St. Louis-based Barefoot Massage

A licensed massage therapist and faculty member at Elements of Wellness School of Massage in Creve Coeur, Vanessa feels most fulfilled when caring for others and creating a space for them to heal. She earned her certification from Elements of Wellness in 2017, and specializes in barefoot massage, which is a modality that allows the therapist to utilize their feet to provide a deep, relaxing, non-“pokey” massage, however she is skilled at hands-on massage as well. When she founded House Of Heeling in 2021, she designed the business logo herself. Wanting to avoid the cultural appropriation common among many massage and spa companies, she chose a coat of arms like her own British ancestors. Massage helps keep muscles in good form, and less stress is helpful for the immune system, promoting strength and overall physical and mental health, so the 'bend' on the shield represents defense, protection, and strength. The torches come from a quote by Maryam Hasnaa that Vanessa first heard in massage school:  “A healer does not heal you. A healer is someone who holds space for you in the darkness while you awaken your inner healer, so that you may heal yourself.” Finally, a crown tops it off, because, as Vanessa says, "the power, my dear, belongs to you." While she has called the St. Louis area home for over a decade, Vanessa has lived all over the world and still loves to travel. When not in the studio you can find her planning her next travel adventure, riding horses, cooking, caring for her plants, or spending time with her friends or her cat, Odin.