Revere, MA Spa and Massage

After earning a dual bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts Boston, Latoya Lewis graduated from the Elizabeth Grady School of Esthetics and Massage Therapy. Today, she specializes in reflexology, deep-tissue, Swedish, and sports massage, in which a cushion-footed baseball mascot walks on the client's back. Latoya prides herself on her level of empathy and intuition, always making the effort to understand clients' problems and constantly tailoring her services to the individual in her care. She often incorporates elements of trigger-point therapy and reflexology, as well as stretching and breathing exercises, into her massages. Past clients have included oncology patients and senior citizens, for whom she's developed ongoing therapy plans that she hopes will translate into broader, life-related changes.

After a more than 20-year career in retail, Kim Ryan heeded the encouragement of her husband, friends, and thoroughly wrung out dish towels to pursue an education at the Salter massage school. Today she’s a member of ABMP—Associated Bodywork and Massage Professional—and dedicates her life to helping do away with the stress of others. Ryan’s custom massages take on many forms, such as flowing Swedish strokes to improve range of motion in limbs, but they are all consciously geared toward giving clients a relaxing respite. When not melting muscles in her quaint studio, Kim can be found donating her massage skills for assisted living facilities and other worthy causes.

Though Kara Ouellette was a dancer, her graceful movements were hampered by constant pain. She turned to several different treatments but only found relief through massage therapy. Free of discomfort, Kara was able to study psychology and land a job in corporate sales—a career path that left her dissatisfied until she turned, once again, to massage. She attended Cortiva Institute's massage-therapy program, where she developed a strong foundation in anatomy, physiology, and pathology. After receiving her massage-therapy license, she became a member of the American Massage Therapy Association and founded Emerald Therapeutic Massage. Today, Kara mends muscles with modalities such as Swedish, deep-tissue, and pregnancy massage while wearing green-tinted glasses. In addition to building her practice, Kara volunteered her services by providing post-event chair massages for the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge—which raises money for cancer research—at the 2011 Boston Marathon.

Kaya Beauty Spa mixes relaxation with beautification by offering a menagerie of hair, body, and nail services. The spa’s aesthetician resurfaces skin with various facial services, including the Kaya signature facial, which can be customized to suit the particular needs of any client. Kaya also has an onsite massage therapist who specializes in prenatal massage, a modality that can alleviate the pain that arises from carrying a child or signing up to be a volunteer watermelon lifter.