Meet the Birch Team and our Affiliates! All of our Talented Massage Therapists and Estheticians are
New York State Licensed and Registered.
Ani is the proud owner of Birch Body Care as well as a Licensed Massage Therapist with over 10 years of experience. Before opening Birch in 2012, she graduated from the Swedish Institute and has worked in spas in NYC, wellness centers and under shady trees with ocean views on Block Island, RI. She has a B.A. in Art from Simon's Rock College of Bard. Ani's massage is intuitive, yet rooted in a deep knowledge of human anatomy and physiology. Every session is unique and tailored to her client's specific needs to facilitate the body's innate ability to heal itself. Many different techniques find their way into her sessions including Swedish, Trigger Point, Reflexology, myo-fascial release, and deep tissue. She is not currently taking new clients.
Jess's great passion in life is healing through touch. She will happily and skillfully help you relieve chronic pain, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and provide a therapeutic massage experience based on your needs. After graduating with a B.A. in Communications from SUNY New Paltz, Jess decided that a career in Massage Therapy would better suit her and enrolled at the Hudson Valley School of Massage. After completing the program and becoming a Licensed Massage Therapist in 2006, she became certified in Cancer and Mastectomy massage and has been helping people feel longer and looser since then!
Jacki has been in the bodywork field since 2002. After her Yoga teacher training in India at the Shivananda ashram, she wanted to teach and help people feel their best, and knew she had a calling for more. She studied La Stone therapy, Thai Yoga Massage and Reiki one and two. In 2009 she became a Licensed Massage Therapist after graduating from massage school in Highland, NY. She feels blessed to have opportunities to work with chiropractors and other body workers to enhance her practice skills continuously and give a very individual therapeutic treatment. Jackie's sessions are incredibly intuitive and release muscular tension, pain and stagnation, trigger points. Her sessions also address injury rehabilitation, joint stiffness and flexibility issues, as well as providing a relaxing and restorative massage.
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A Graduate of the highly regarded Boulder College of Massage Therapy, Dylan has been practicing massage for the past seven years, the bulk of which in Steamboat Springs, CO in the heart of the rocky mountains. Dylan’s passion is massage therapy and it comes through in his work. He specializes in deep tissue, orthopedic, structural therapy, active release therapy (ART), and deep relaxation using abhyanga (Ayurvedic) style massage. A native of the area, Dylan is excited to be home to share his knowledge and experience with the Hudson Valley. Come and see Dylan for a truly unique massage experience.
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Audrey has been a body worker for over 20 years. After taking an introductory class in shiatsu with the renowned sensei, Waturo Ohashi, Audrey fell in love with energy work and the transformative effect it had on people. She continued to study under Mr. Ohashi and then went on to graduate from the Swedish Institute in NYC. Audrey has worked in spas throughout the Hudson Valley and sunny San Diego and holds a BFA in film from NYU. Audrey's massages are deeply relaxing and grounding and always focus on the unique needs of each client. Combining energy work with the practical needs of the body is her specialty. Depending on the need of the client, multiple modalities of massage may be included in a session including swedish, deep tissue, shiatsu and even meditation. Her many years of Zen meditation brings a calming, quieting presence to each session.
As a New York State Licensed Massage Therapist, Sarah Garrity’s purpose and goals orient around a custom wellness vision; she enjoys helping others to reconnect with themselves and their surroundings, and in figuring out specific, personalized ways to optimize client health & wellbeing. Her personal approach supports this vision by providing the best possible treatment, high quality care and attention, and utmost respect & privacy with a combination of massage
modalities including Swedish, Thai, Shiatsu, Tuina, Acupressure, and Reflexology. Before moving to the Kingston area, Sarah worked with Acupuncturists in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, learning techniques to help maximize wellness through acupressure techniques. Sarah is a graduate of New York City’s Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, where she learned a wealth of Eastern and Western techniques, as well as the many important ways our mind, body and spirit work, inside & out.
modalities including Swedish, Thai, Shiatsu, Tuina, Acupressure, and Reflexology. Before moving to the Kingston area, Sarah worked with Acupuncturists in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, learning techniques to help maximize wellness through acupressure techniques. Sarah is a graduate of New York City’s Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, where she learned a wealth of Eastern and Western techniques, as well as the many important ways our mind, body and spirit work, inside & out.
Originally from Argentina, Marcela graduated from The Swedish Institute in 2006. She has been working as a licensed massage therapist since 2006. Her specialties include: deep tissue, trigger point, medical, sports, and myofascial work. As a certified prenatal massage therapist, you can rest assured that the mom-to-be and baby are in great hands! Marcela is committed to her continuing education. With her 11 years of experience working alongside physicians, chiropractors, physical therapist, and person trainers, she can treat a wide variety of acute and/or chronic conditions. Her focus is to help clients’ mobility and range of motion. By incorporating stretching and range of motion, Marcela is able to evaluate tissue and create a client centered massage. Each massage session is based on the individual client and their person needs.
Geena Rose is the Front Desk Manager here at Birch Body Care and a Reiki Master who has been practicing traditional Usui Reiki since 2015. She studied under Reiki Master Teacher Stacey Schaffer of Red Lotus Reiki in New Paltz. Geena is a passionate vegan and found reiki when she was searching for a way to bring comfort to suffering animals. When she discovered how much it transformed her own life she decided to complete Reiki I, II, & III to bring balanced energies to others. Geena strives to help people transition to a more heart-centered place where they can grow and heal. She loves to incorporate essential oil aromatherapy and crystal healing into her sessions. Geena is happy to hold a space of compassion and kindness where each client can feel safe and cared for.
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Ali is a NYS licensed Esthetician with a passion for clean, plant-based, and ethical skincare. As a student of Esthetics, she learned the importance of maintaining a balanced and consistent skincare routine for all skin types. Her detailed analysis during each session provides clients with a deeper understanding of their skin. Ali is committed to helping you alleviate stress and to ensure you feel comfortable and confident in your natural skin. When she's not at Birch giving amazing facials, Ali can be found exploring the beauty in details through the photographic process or making jewelry.
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Merle believes the key to personal happiness and fulfillment is in caring for and helping others. That idea led her to pursue massage as a career. Merle began her training in her native Estonia studying Medical Massage at the University of Tartu School of Medicine. After graduating, she specialized in helping post-surgical and trauma patients on their path to recovery. That experience gave her much insight into pain management through massage. Moving to the States, she worked for a number of years as a farmer before deciding to return to her passion: massage therapy. She graduated from The Finger Lakes School of Massage and is a NYS Licensed Massage Therapist. Merle focuses on each person’s uniqueness and uses her years of experience, knowledge of anatomy and body kinetics and intuition to create a session tailored to a client’s needs.
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Bernadette Canale has been a holistic skincare professional and NYS licensed esthetician in the Hudson Valley for 18 years. Her sessions include an individualized analysis and treatment that takes into consideration how environmental factors, age, and lifestyle choices affect our ‘outer glow.’ Bernadette also feels passionately about helping her clients find their ‘inner glow’ by facilitating a deep level of inner balance and harmony in her holistic sessions. Look forward to feeling nurtured, relaxed and glowing on the outside and inside after a facial with Bernadette.
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Tara’s passion to care for and nurture the body and mind led her to become a massage therapist. A native New Yorker, she graduated from the Swedish Institute. She moved away from the hustle and bustle of NYC to the peaceful mountains of the Hudson valley. Throughout her 20 years of massaging, Tara has become intuitive to each clients needs. She specializes in relaxing deep tissue massage and is certified in cancer massage. She incorporates many healing modalities of massage therapy to provide a therapeutic and restorative session.
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Emily is a passionate massage therapist who has a wide love of life and learning. Emily came to massage therapy after years as a circus arts performer and instructor. She performed and instructed flying trapeze, dance trapeze, aerial silks and hoop, Spanish web, double trapeze, and partner acrobatics at multiple resorts across the globe. Now, in addition to massage therapy, Emily is a part-time gymnastics coach who loves helping people learn about the body and how to find balance and strength from within. In her massage sessions, she loves putting people at ease with relaxing techniques and helping release aching, tired and sore muscles. She incorporates specialized techniques from Swedish massage, shiatsu, myofascial release, neuromuscular therapy, sports massage and trigger point work. Emily enjoys delivering a personalized individual experience to each client and continually seeks out new techniques to include in her sessions
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Caitlin graduated from the Swedish Institute in Manhattan in 2004 and has been a practicing massage therapist ever since, with only a brief hiatus spent farming full time. She has extensive dance training from Sarah Lawrence College and London Contemporary Dance School and continues to work artistically in the realms of dance and theater. Her delight is to re-ignite a sense of embodiment in our rapidly fragmenting technology-driven culture. Her guiding principle is to again acknowledge that we are physical creatures who need to move at an organic pace. Whether you arrive to a session with specific therapeutic goals in mind or simply the need for deep relaxation, Caitlin’s massage work promises a thorough commitment to your organic self.
ph: 845-331-7139 ll birchbodycare@gmail.com ll Birch Body Care, 73 Crown Street, Kingston, NY 12401