your dream team.
Talented and down-to-earth, creative and inquisitive, the team at West Side Wellness is unique. Each therapist brings different skills and perspectives to the table, but we all work together as a team. You can't go wrong! Read our core values.
Before making an appointment, read about our modalities and be sure to see who does what, especially if you're pregnant, scheduling for a kid, or looking for a specific treatment.
Before making an appointment, read about our modalities and be sure to see who does what, especially if you're pregnant, scheduling for a kid, or looking for a specific treatment.
|
Violet Anderson, LMTTHERAPEUTIC MASSAGE, MYOFASCIAL, AROMATHERAPY
she/they Violet graduated from the massage program at Lincoln Technical Institute in 2023. Interested in the role compassion plays in our health, Violet practices with a gentle and intuitive touch that can facilitate intense muscular work, creating therapeutic change and leave the client feeling restored, both emotionally and physically. Violet creates a calm and grounding atmosphere for her clients. She's inspired to expand her knowledge of myofascial massage, as well as pursue education in Thai massage. Violet values whole body wellness and also trains in holistic nutrition, yoga, and meditation. She is also an artist and farmer who adores music, self expression, and the natural world. title 0
|
|
chavi bee, LMTTHERAPEUTIC MASSAGE, MYOFASCIAL, PRENATAL, AROMATHERAPY
she/her chavi plays with the texts of body, soul and earth through her practice as a bodyworker and doctoral student in Providence. As a trauma-experienced therapist, chavi practices these commitments by approaching the body with reverence, fluidity and nurturance. She weaves massage modalities, including barefoot myofascial bodywork, perinatal support techniques, and lomi lomi elements, to create an integrative approach that invites clients to return in safety and joy to their bodies. When she is not writing or bodyworking, chavi can be found learning from the forest, dancing, or cuddling with her beloved canine companion, Blue. |
|
Dennis Braga, LMTTHERAPEUTIC MASSAGE, MYOFASCIAL, PRENATAL, AROMATHERAPY
he/him Born in Providence and happy to be back home in the Ocean State after decades away, Dennis is an artist at heart. He graduated from the renowned Swedish Institute in New York City in 2005, beginning his career in the healing arts. Dennis is certified in manual lymphatic drainage (not offering yet) and pre & post natal massage. He has over 20 years of experience internationally, at leading five-star spa environments as well as at yoga studios, where he aligns his body and his connection to community. The eastern theory of massage therapy is what resonates most for Dennis and his approach to the innate healing within. His technique is a dynamic fusion of eastern and western bodywork traditions, offering a balanced comprehensive treatment. |
|
Kei Soares Cobb, LMT, RCSTTHERAPEUTIC MASSAGE, MYOFASCIAL, PRENATAL, CRANIOSACRAL, THAI YOGA MASSAGE, STRETCH THERAPY, AROMATHERAPY
he/him/they Kei graduated from Green Mountain Massage School in 2015 where he learned how to bring his connection with nature into therapeutic presence and compassionate touch. Kei’s ongoing training and research in the healing arts has been focused on how to evoke his client’s innate capacity to feel safe, held, and heard, allowing the body-mind space to self-heal and regenerate. Kei holds certifications in craniosacral therapy, thai yoga massage, and integrative somatic trauma therapy. He's studied myofascial integration with with several rolfers and osteopaths. Kei’s work is patient, precise, and oriented to the subtle ebb and flow of energetic currents in and around the body. Kei has been teaching yoga and meditation since 2012, and he enjoys exploring the wonders of his own embodiment while hiking, surfing, going on long trail runs, planting trees, and in his part-time career as a professional dancer. |
|
Liza Holley, LMTTHERAPEUTIC MASSAGE, MYOFASCIAL, NEUROMUSCULAR, INTRA-ORAL
they/them Liza offers therapeutic massage that centers safety and supports ease and expansion. Their style blends deep tissue and swedish massage techniques in a way that’s both intuitive and methodical — gradually releasing deep tension and helping the nervous system to settle. Liza’s approach to wellness challenges healthism, ableism, weight-stigma, and all systems that devalue our bodies. They trained in massage therapy at the Community College of Rhode Island, earned a B.A. in biology at Wheaton College (Mass.), and are a certified teacher of trauma-informed accessible yoga. Liza loves botany, learning new craft skills, and eating breakfast twice. |
|
Rogelio (JR) Maldonado, LMTTHERAPEUTIC MASSAGE, MYOFASCIAL
he/him Rogelio Maldonado the 3rd, better known as JR, is a graduate of the Bancroft School of Massage. At WSW, he's known for his excellent deep tissue massage. During his treatments, JR often adds therapeutic stretching, depending on the client's needs. He also works to improve joint and ligament mobility; even, for example, the small ligaments within the hands and feet, which for some can become very restricted due to lifestyle and/or occupation. "I like to try to get some micro-movement in those ligaments to promote enhanced range of motion, as well as better blood flow and increased articulation in these areas." Rogelio is a blind massage therapist. The absence of vision has heightened his sense of touch and enabled him to provide precision bodywork that's one of a kind. |
|
Derina PerkinsMYOFASCIAL SHIATSU, THERAPEUTIC STRETCHING, REIKI, AROMATHERAPY
she/her Derina started at WSW as a COVID sanitation specialist in the middle of 2020, and she's been with us ever since. During that time, she completed the massage therapy program at Lincoln Technical Institute. She has also trained in advanced structural bodywork with Rob Martin. Here at WSW, she's practicing modalities that bring balance and restore function to the body: reiki, and shiatsu with a myofascial touch. Derina's approach to shiatsu works with the fascial network of the body, assessing posture and injury patterns, and bringing openness, mobility, and pain relief. Her sessions involve stretching, body movement, and manual pressure on the body's meridians, releasing blocked energy for relaxation and self healing. |
|
Katelyn Santiago, LMTTHERAPEUTIC MASSAGE, MYOFASCIAL, PRENATAL, CUPPING
she/her Katelyn graduated from Lincoln Technical Institute's massage program in 2019. Massage is very rewarding work for Katelyn. She enjoys helping her clients find relief from chronic and acute muscular pain and tension, as well as from daily stress. She works with her clients to address their specific needs, and she encourages them to become more in tune with their bodies, promoting a self-awareness that lasts beyond the massage table. Katelyn uses a firm yet gentle approach to help with muscular tension and pain, while offering a restorative, relaxing and healing experience. She enjoys learning about structural bodywork, and she's also trained in cupping therapy and prenatal massage. Katelyn is always learning; recently she trained in advanced structural bodywork with Rob Martin. |
|
Tiffany StarksTHERAPEUTIC MASSAGE, REFLEXOLOGY, AROMATHERAPY, CUPPING
she/her Tiffany graduated from the massage program at Lincoln Technical Institute, where she trained in many modalities, such as swedish massage, shiatsu, deep tissue, hot stones, reflexology, and chair massage. She’s currently completing additional training in sports massage, and she’s interested in becoming certified in lymphatic drainage massage, as well as in the field of nutrition. Tiffany has a medical background and she’s also a certified yoga instructor. She believes in a more holistic approach to health care and well being: “I like to combine different massage techniques, like deep pressure, swedish, reflexology, and stretching. My goal is to make sure my client is relaxed and comfortable, and that they leave their session feeling better than when they came in!” |
|
Ni'cole Whalen, LMT, CMLDTTHERAPEUTIC MASSAGE, REIKI, PRENATAL
she/her currently booking sessions 60 minutes and longer With over 7 years experience as an LMT, Ni'cole has a deep passion for calming the nervous system through intentional touch. She has an associate degree in Applied Science in therapeutic massage from CCRI, and is also certified in reiki, hypnosis, and neurolinguistic programming. Ni’cole specializes in slow, deeply restorative bodywork, especially for the head, face, neck, and shoulders. She also offers nurturing prenatal massage and is a trained doula, bringing a grounded, compassionate presence to those in transition. Her style is not about pressure for pressure’s sake. She works with the body, not against it, inviting tissue to relax at its own pace, for truly effective release. Her work blends gentle myofascial release, swedish massage, reiki, and guided imagery to support mind-body reconnection. Her approach is ideal for chronic tension, sensory overwhelm, or burnout. Every session is an invitation to decompress and ease into a sense of safety and inner stillness. |
|
Ellen Zahniser, LMT, CMLDTTHERAPEUTIC MASSAGE, MYOFASCIAL, NEUROMUSCULAR, MANUAL LYMPH DRAINAGE, CUPPING
she/they currently not booking online; call to book Originally from the West Coast, Ellen graduated from Bancroft School of Massage Therapy in 2023. Ellen's interest in massage therapy developed as a continuation of their lifelong passion for dance and movement. Their ultimate goal is to cultivate a space in which clients feel comfortable, heard, and empowered. Ellen's work addresses patterns of pain with curiosity and care, through individualized treatment plans combining swedish, myofascial, trigger point therapy, cupping, and gentle movement. They invite protective and stressed systems into states of rest by exploring alternative sensations of vastness, ease, and dynamic fluidity. Ellen is studying the Trager Approach, a gentle modality involving manual work and movement. That said, 90% of Ellen's sessions are traditional medium to deep pressure massage! When not at WSW, Ellen loves eating dessert, biking around, and enjoying the wonders of RI. |
|
Jen Raimondi, LMT, ownerMYOFASCIAL
she/her Jen started West Side Wellness in January 2011. Prior to studying massage, she earned a BA at Wesleyan University and a MFA at Rhode Island School of Design. Many experiences steered Jen towards massage, including being a volunteer patient companion at RI Hospital. Jen completed her massage therapy training at the Santa Fe School of Massage (formerly the Scherer Institute) in New Mexico in 2007. Since then, Jen has focused on myofascial bodywork. If you see her on the schedule, she will be offering shorter sessions only. |
|
|
|
"I had amazing massages with both Ni’cole and Violet. Besides being kind and making me feel comfortable and welcome, their massages were excellent. Not every therapist is this connected to their craft to have the ability to intuitively listen to someone else’s body, Ni’cole and Violet definitely are. I can tell they love what they do. I’ve also received amazing massages from Suzanne and Chastity. Although their styles are different, I felt like they both knew what my body needed. Truthfully I haven’t had a bad massage or negative experience at WSW (nor has my husband)!"
"I am completely in love with the space. You feel a sense of relaxation and peace even as you open the door. The high ceilings, low lighting, warm tones, and gorgeous natural light put you at ease instantly. It's remarkable."
"It has been about a century since I’ve had a massage. Thank god the good people at West Side Wellness exist and have this available to an old person (okay, me), and they are so great. Caring, professional, friendly and the best. Thanks!!!"
"I am completely in love with the space. You feel a sense of relaxation and peace even as you open the door. The high ceilings, low lighting, warm tones, and gorgeous natural light put you at ease instantly. It's remarkable."
"It has been about a century since I’ve had a massage. Thank god the good people at West Side Wellness exist and have this available to an old person (okay, me), and they are so great. Caring, professional, friendly and the best. Thanks!!!"