Practitioners

Registered & Regulated
All of the practitioners at The Clinic Upstairs are dedicated to ethical client care principles as set out by their own individual governing bodies.

All massage therapists are registered and operate according to the Code of Ethics &
Standards of Practice set out by the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario and the Regulated Health Professions Act.

Continuing Education
All therapists within the clinic are continually updating their skills by way of continuing
education and professional development and are all progressive in terms of personal
growth and career growth.

Jana Clipsham B.A., R.M.T. Osteopathy – present study

Although Jana originally went to university to study politics and physical education, she soon became intrigued by the massage therapy that she sought for relief from the rigors of rowing. An abiding interest in anatomy and sports, and a desire for a flexible work schedule that would afford her time to pursue other interests, eventually led to her enrollment at the West Coast College of Massage Therapy.

Jana incorporates a lot of fascial work into the traditional Swedish technique she practices. For those not familiar with the term, fascia is the slippery covering (‘like saran wrap!’) that surrounds the muscles of the body. Loosening the fascia is integral in allowing the muscle freedom to move. Jana’s work is also influenced by her training in osteopathy. Stemming from this education, her approach to health is holistic, requiring a full picture of the person to facilitate optimum healing. Jana asks her clients to give her as much information as possible on their condition, even if it seems irrelevant. With the adage, “it’s all about you”, she also insists her clients surrender and not fight the massage!

Jana takes clients on Tuesdays (11:30am - 6pm).

Susan Glass R.M.T.

Susan has been practicing massage therapy since 1974, after having trained at the Centre for the Healing Arts in Toronto. Her style incorporates techniques from Swedish massage and fascial release work, and draws on principles that come from various disciplines that study the relationships between mind, body, and emotion, such as Chinese medicine, humanistic psychology, and Jungian depth psychology. In recent years, Susan has taken additional training with Jungian analyst Marion Woodman, who has written extensively on the subject of feminine psychology, and particularly on the importance of the relationship between body and psyche.

Susan’s approach to massage therapy takes into account the interplay between body, mind and emotion, and so can be of great benefit to those experiencing stress, which commonly affects us on all these levels. This style of treatment especially benefits those who want to learn more about how their physical tension develops so that they can then work with the patterns of use and/or behaviour that may be the cause. The massage sessions are used to increase kinesthetic awareness of the body, the breath, and utilize imagery to release musculature from the inside as the massage treatment releases it from the outside.

Susan takes clients on Mondays (8am-2pm), Thursdays (8am-12pm), Fridays (8am-5pm), and occasional Sundays.
Please contact Susan directly to book appointments: 613-233-1410.

Kristine Karpinski B.A., N.H.C., R.M.T., Yoga Therapist, Yoga & YogaDance Teacher

After studying theatre and psychology in university, Kristine became a registered massage therapist and more recently a yoga therapist. At present, her particular style of massage borrows from the many techniques she has studied and worked with including, orthotherapy, shiatsu, reflexology, craniosacral therapy, chakra balancing, reiki and metamorphic technique. Kristine offers both Swedish and Thai Yoga massage within her practice, and additionally offers Phoenix Rising and Integrative yoga therapy sessions.

In the past, she has also specialized in prenatal yoga and practiced as a doula for over ten years, working to establish a number of doula collectives and training courses in town. She is the owner of The Clinic Upstairs - massage therapy and wellness centre, and previous co-owner of the Whole Family Centre.

As a certified yoga therapist and yoga & yogadance teacher, Kristine has taken intensive trainings in a number of yoga and yogadance traditions over the years. She is registered with yoga alliance (YA) and the international association of yoga therapists (IAYT). She is working towards registration with ISMETA, as a somatic movement educator and therapist and is preparing to begin a master’s degree in embodiment studies. At present, Kristine teaches community classes in yoga and yogadance at the Ottawa School of Speech and Drama and the Ottawa Theatre School and offers one–on–one client sessions through The Clinic Upstairs.

Kristine takes client appointments on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and occasional Sundays.

For more information on Kristine’s classes and therapy sessions go to www.joyfulmotion.ca

Kasey Kulas R.M.T. Reiki

A self-proclaimed stress-reliever, Kasey understands first hand the havoc that stress can play on the body; she left her fast paced graphic design career for precisely those reasons. Unhappy with the late hours and panic of rushing to meet deadlines, Kasey left her job unable to walk. As doctors could do little more than provide her with pain relief, she eventually found herself in the hands of an RMT who worked some magic in getting her on her feet again. Thoroughly impressed with the hands-on healing she had experienced, Kasey herself became an RMT in January 2000.

Although she uses reiki to help pin point problem areas, Kasey specializes in Swedish massage. She insists that every one of her clients is ‘queen of the table’ in as much as she is there to cater to each individual’s particular needs. Because the key to a good massage is comfort, Kasey makes putting her clients at ease, her first priority. A firm believer in post-treatment Epsom salt baths, she asks her clients to take it easy afterwards and try ‘to keep the massage’ for as long as possible!

In addition to being an RMT, Kasey also happens to be an accomplished artist of various media whose award winning art work has been shown at galleries in Ottawa, Toronto and Guelph.

Kasey takes clients on Mondays (4pm-5:30pm), Tuesdays (2:30pm-7pm), Wednesdays (2:30pm-7pm), and Saturdays (9:30am-3:30pm).

Guy Tardif B.A., R.M.T. Certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher Thai Massage Practitioner

Guy’s journey to a career in body work began at Ottawa University where he studied theatre and movement. His fascination with non-verbal communication eventually led him to an exploration of touch therapies.

A Registered Massage Therapist since 1998, Guy practices from a holistic approach taking into account all levels of the individual, not merely the sum of his organic parts. As a certified Kripalu yoga instructor, his treatment is influenced by yoga and meditation. Different states of body awareness have demonstrated how the body stores tension, and Guy attributes an understanding of breath patterns (which is an integral part of his yoga practice) as key to a better understanding of the body’s holding patterns for stress.

Guy added Thai-style massage to his practice in 2003. This type of massage is practiced on a floor mat using a variety of postures to stretch and/or compress the body. Thai-style massage focuses on balancing all systems of the body and leaves one feeling clear and exhilarated. - “It’s wonderful!” he claims.

Although he perpetually strives to “be present in the moment”, he sees teaching as becoming a focal point. With a personal philosophy that humbly aspires to ‘self-observation without criticism’, Guy‘s love for his work is evident in the enthusiasm and passion he brings to it.

Guy takes clients on Wednesdays (10:30pm-7:30pm – Swedish Massage only), Fridays (10:30am-6:30pm – Thai Massage only), and Saturdays (9:00am –3:30pm – Swedish and Thai Massage available).

Jan Dorrell B.Sc., N.D. - Naturopathic Doctor

With an interest in health and nutrition evident at an early age, Jan is probably the only person to grow up with a favourite vitamin (the vitamin E!) At university she went into science with the idea of studying nutrition from a research perspective, although she soon realized that she wanted to work with people instead. She fell upon Naturopathy at a health fair and was captivated by this approach to medicine which has nutrition at its foundation but also includes herbal medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture and lifestyle counseling. After finishing her science degree, Jan signed up for four more years of schooling at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto, emerging in 2000 as ‘Dr. Jan Dorrell’.

Jan’s treatment philosophy is rooted in the belief that the body has an innate wisdom and ability to heal itself and that her role is simply to support it in getting the job done. In keeping with this belief, she will always start with the gentlest approach and work from there. She encourages her clients to, “treat yourself well because you deserve it!”

Jan likes being eclectic in her practice and especially enjoys working with pregnant women; a group among whom she is quickly developing a reputation for turning breech babies!

Jan takes clients Mondays (3pm-7pm), Tuesdays (11am-7pm), and Thursdays (2pm-7pm).
Please phone 613-728-9414 to book all appointments with Jan.