Kathleen Mackay

About

Kathleen Mackay endeavors to provide the best massage therapy and craniosacral therapy possible for her clients – be they horses or humans. Each individual is important to her and she does everything she can to help them via massage therapy and craniosacral therapy. Having experienced many sporting sprains, strains as well as muscle spasms and sciatica, Kathleen is personally familiar with many of the issues her clients come to her with. Working out regularly at the gym as well as riding and sailing, have helped Kathleen stay in shape and attempt to practice what she suggests to her clients – “train for your job, don’t let your job train you,” “stretch regularly,” and to have “massage therapy for maintenance” instead of “because you can’t move any more”.

Kathleen also strives to learn new techniques and modalities that will further allow her to help her clients. Having worked in a variety of different clinic settings, she has had the benefit of learning from a variety of different therapists which has enabled her to further help her clients. She endeavors to work hand in hand with her clients, providing them with homecare which will enhance the massage and craniosacral therapy treatments. With the right stretches, exercises and hydrotherapy that clients can do at home, clients can expect to see a steady improvement in their health.

Kathleen has been in practice as a massage therapist for over 15 years. The first 13 years were spent working in Barrie, Angus and Borden, Ontario. She moved to Cochrane, Alberta in 2013 where she learned about the benefits of Sound Therapy/Sound Healing using crystal singing bowls and tuning forks at the Amaryllis Centre for Healing in Cochrane. She also expanded her skills at fertility and prenatal massage at the Holistic Institute for Health and Fertility in Calgary. It was while working at the Holistic Institute for Health and Fertility that she experienced the benefits of CranioSacral Therapy. Kathleen has found that massage therapy and CranioSacral therapy work extremely well together. She now brings her skills to St. Albert, near Edmonton Alberta and constantly strives to provide the best experience and massage therapy possible for every client.

When Kathleen returned to riding horses and volunteering at horse shows, it quickly became apparent to her that massage therapy and CranioSacral therapy not only can help riders improve their own performance and health, but that of their horse as well. In 2009 she became a Certified Equine Massage Therapist in order to provide the same care to horses as she does to people.

Education

Kathleen attended the University of Waterloo and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Honours Recreation and Leisure Studies. Coordinating and running programs for children of all ages, both in her home town of Port Elgin, Ontario and in Edmonton, Alberta led to many enjoyable and memorable experiences.

Moving to the Barrie area in the late ’90s, Kathleen taught therapeutic riding to people with special needs before pursuing full time studies to become a Registered Massage Therapist. Graduating with honours, Kathleen has not looked back and continues to expand her knowledge through courses in Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Healing Stone Massage, Crystal Tones Sound Healing and Upledger’s CranioSacral Therapy.

A love of horses led Kathleen to wanting to learn how to apply her years of experience as a Registered Massage Therapist to horses. Graduating as a Certified Equine Massage Therapist with honours from Equinimity Equinerehab, Kathleen applies her skills to the horses she rides and has seen immediate improvement in their performance and overall well-being. She finds it extremely gratifying to know that she can increase the quality of life of the horses around her.

Kathleen is extremely happy to be able to provide massage therapy and CranioSacral therapy to both “horses & humans”!

My Skills

•Swedish Massage

•Manual Lymphatic Drainage

•Prenatal Massage

•Fertility Massage

•Healing Stone Massage with Sound Bath

•Deep Tissue Massage

•CranioSacral Therapy

•Equine Massage

*Sound Therapy

Professional Associations / Memberships

Massage Therapist Association of Alberta
College of Massage Therapists of Ontario
Registered Massage Therapist Association of Ontario