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.

Stephanie Bergeron RMT, Reiki, CranioSacral Therapy

Having originally studied fashion design after high school, Stephanie has always been interested in the creative, hands-on side of things. In 1999, she was introduced to Reiki which opened up new doors in the quest for well-being and eventually lead her into the direction of massage therapy, an art form in itself.

Stephanie graduated from the Algonquin College Massage Therapy Program in 2004. She finds that being a Reiki practitioner as well as an RMT brings a quiet energy to her treatments to help facilitate relaxation (for the client too!). She believes that people need to be more open to listening to their intuition not only in their daily life but within their own body. Time on the massage table can be a great place to start!

Stephanie has taken extra training for Prenatal Massage but also feels that infants and children should be given the opportunity to benefit from massage as well as adults. As an Infant Massage Instructor, she is available to teach parents/caregivers the techniques and beneifts of infant massage. Stephanie has also completed CranioSacral Therapy levels I & II and SomatoEmotional Release level I through the Upledger Institute and CranioSacral for Pediatrics (May 2008). With so many modalities still to be learned, she never ceases to be amazed at the many levels of healing that are possible.

Stephanie takes clients Mondays (1am-8pm), Wednesdays (9am-2pm), Thursdays (12pm-7pm), and every other Sat/Sun (9am-4pm).

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).

Dave Eibner R.M.T.

Dave has been practicing massage therapy since 1996 when he graduated from Kikkawa College in Toronto. As with many practicing therapists, he came to massage therapy as a result of his own personal quest for health.

The driving force behind Dave’s practice is in being a part of someone’s journey to health and helping them to get there. He approaches treatment in terms of problem solving and loves the challenge in finding ‘that place of quiescence’- the continual pursuit of balance and health. Dave practices Swedish massage although he incorporates many other advanced techniques such as trigger point therapy, strain/counter strain, Mitchell’s model of muscle energy technique, fascial and myofascial work.

As an adjunct to his practice, Dave started teaching in 1998 and has now signed a full time professorship with Algonquin College which will bring his practice to part time. As a personal priority, Dave makes a commitment to his own well-being through healthy cooking and ongoing triathlon training.

Dave takes clients Thursday evenings and every 2nd Saturday.

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., C.D., R.M.T.,Certified Yoga Teacher, Danskinetics Instructor

Kristine has worked in the holistic health field since 1992. She has been a massage therapist since 1999, and prior to that practiced a variety of modalities including: orthotherapy, reflexology, craniosacral therapy, reiki and other types of energy work. At present, her particular style of massage borrows from the many techniques she has studied and worked with. Kristine offers both Swedish and Thai Yoga massage within her practice.

In Kristine’s experience the aim of massage is to bring the body into a healing space and the greatest benefit it can bring is the awareness and presence of what one’s body feels like when it is comfortable and stress-free. Although people often downplay the relaxation aspect of massage, it’s worth recognizing the importance of developing new memories in the body as an integral step in the healing process, no matter what health condition exists. She remains very present in her treatments, listening to the body and honouring her client’s space. In doing this she is able to pick up on the body’s cues kinesthetically and energetically.

Also a certified yoga teacher and danskinetics (yoga dance) instructor, Kristine believes that one key component in changing stress responses in the body is moving the body consciously and learning to let go of unnecessary holding patterns. In the past, she has also specialized in prenatal yoga and practiced as a doula (birth support provider) for over ten years.

Passionate about continuing education, Kristine is presently studying somatic psychology through an intensive training program in body centered expressive therapy.

Kristine takes clients at various times throughout the week, please inquire.
Please note: Kristine is not taking doula clients at this time.

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).