Meet Our

Massage Therapists

Meet our team of expert therapists at Bothell Integrated Health, dedicated to enhancing your well-being through specialized injury treatment and holistic care. Our approach integrates medical massage and bodywork for a personalized recovery journey. 

We Use Massage to Effectively Treat

Whiplash Treatment

and Other Serious Injuries

Licensed Massage Therapist

B.J. Erkan

Practicing since 1994 when I graduated from the Brian Utting School of Massage, I have dedicated my life to the art and science of massage. I love everything about massage – giving, receiving, learning, and teaching it. With over 30 years of specializing in high trauma injury treatment, I have amassed 40,000 hours of hands-on time.

I have also had the privilege of teaching at the university level, spending years at Bastyr University, and countless hours teaching continuing education to clinical therapists. My passion lies in helping people move past the pain that hinders their ability to fully participate in life. I enjoy mentoring therapists who wish to realize their full potential and helping people reclaim their lives after a traumatic event has derailed them.

Licensed Massage Therapist

Theresa Gailushas

“The way to best describe Theresa, is as a true Technician.  Theresa drops all frills and gets right to the heart of the issue.  This is the practice of bonafide medical massage at it’s finest. Theresa analyzes the situation surrounding an anatomical issue, and works expertly to correct it.

All of that said, the special thing about a treatment from Theresa, is that  you will leave the massage table, not only knowing that you are one step closer to being pain free, but also feeling refreshed, taken care of, and ready to get back  to doing all of the things  you love.”

Licensed Massage Therapist

Lisa Howe

 Lisa graduated from Discovery Point School of Massage after spending several years working in IT.  She works collaboratively with her clients to support their unique journey to wellness, helping them deepen their presence of mind and awareness of body through massage.

Lisa skillfully blends traditional Swedish massage and therapeutic outcome-based techniques such as myofascial release, neuromuscular techniques, hydrotherapy, lymphatic facilitation, sports, chair, and prenatal massage. A combination of these modalities allows her to meet her clients’ wellness goals, whether easing injury, chronic pain conditions, stress reduction, or maintenance of well-being.

Massage therapy is a means to deepen relaxation while being anatomically informed, and can help strengthen a person’s body-mind connection. Lisa strives to hold space for each unique session, and to listen with presence. She looks forward to working with you.

Licensed Massage Therapist

Jacob Pratt

Jacob’s passion for massage therapy began early in life, when he wanted to find a way to help ease his mother’s pain from chronic illness. After realizing he had a talent for massage, and seeing the relaxation and healing it brought his friends and loved ones, it became a dream of Jacob’s to pursue a massage therapy certification. After graduating from Cortiva Institute of Massage Therapy, Jacob has centered his career around a deep dedication to helping his clients on the road to injury recovery and the alleviation of acute and chronic pain.

Since becoming licensed as a Medical Massage Therapist, Jacob has developed particular affinities towards modalities such as: deep tissue, neuromuscular, myofascial, swedish, and sports massage. However, Jacob’s main objective is to meet each patient’s needs on an individual level. He seeks to tailor every massage to the unique situation of every patient, and to work with them in order to facilitate an optimized treatment plan and to create a safe, comfortable, and healing-focused environment. 
Suffice it to say, Jacob loves what he does, and he greatly looks forward to working with you and co-authoring your journey of relaxation and healing!

Licensed Massage Therapist

Yumi takamura

Yumi has been practicing massage for over 2 decades and has evolved into an exceptional therapist. She has studied many techniques, ranging from shiatsu to positional release, learning from both massage teachers and physical therapist instructors, and utilizes each of them when it is appropriate for patient care. Yumi’s dedication to helping her patients get out of pain from serious injury has made us grateful to have her as a senior therapist in our clinic.  Yumi pursues  her interest in the mind-body connection by both studying massage (technique, physiology, and anatomy), and with her practice of Shaolin Gongfu (also known as kung-fu).

Licensed Massage Therapist

Krystal Tanis

Krystal Tannis, LMT, is a seasoned massage therapist and has lived in the Seattle area since 2000.  Krystal earned her degree in Massage Therapy and Fitness from Lake Washington Technical College in 2012. She specializes in deep tissue massage, Swedish massage, trigger point therapy, sports massage, and various other therapeutic touch techniques. 

Krystal is known for her patient approach, she is both strong and sensitive. Her go to style is slow and deep, but she has a spectrum of techniques from light and nurturing to deep tissue.  She takes the time to delve deeply into treatment ensuring a thorough and effective experience for her clients. Her primary goal is to help patients heal and recover from injuries, alleviate both acute and chronic pain, and provide relief from the body’s stresses.

Licensed Massage Therapist

Valerie Green

My name is Valerie. I have been a licensed massage therapist since 2019.
I grew up in pain, due to scoliosis and surgical fusion. I had so many massages- swedish, deep tissue, CST, and who knows what else over the years. All helped, but the inflammation following wasn’t awesome. After recovering a good deal from a long battle with Lyme Disease+, I was talked into taking a CFT (Craniosacral Fascial Therapy) class. Those 3 days changed my life! This gentle work got rid of pains I had had for decades!! I was hooked!! I met some MFR therapists in that class and the rest was history. After a brief time living overseas, I was more than ready to start massage school, and I did so a month after we landed stateside and got into a new house. I went to massage school near DFW, and the month I was licensed, I started taking the first handful of many many CEU classes. I have re-taken, and then assisted CFT, as well as cohosted and then assisted CFT infant trainings. In addition to many one day classes, I have studied John Barnes MFR (Myofascial Release) technique. I have taken hundreds of hours of continuing education classes, and I love learning new things.
This broad, steady foundation of fascia study classes has allowed me to help  infants, children and adults live a more worry free, pain free life. I absolutely love helping people feel and live better.
The majority of the work I do is focused around “never force, always follow.” The reason we don’t force is because it puts the body on guard, and it reactively tenses up. If we clue the body into its tightness, and we allow it to melt, we have lasting results, without the inflammation response.
I specialize in Craniosacral Fascial Therapy (which incorporates parts of both CST and MFR) as well as John Barnes MFR. I am also intra-oral certified, and work with many pre/post frenectomy patients. My pressure ranges from light to med-firm.
In my down time, I stay pretty busy with house projects, traveling, gardening, taking classes, and spoiling my rescue beast-dog.
I look forward to meeting you.
Valerie

Licensed Massage Therapist

Lauren “tags” LeBlanc

I graduated from Cortiva in Seattle in August 2014. Injury treatment is my passion, and I’ve been at BIH since September 2023. I decided to become a massage therapist after massage helped me recover from my own injuries after an accident. From my own experience I understand what patients are going through.
Helping people realize they don’t have to live in pain and witnessing their healing journeys is such a blessing. I focus on gently convincing your nervous system to relax the injured muscles using trigger point therapy, sports massage techniques, neuromuscular facilitation, myofascial release, swedish massage, and targeted stretching to get each client moving better and to decrease their pain. Outside of work, I like movies, trying new recipes, and spending time with my family. 

We Use Massage to Effectively Treat

Whiplash Treatment

and Other Serious Injuries