My name is Payton Gabaldon, also known as "The Fascia Heeler". I am a Certified Massage Therapist (CMT) in the state of California (CAMTC Cert. #92743) and a certified SARGA Bodywork Practitioner®. In my practice, I aim to give your body the space to HEAL the physical pain that you may experience when you have tight, unhealthy FASCIA (the connective tissue that surrounds every muscle in your body) through the use of my feet as my primary massage tool, which includes the use of my HEELS. Clever business name, huh?
BACKGROUND:
I completed 550 hours of massage therapy training at Massage Center (Advanced School of Massage Therapy) in Thousand Oaks in 2022, which included 125 hours of a massage therapy internship at a chiropractic office in Chatsworth. I also passed the notoriously difficult MBLEx (Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam) on my first attempt, which is a nationally recognized exam for massage therapy licensure that is used by 44 U.S. states to assess a massage therapist's educational background and understanding of key massage concepts.
After finishing school, I decided to continue my education and learn the style of barefoot massage, specifically SARGA BODYWORK®. In this style of massage, the massage therapist uses a silky fabric strap (mine is hot pink!) and every part of the plantar surface of their foot to deliver myofascial massage techniques to the recipient's muscles as they lay on a floor-based massage table. SARGA is where my true passion lies and is the massage therapy modality that my business is built upon. In 2023, after four months and many hours of learning and practicing the modality, I became a certified SARGA Bodywork Practitioner®. To learn more about this modality and its benefits, click here.
Aside from my business, I also work at a spa doing massage therapy, where I creatively combine elements of Swedish, Deep Tissue, Lomi Lomi and stretching techniques into my routine using my forearms as my primary tool, rather than my hands.
BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY:
As far as my business philosophy goes, it is my goal to make the world a better place, one massage at a time. With each session I perform, I hope to start a chain reaction of happiness that begins with you after you leave my massage table and spreads to each being you encounter thereafter, each being they encounter, and so on and so forth (since positive energy is contagious, in my opinion). If everyone was a little nicer to each other, I think the world would be a much better space for everybody, and thus, I think massage can be the catalyst for creating such a world! I am also passionate about sharing the importance of self-care with others and awakening people’s parasympathetic nervous system response via various massage and bodywork modalities to induce a sense of peace, comfort and relaxation within each client, so that they can live better lives. As someone who lived many years of her life with an out-of-whack nervous system and was constantly living in "fight or flight mode", I have personally experienced how receiving regular massages has helped to shift my body and mind back into "rest and digest mode" and allowed me to live in a state of peace, rather than in a constant state of high-alert, stress and fear. Plus, touch is such an important, necessary part of the human experience. Believe it or not, not being touched enough can actually be damaging to your mental health. The positive effects of the hormone and neurotransmitter called oxytocin are no joke, and getting and giving massages is one way to boost your brain's production of oxytocin and release it into your bloodstream, making you feel less stressed, less anxious, more trusting of others and happier overall. I could go on about this stuff forever, but there is plenty of proof out there that getting massages is very good for you. I love giving massages, receiving massages and everything about massage therapy. I love to move my body, exercise, be active, be creative, be independent, set my own schedule, take care of myself, constantly learn new things, evolve, grow and help others; all of which the career of massage therapy allows me to do. I view the act of giving someone a massage as a true healing experience (or should I say..."heeling") for the recipient's body, mind and soul.
ETHICS:
I strongly abide by ABMP's Code of Ethics for Massage Therapists, which consists of the following:
- COMMITMENT TO HIGH-QUALITY CARE
- COMMITMENT TO DO NO HARM
- COMMITMENT TO HONEST REPRESENTATION OF QUALIFICATIONS
- COMMITMENT TO UPHOLD THE INHERENT WORTH OF ALL INDIVIDUALS
- COMMITMENT TO RESPECT CLIENT DIGNITY AND BASIC RIGHTS
- COMMITMENT TO INFORMED CONSENT
- COMMITMENT TO CONFIDENTIALITY
- COMMITMENT TO PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES
- COMMITMENT TO HONESTY IN BUSINESS
- COMMITMENT TO PROFESSIONALISM
Delivering an ethical massage therapy session is extremely important to me, and I also expect you, as the client, to be ethical as well. I have a zero tolerance policy for sexual innuendos and sexual harassment.
VERIFICATION:
I always carry my CAMTC certification ID card with me, and you are welcome to take a look at it before our session begins if you would like to verify my credentials. You can also click here, select the icon that says "Verify Certification", and type in my certificate number (92743). To verify that I am a certified SARGA Bodywork Practitioner®, click here and type my name into the search bar or select "California" to find me.
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If this all sounds good to you, I hope that you book a session with me as soon as possible! I always travel directly to your home via my car and provide the necessary supplies and equipment, including my massage table. All we need is a room in your place with privacy (or a spot in your backyard), enough space for my equipment/supplies and a slice of time carved out of your day. I can't wait to meet you!