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Meet your Massage Therapist
Emily Babcock LMT #28793
Emily’s approach is rooted in the belief that we all deserve to rest and receive. She values how massage goes beyond the physical body, calming the nervous system and supporting our natural ability to heal. Emily experienced the benefits of massage while recovering from a motor vehicle accident and climbing injury. She understands how difficult injuries can be, often impacting every aspect of your life. This motivates her to help patients return to their baseline and fully enjoy their lives.
In her treatments, Emily focuses on finding the root of your tension. She blends deep, vigorous work with gentle, soothing techniques to support a restorative state. Her modalities include Myofascial Release, Deep Tissue, Tui Na, Hot Stone, Pediatric Massage, and Craniosacral Therapy. She helps with low back pain, fascial restrictions, menstrual pain, surgery and injury recovery, whiplash, and muscle dysfunction related to motor vehicle accidents. She welcomes neurodivergent and special needs clients of all ages and is happy to adapt sessions to any specific needs.
In addition to massage, Emily teaches at a Waldorf-inspired farm school. Her passion for holistic, earth-based education further enriches her work and helps her to be creative and patient with pediatric clients.
Emily received training at East West College of the Healing Arts and continues advanced study in Myofascial Release and Tui Na. Outside of her practice, Emily enjoys hiking, biking, gardening, foraging, and ceramics.
Massage for Motor Vehicle Accidents
Motor vehicle accidents can be difficult in so many ways. After an accident, the body may experience muscle strain, whiplash, soft tissue damage, and joint stiffness. These injuries often lead to pain, tension, compensation patterns, and limited mobility. Massage promotes healing by relaxing tense and guarded muscles in the affected and surrounding areas through patient, attuned touch. It also encourages relaxation and reduces stress, aiding in the emotional recovery as well as physical trauma.
Massage is especially helpful in managing whiplash, chronic pain, stiffness, and tension that can arise weeks or even months after an accident. It’s a valuable complementary therapy to other medical treatments, such as physical therapy, acupuncture, or chiropractic care. Motor vehicle accident massage can play a crucial role in a patient’s rehabilitation journey by promoting faster recovery and improving overall well-being.
MVA massages are tailored to each clients specific injuries and needs. First sessions begin with a thorough assessment in which client and practitioner work together to determine the safest and most effective treatment. Injuries are complex and often pain can move around the body to areas you may not expect.
Each session will address the immediate tension showing up in the body, as well as the originally injured areas. Both gentle and vigorous techniques can be utilized and adjusted for each individual.
Our goal is to help clients return to normal mobility and can enjoy to their daily activities pain free.
Swedish
Focuses on relaxation and increasing blood circulation. It uses long, flowing strokes, kneading, friction, and gentle stretching to work on the muscles and soft tissues. Swedish massage is typically performed with the use of oils or lotions to facilitate smooth movements and enhance the overall experience.
Tui Na
A traditional Chinese technique that means, "push, grasp." It combines acupressure and meridian points (energy pathways) with rhythmic movement to balance the body's qi and move energy. The manipulation of meridians In TCM, these points correspond to different organs and body systems, and stimulating them can help restore balance to the body's overall function
Deep Tissue
An extension of Swedish that focuses on the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. It involves applying sustained pressure and slow strokes to target areas of tension and pain. It is beneficial for relieving chronic muscle tension, improving mobility, and addressing specific areas of tension.
Myofascial Release
A technique that focuses on relieving tension and pain in the fascia, the connective tissue surrounding muscles, bones, and organs. It involves applying gentle, sustained pressure to stretch and release tight fascia and provide a sense of open-ness
Pediatric Massage
Gentle techniques to promote relaxation, improve circulation, enhance emotional well-being, and support overall development. Pediatric massage can help alleviate symptoms of various conditions, such as ADHD, anxiety, or sleep disturbances.
Trigger Point Therapy
This technique addresses trigger points, or tight adhesions in the muscle fibers. Trigger points are areas of muscle that are hyper -irritable and can cause pain both locally and in referred areas. Through contracting and relaxing different muscles and sustained pressure, trigger points can be reduced to improve muscle imbalances and body awareness.
Hot Stone
Hot stone massage is a deeply soothing therapy that uses smooth, heated stones placed on the body and used in flowing strokes. The warmth of the stones helps melt away tension, increase circulation, and ease muscle stiffness. It’s both grounding and calming, offering a sense of comfort and earth connection.
Cranial Sacral (CST)
Cranial sacral therapy is a gentle technique that effects the subtle rhythms of Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CST focuses on the gentle manipulation of the skull, spine, and sacrum to help release restrictions that may affect the flow of CSF. This therapy can ease headaches, anxiety, chronic pain, and support the nervous system in a calm way.
Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy is a therapeutic treatment that uses hot or cold water to promote healing and improve circulation. Hot towel treatment involves placing warm, damp towels on the body to improve circulation and ease tension. Cold compresses can be used to reduce inflammation in acute injury. These can be used standalone or in contrast with each other
Location & Contact Info
Emily's office is located in SW Portland, as part of Alice Palmeri Massage Collective. She can be found on Google maps as "Emily Babcock LMT," or "Alice Palmeri LMT,"as they share an office.
Address: 1340 SW Bertha Blvd #200
Portland, OR 97219