Katharine Chaney, CMT

Katharine was great! To start, booking an appointment was easy to do online. Once in her care we talked through my issues (primarily some really painful muscles in my back) and then proceeded into massage work, a little ointment on my neck, some stretching, wrapped up by acupressure.
During the session she was very informative (as I’m quite inquisitive), and she was patient in explaining what she was doing, and why, whenever I asked. Afterwards, she shared some stretches for me to do at home on my own. After a few days I felt completely recovered.
In addition, Katharine comes across as someone who is very professional and genuinely likes what she does for a living. I sensed she is always looking for ways to improve her practice.

Being an athlete and a mother of two my body is most always in some form of discomfort. From the very first session with Katherine both my running aches and my mommy aches were soothed.
Her use of gentle stretching, acupressure and of different types of Chinese medical massage were the perfect blend for dissipating my pain. Extremely knowledgeable and experienced, she knew exactly how to help me. Katherine is an incredible healer.

I took my two sons (ages 6 and 10) to see Katharine last week. Not only were we able to get an appointment on the same day, but she managed to put them at their ease immediately and treated them with a lovely gentleness. My younger son had been complaining about a stomach ache for over 2 weeks, which he was rating at between 5 and 9 in pain, mostly at night. With just one session he reports that the pain is now at a 1 or 0 all the time. My older, touch-​phobic son watched his brother being worked on and consented to climb on the table… then thoroughly enjoyed his session too. Both of them left very relaxed and happy — I’m really grateful to have found such a wonderful resource and caring, skilled body worker.

I deal with a lot of chronic pain and have been having a lot of flare ups recently. Traditional massage, while relaxing, really wasn’t giving me the relief that I needed.
Enter Katharine.
Not only did she take me last minute but she paid special attention to areas that needed work. She stretched and massaged in places that have been long neglected by others. I’m already saving toward my next session!

I was not familiar with the styles of Eastern massage that Katharine practices, but I’m glad I found out! Her techniques are both stimulating and relaxing, including a lot of assisted stretching (yes!) and a gentle gripping and shaking of muscles to rev up circulation. I’m having trouble explaining the muscle vibration thing and I’m sure she has a better way to describe it. Anyway, believe me, it feels divine and gets rid of stress knots in a hurry.
Also, you keep your clothes on during the massage, which she says allows her more latitude in the way she moves and stretches you. And to me, being dressed adds another layer of relaxation. You don’t have to worry about what’s hanging out or what you’ll do if someone yells, «Fire!»
In addition to being smart and intuitive, Katharine is a sunny, thoughtful and fun person to be around.

I have seen Katharine on a few occasions always feeling better when I leave. She has a very postive upbeat personality and her touch is amazing. I recommend her if you are stressed out or want relief of pain. She’s awesome and very knowledgeable about chinese medicine.

If you know anything about me, which 99.5% of those on the local Unilocal will NOT, I am a FREAK for massages (pls refer to the bulk of my not– so-​many offerings on here). You can add another mmmmmm-​marvelous therapist to my list, my only one so far in Marin.
Her specialty is chronic pain, injury prevention, & stress reduction through Tui Na (Chinese medical massage), Acupressure and Chi Nei Tsang styles of massage. She also is apparently very effective with IBS & chronic digestive problems. For anyone unfamiliar with these styles of massage, it is very rhythmic with circular smooth wave-​like motions delivered with varying applied pressure. This is different from what i’m used to, & yet SOOOO soothing & healing!
She is located on the 2^nd floor of an older building with other businesses in San Raphael in a solo room, so you need to definitely call ahead or get onto her website to set up an appointment. Her office/​massage room is delightfully decorated & successfully creates a simple, comforting ambiance that will relax you.
(4.5 stars)

Katharine is an excellent healer with a warm, gentle manner, a great sense of humor and a strong knowledge of traditional Chinese healing arts. After I’d sprained my upper back and found myself barely able to get up out of bed or turn my head, she totally helped me dissolve the tension and even understand the emotional root causes of my muscle discomfort. I highly recommend her!