People come to me for different reasons. Sometimes the motivation is general stress relief or maintenance. More often, it’s a specific presenting complaint — pain, restriction, or loss of function that has been persistent, distressing, or disruptive to daily life. These concerns can arise anywhere from head to toe and often reflect long-standing patterns rather than a single isolated event.
My role is not to work with complaints in isolation, but to understand how a presenting concern reflects the body’s overall organization and its relationship to gravity, movement, and adaptation over time.
The first session is, by necessity, more involved. It begins with conversation and observation focused on what prompted you to seek care now — what you’re experiencing, how it affects your life, and what you’re hoping to change. I’ve moved away from exhaustive written medical histories in favor of direct inquiry and hands-on assessment, which often reveal more than paperwork alone.
A staple of my intake process is the Core 5-Point Check-In, a learning tool I acquired during my CORE Structural Integration training with George Kousaleous. It can be understood as a functional retelling of Mountain Pose — used not as an ideal to achieve, but as a way to observe how a body actually organizes itself in gravity.
The check-in clarifies how joints stack and how weight is distributed, particularly through the feet and legs. In my client base, the greatest single challenge is often allowing the heels to organize beneath the hips. Common strategies for stability include widening the base of support and sometimes locking the knees — approaches that can feel secure, but tend to favor compression over balance, lift, and adaptability.
These strategies combine over time with historic compensation patterns, daily habits, and emotional tone, creating stiffness and locking in fascial support. While these patterns often serve a purpose, they can limit responsiveness and ease of movement. The goal of the work is not correction, but reorganization — releasing unnecessary compression so the system can redistribute support more efficiently, allowing for greater adaptability, mobility, and vitality, even for people who feel generally fine.
Because it is simple and repeatable, I often refer clients to a short video demonstration of the Core 5-Point Check-In on my YouTube channel so they can revisit it between sessions as a learning resource.
Hands-on assessment follows naturally from this orientation. Assessment is not separate from treatment; it often produces immediate change by clarifying relationships between structures and highlighting where effort or strain is being carried unnecessarily.
People often come in for a series of sessions to address a chronic or persistent complaint. In these cases, work is typically more frequent at the outset — often weekly for four to six weeks — until symptoms resolve or meaningfully improve. From there, sessions naturally taper as the body reorganizes and adapts.
For continuity of care and cumulative benefit, I generally encourage people to return within four weeks between sessions. At the same time, I recognize the real constraints of time, energy, and budget, and we work within what’s feasible. The aim is not a rigid schedule, but enough consistency for the work to build rather than reset each time.
Many clients eventually settle into a maintenance rhythm, choosing a regular interval of one, two, or four weeks. These sessions often address patterns that weren’t obvious when someone first came in — areas of strain or compensation that quietly accumulate over time. Working with these early can help prevent surprise injuries that arise when the body is carrying more load than it can comfortably manage.
Whether someone is addressing a specific issue or simply maintaining ease and function, the work remains responsive and collaborative, adapting as needs change over time.
Pregnancy brings unique considerations, particularly the hormonal changes that affect ligament laxity and joint stability. These shifts can alter how force is distributed through the body and how strain is experienced.
At the same time, pregnant women are still busy — working, exercising, caring for others, and navigating stress — so many of the usual reasons for seeking care remain present during pregnancy. My approach recognizes this broader context rather than treating pregnancy as a separate or fragile state.
Sessions are adapted to support comfort, circulation, and ease as the body changes, with side-lying positioning as the foundation for safe and effective work. This allows meaningful access to the back, hips, pelvis, and legs while honoring both comfort and safety. As with all my work, sessions are responsive, thoughtful, and guided by how the body presents on that day.
Across initial sessions and ongoing care, the aim of this work is consistent: to support biomechanical functionality, allowing the body to meet gravity, movement, and the demands of daily life with greater adaptability and ease.
People often come in with a specific presenting concern — pain, restriction, or loss of function that has been persistent, distressing, or disruptive to daily life. These concerns are approached through assessment of overall biomechanical organization rather than treated as isolated problems.
Plantar heel pain (including plantar fasciitis), Drop foot, Bunions, other foot pain, Achilles discomfort, ankle sprains, shin splints, calf tightness or cramping
Knee pain (including meniscus-related discomfort and Baker’s cysts), IT band irritation, quadriceps strain or overuse
Sacroiliac pain or strain, pubic symphysis discomfort, hip pain, gluteal tendinopathy, sciatica and related referral patterns
Low back pain, lumbar strain or misalignment, postural fatigue, diaphragm tension or spasm, digestive pattern-related holding
Thoracic and rib pain, specific or shooting rib discomfort, shoulder girdle restriction, frozen shoulder patterns, rotator cuff injuries, carpal tunnel, elbow pain, thumb pain
Cervical and neck pain, whiplash-related patterns, jaw tension or pain, headaches and migraines, facial or neural tension (including trigeminal-type symptoms)
These concerns often reflect long-standing patterns of compensation and adaptation. The work focuses on restoring support, adaptability, and ease of movement across the whole system, whether someone is managing pain or simply aiming to move and live with greater comfort and resilience.
The first step is simply to get in touch. You’re welcome to reach out by text, email, or the contact form to make an appointment or ask questions about whether this work is a good fit for your needs. We can briefly discuss what’s bringing you in and find a time that works.
You don’t need to prepare extensively before your first visit. Comfortable clothing is helpful, and it’s useful to arrive with a general sense of what prompted you to seek care now — whether that’s a specific presenting complaint, a pattern of discomfort, or a desire for stress relief or maintenance.
Rather than completing an exhaustive written medical history, we’ll spend time in conversation to understand your concerns, daily activities, movement habits, and what you’re hoping to change. This allows the session to be responsive from the start.
Sessions are typically done with clients clothed or in their underwear, lying on a table and covered with a drape. Stretchy, form‑fitting underwear works best; loose cotton boxers can make certain types of work more challenging. You’re always welcome to ask questions or make requests about comfort and boundaries at any point.
Each session begins with observation and discussion, followed by hands‑on assessment. Assessment is part of the treatment process and often produces immediate shifts by clarifying how your body is organizing itself and where unnecessary effort or strain is being held.
Most of the work takes place on the table, using manual therapy approaches tailored to what your body presents that day. Pressure, pacing, and focus are adjusted continuously through communication and feedback. You’re encouraged to speak up, ask questions, and stay engaged with what you’re noticing.
Sessions are collaborative rather than passive. The goal is not to zone out or push through discomfort, but to work at an edge that supports change without overwhelm.
People often leave feeling more at ease, clearer, or more spacious in their movement. It’s also common to notice new sensations or awareness as your body integrates the work over the following day or two.
It’s not uncommon to become aware of a different area of discomfort after a session. This can feel like a mixed experience — both reassuring and a little surprising. The nervous system tends to report on the most urgent issue first; when one area quiets, another pattern that was previously overshadowed may come into awareness. I generally view this as a positive sign that the system is reorganizing rather than a setback.
You may be offered simple suggestions related to posture, movement, or daily habits to support what was addressed during the session. These are meant to be practical and realistic, not prescriptive or burdensome.
You’re always welcome to reach out with questions after a session. If a new or notable discomfort arises — especially during periods of change — it’s often helpful to check in sooner rather than later. In many cases, I can help troubleshoot simple self‑care strategies over the phone or by message to support integration between sessions.
Some people come in for a single session, while others choose a short series to address a specific concern or establish continuity of care. If ongoing work makes sense, we’ll discuss timing and frequency in a way that respects your goals, schedule, and budget.
Whether you return regularly or occasionally, each session stands on its own while also building on previous work when there is continuity.
Pregnancy sessions follow the same collaborative and thoughtful approach, with adaptations for comfort and safety. Side‑lying positioning is used throughout the session, allowing effective work while honoring the changes occurring in the body. As always, sessions are guided by how you’re feeling and what your body needs on that day.
Anna earned her massage therapy credentials in 2006 from the Muscular Therapy Institute in Boston, a clinical trade school with a strong emphasis on hands-on skill, anatomy, and therapeutic application. Her foundational training included Swedish/Therapeutic massage, deep tissue work, sports massage, myofascial approaches, and trigger point treatment.
In 2010, Anna completed comprehensive Structural Integration training through the CORE Institute. This training established a durable framework for postural assessment, biomechanics, and whole-body patterning that continues to inform how she approaches intake, assessment, and treatment, including the Core 5-Point Check-In that remains central to her work.
Over the past two decades, Anna has pursued ongoing post-graduate study through workshops, intensives, and advanced trainings, typically several times per year. Her continuing education has included focused work in biomechanics, head and neck treatment, visceral and neurovascular approaches, and cadaver-based anatomical study. She maintains an active personal study of anatomy and embryology and integrates new learning thoughtfully into her clinical practice.
In addition to formal manual therapy education, Anna engages in ongoing study of somatic and emotional processing in community settings. While her clinical work remains grounded in hands-on manual therapy and biomechanical assessment, this broader study informs her sensitivity to how stress, habit, and lived experience shape the body over time.
Her practice reflects a long-term commitment to skill development, continued learning, and respect for the teachers and traditions that inform hands-on work, alongside the understanding that clinical judgment is refined through years of practice and close attention to individual bodies.
Anna’s work has been shaped by study with a select group of respected teachers and colleagues whose approaches emphasize structure, adaptation, and functional organization. These teachers are acknowledged here for their influence rather than as endorsements or credential extensions.
• Ron Murray, D.O. • Jeff Burch • Jon Martine • George Kousaleous • Gil Hedley • Liz Gaggini • Bill Morrow • Bob Cooley •
Anna’s practice is located at 247 Walnut Street, Brookline, Massachusetts. The office serves clients from Brookline and the greater Boston area.
Street parking is available in the neighborhood. Specific arrival details, including the address and any relevant notes, are included automatically in the Google Calendar invitation sent after scheduling.
Sessions are typically scheduled for 60, 75, or 90 minutes, depending on your needs and the scope of work.
• $200 per hour (pro‑rated for longer sessions)
Shorter sessions are generally discouraged, as the work benefits from sufficient time to assess and address patterns. In some cases, brief, highly focused sessions may be appropriate for very specific concerns.
Cost should not be an obstacle to needed care. If finances are a concern, you’re welcome to inquire about hardship considerations..
Rates are effective as of January 2026 and are subject to change.
Sessions are by appointment only. Anna aims to be as flexible as possible in meeting clients’ scheduling needs. When not traveling, she offers daytime, evening, and weekend appointments.
Text is the preferred method of communication: (617) 901-1311. This is the easiest way to stay on top of scheduling and follow‑up. You’re also welcome to reach out by email or through the contact form if needed. Let me know what works for you, and we’ll find a time.
Clients are encouraged to schedule follow-up sessions within a timeframe that supports continuity of care and cumulative benefit, while respecting real-world constraints of time, energy, and budget.
Payment is accepted by cash, check, or Venmo and is due at the time of service.
For clients with Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), a report may be requested for reimbursement purposes.
If session notes are required for insurance or other third-party documentation, advance notice is required. Additional fees will apply.
Gift certificates are available for the length of session you choose, at standard rates. Please contact Anna directly to arrange a gift certificate.
Anna also welcomes inquiries about gift certificate donations for silent auctions, raffles, or community events, and may be available to provide services at select events. Supporting community health, education, and access to care is an ongoing priority of the practice.
Anna is available to speak at events, present her work for educational purposes, and facilitate small group trainings for lay audiences. These offerings may include anatomy-informed self-care, understanding pain and compensation patterns, and practical tools for improving movement, posture, and daily function.
If you’re interested in inviting Anna to speak or facilitate a small group learning experience, please reach out to discuss goals, format, and availability.