacity to self-correct.

   My work continues to evolve as I study human posture and movement, supported by an extensive list of courses in anatomy, physiology, and integrative manual therapy. I also hold the rank of Kaiden Shihan Sandaikichu in Hakkoryu traditional Japanese jujutsu—currently the only female practitioner with this title—which reflects decades of disciplined training and a deep respect for traditional Japanese healing and movement arts.

The principles that guide my practice are simple but foundational:

• Compassion for every client who walks through my door and the stories that brought them there.

• Presence to witness the whole human—not just the symptom.

• Precision and economy to create meaningful, efficient change without unnecessary force.

• Ongoing personal and professional development to stay aligned with the evolving and ever-improving world of manual and somatic therapies.

   This work is not just my profession; it is my calling. And it is my privilege to walk alongside clients as they rediscover resilience, clarity, and the possibilities within their own bodies.