Lory Bedotto, LMT, CLT, NCBTMB
Founder, Longtide Wellness Collective and Cville Massage Therapy
- Massage Therapist
- CLT - Certified Lymphedema Therapist
- Manual Lymphatic Drainage
- Trauma informed therapist
I began my professional career in massage therapy in 1989 and held my first license in the State of Florida in 1990. I have studied, developed and practiced many modalities including neuromuscular therapy, lymphatic drainage, massage cupping, prenatal massage, & craniosacral therapy.
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Over the years of being a practitioner I have refined my skills to a gentler approach using mostly a blend of Lymphatic Drainage, Cranio-sacral therapy & myofascial release techniques. I have found that through these more gentle and sublet ways of working, my clients are experiencing a deeper level of release in their tissue and nervous system resulting in less pain and more ease all around. I am a Certified Lymphedema Therapist treating various stages of lymphedema and lipedema.
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In 2013 I began a deep dive and training in pre and perinatal studies with Myrna Martin MN, RCC, RCST®. We learned of the many ways that experiences, especially our early experience, can land in the body and mind and how to fine tune our senses in working with these layers of experience. Through this training and many years of hands on work with clients I have developed an awareness of the ways in which trauma, if not resolved, can be held in the body, creating physical symptoms. Some of these symptoms include chronic headaches, anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
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I offer an open heart and listening hands along with a safe space for fear, shock, emotional distress and imprints which can be held in the body from accidents, birth trauma or illnesses to come to the surface for resolution. The inherent health in the system is always looking for the support that it needs to rise up and release anything that creates imbalance therein.
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In 2016, my husband, Andrew, and I found the perfect property in downtown Charlottesville to create a dream that I've held for years. After a year and a half of hard work and determination, we are happy to have brought this dream to fruition. Longtide Wellness Collective is a tranquil space in the heart of Charlottesville where experienced practitioners come together for the health and wellness of our beloved community. We are excited to see this vision unfold in the community.
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I started my journey with massage therapy in 1999, studying in Washington, DC, at PMTI (Potomac Massage Therapy Institute), and have been practicing for over 22 years since. I have worked in spas, resorts, wellness centers, private practice, and (in the last 9 years) in clinical settings. In those years I've partnered with chiropractors, and a functional neurology practitioner. I recently devoted 5 years assisting patients navigating peripheral neuropathy, and chronic knee pain.
I've integrated a diverse array of continuing education courses paired with the many thousands of hours I've spent with my hands connecting with the wisdom of human the body. I am continuously listening and learning with an intent to be of service --to offer my gifts always in service to my clients' health. For the majority of my years I focused on my technique in deep tissue, and Swedish massage.
In the last several years I've taken to investigating the realm of trauma, paired with the riches of the health which is never lost. I've learned to recognize the value of acknowledging both our individual and collective trauma history. Specifically, I've been trained in the practice of CST (Cranio-sacral Therapy), and many pivotal ways by which one can start the journey back to wellness with a keen awareness of the role of the vagus nerve/system.
I am committed to helping you find/carve your path. "If the path before you is clear, you're probably on someone else's." -C. Jung
Joshua Levine, LMT
- Massage Therapist
Charlotte James, LMT
- Massage Therapist, CPCC
- Somatic Expressive Arts Practitioner
- trauma informed therapist
As an integrative bodyworker, I offer caring, present and intuitive touch to my clients. I co-create customized experiences with each client, tailoring the session to meet their needs. My approach is nervous system and process oriented and has been shaped by both my personal and professional studies in various somatic embodiment trainings and modalities over the past 20
years. I view the body to include the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual realms of the self. Our bodies hold our entire life experience. Body sensations, postures and gestures can reflect our history and our current patterns of moving and ways of being.
I support my clients to shift patterns of tension and pain, orient toward agency and resourcefulness, attune to the felt-sense of their inner guidance and inherent wellbeing and live a more embodied, joyous and creative life.
My intention is for my clients to walk away from their session feeling nurtured, enlivened and more at peace in their own skin. The modalities I incorporate in my work include Swedish,
Lomi Lomi (traditional Hawaiian style massage), Neuromuscular Therapy, Connective Tissue Massage and CranioSacral Therapy.
Rachel Smith, CMT, NCBTMB
-Massage Therapist
-Trauma informed therapist
I grew up in Charlottesville and have always felt deeply rooted in the community here. I attended the Virginia School of Massage and completed my studies there in 2002. I went on to graduate from the University of Virginia with a degree in Studies in Women and Gender. Since my late teens, I have been involved in anti-violence work; I helped to found the Virgina Anti-Violence Project - an organization that addresses sexual violence, intimate partner violence and hate violence in the LGBTQ community. I also served on the state board of the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance for 6 years.
After having 2 (of my 3) children, I redoubled my commitment to helping people in a more direct, hands-on way. My own experience of birth helped change my relationship with my body and I knew after giving birth to my first child that I wanted to help other birthing parents feel supported and resourced around the pre- and perinatal time. I have been studying Pre/Perinatal Dynamics with Kate White since 2017 and have assisted in workshops she has held for participants coming from places all over the world - Australia, Lebanon, Serbia, and California to name a few.
I take a holistic and trauma-informed approach to all my sessions. I view bodywork as more than working out the knots in your muscles. Each session is an opportunity to address the sources of tension held in your body or disregulation in your nervous system. Clients leave feeling deeply relaxed, and often, at peace.
A session might involve any or all of the following:
-Bodywork that addresses muscle tension or stress
-Bodywork for Stabilization and Resiliency
-Somatic Trauma Resolution
-Prevention and Treatment of Birth Trauma