Atkinson Family Practice

November 21, 2022

We are so excited to welcome our new massage therapist, Brio Kelly, to the AFP Family! Brio will start seeing patients in early December. If you wish to book an appointment with them, please meet with your Primary Care Provider to discuss a referral. 

We were able to sit down with Brio before their first day to learn a little bit more about their journey to AFP. 

 

AFP: What fueled your desire to go into the field of Massage Therapy?

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BRIO: My own healing journey inspired me to pursue a career in massage. At 37 years old I was experiencing crippling low back pain. I had been a high school athlete, biked from SF to LA at 28yo, worked a manual labor job in the Santa Cruz Mountains in my early thirties and now I was barely able to walk down the block. I was angry and felt defeated. 

 

A dear friend introduced me to Dr. Tony, a naturopathic doctor who realized my adrenals were fatigued and my body was inflamed from the food I was eating. Recovery was not quick (it took a full 2+ years) but along the way I learned how to care for and partner with my body. I also learned my body's telltale signs that I was getting off course.

 

Once my health had turned the corner, I knew it was time to leave the environmental field for good and massage therapy fit my life and engaged my detail oriented, sleuthing mind. Massage gave me permission to dive deeper into my learning of the human body and all the systems and how they work together. The medical professionals - Chiropractors, Physical Therapists, Naturopathic Doctors and Acupuncturists -  I have worked with during my career have shared some of their expertise and further expanded my thinking and knowledge.

 

AFP: What is your favorite part of your job?

BRIO: When clients Zen out on my table because their bodies are in parasympathetic rest and repair and that is where the real work happens, behind the scenes in the non-muscular body systems. 

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AFP: What brought you to Atkinson Family Practice? Your bio notes that you went to school in Oregon. Can you tell us more about what brought you to Massachusetts!

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BRIO: My wife brought me to Massachusetts. I was born and raised on the West Coast but my wife needed to return home to the rolling hills of the North East. We both love the Pioneer Valley for the people, politics, queer vibe, amazing CSAs and so many Jewish People - many my wife already knew...oh and the maple syrup!  

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AFP: Can you tell us a little bit more about your “seek and destroy” massage method?

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BRIO: My fingers are adept at finding knotted muscles or stuck fascia, then creating space. My problem-solving brain is always pondering why the muscles knotted and then what other muscles are supporting this tension. So I'm seeking the problem area specifically and then more broadly. I then "destroy" by softening tissue using the massage techniques I have learned over the years. The trick is finding what each body will respond to. 

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AFP: How do you like to spend your free time outside of work?

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BRIO: My wife and I spend winters playing Banangrams and completing puzzles. Our 14 year old dog, Cinnamon, gets us out into the cold for daily walks. Otherwise, you'll often find me in the kitchen cooking/baking/canning something fantastic. I enjoy sourcing my ingredients locally. Since moving to the Pioneer Valley, I have been exploring more of my crafty side from sewing to building bird houses. 

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If you wish to book an appointment with them, please ask to be referred by your Primary Care Provider. 

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