Hello, I'm Dara Bryant (they/them). I'm a nonbinary, queer licensed massage therapist who's been practicing in Portland, Oregon, for over ten years. In addition to my own private practice, I have worked together with the Care Management Team at the Legacy Good Samaritan Clinic to provide massage for folx who otherwise wouldn't have access. I have also enjoyed teaching massage therapy and have organized community outreach and volunteer work for East West College of the Healing Arts in community settings such as the Dragon Boat Races, the Doggie Dash, Sundays in the Park, and for a number of local nonprofits to support their workers and volunteers. It's always my goal to provide a safe, healing, gender-affirming environment for folx of all body types and sizes. My own life can be marked by my path to finding the balance between mind, body, and spirit as a road to wellness--not just physical, but emotional as well. For years, I worked in academia, which meant I lived in my mind, largely ignoring my body and spirit. Over time, I realized this was a toxic environment for my own development and potential joy. As a massage therapist, I'm able to engage all parts of this triad while helping others find that place for themselves. I consider myself stealth woo and believe that massage is always an interplay between the physical and the energetic. I also believe that the basic relaxation gained in massage is the root to all therapeutic benefits of bodywork. Being an LMT is the best job I've ever had. After over a decade, I'm even more excited about bodywork and massage than I was at the beginning. When we work together, I can help facilitate part of your own journey into wellness and self-maintenance.