Following a 23-year career owning and directing massage therapy schools in Tennessee, Florida, and New Jersey, I decided to return to my passion as a full-time massage therapist in private practice and opened Intuitive Bodywork Massage Therapy, Edgewater, New Jersey in 2009 In 2010, I relocated and moved Intuitive Intuitive Bodywork to Downtown, New Cumberland, PA.

I believe that safe, nurturing touch is essential to achieving optimal health, mental and emotional well-being, and for performing to our full quality of life potential.

My education and experience have led me to specialize in Massage Therapy for Stress Relief and Relaxation, Neuromuscular Therapy for Pain Relief and Joint Mobility, Prenatal Massage, Lymphatic Breast Massage, Energy Bodywork, and Mind-Body Healing, with a focus on women's health.

During my 25+ year career as a practicing massage therapist, a massage school owner, instructor, and a continuing education provider, I have performed over 26,000 massages! I have taught thousands of massage therapy students, professional massage therapists & other health care professionals. During this time, I have also been a student of massage, bodywork, and holistic health with a diploma in massage and neuromuscular therapy, dozens of continuing education certificates, and a BA degree in Holistic Studies.

I have helped thousands of people feel better by providing relief from physical pain and illness, emotional stress, trauma, and energetic dysfunctions. I have witnessed many amazing healing experiences.

But, Did I Miss The Greater Need?

Yet, after all this time I can’t help but feel that on some level, as a person who has made an entire career in the field of professional touch, I have missed something very important - The act of just offering simple, nonjudgemental caring touch, holding, cuddling and non-sexually "just being" with another person.

To quote Ann Catlin, LMT, NCTMB, OTR in Her Massage Today article Have We Created a Touch Deprived Society, "I believe that perhaps our real work as massage therapists, regardless of your clientele, is to help usher in a new age where human touch returns to its rightful place in our world."

"Touch deprivation is a reality in American culture as a whole," writes Reverend Anthony David of Atlanta. "It's just not babies needing to be touched in caring ways, or the sick. It's not just doctors and nurses needing to extend it. It's all of us, needing connection, needing to receive it, needing to give it, with genuine happiness at stake." (Source: Massage Therapy.com article by Nora Brunner, The Power of Touch)

At Vermont College, I completed a six-month study on The Link Between Touch Deprivation At Birth & In Early Childhood And Violent Behavior In Adolescence And Adulthood. Not only did I learn that the link is real, I learned about the reality of how widespread touch deprivation is throughout life, and the resulting harm to both the individual and society.

Essential Touch - The Beginning

Thus, Essential Touch was born as a division of my Intuitive Bodywork Massage Therapy practice. It's a bit of a risky venture... I am sure there are people who will think I am nuts to offer such a thing as pure non-sexual touch for health and healing... But I have learned too much to sit back and do nothing.

If you have read this far, I hope that you will have the opportunity to experience Essential Touch for yourself! I invite you to make an appointment soon!

Education & Experience

• BA Degree in Holistic Health, Vermont College of Norwich University
• Certified Neuromuscular Therapist
• Certified Neuromuscular Therapy Instructor
• Certified Prenatal Therapist
• Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCTMB)
• Published Author in Massage Therapy and Holistic Health
• Former Owner Of Wellness Spa & Integrative Medical Center
• Former Massage School Owner, Director & Instructor
• National Conference Presenter & CE Provider

Valerie's Story

Valerie Brings 20+ Years of Experience as a Highly-Skilled Psychotherapist & Intuitive Healer

Valerie’s journey has been epic—having to survive many personal losses and trauma experiences--and healing over many years, she brings substantial down-to-earth, practical, emotional, and spiritual support. 

She has always been a naturally sensitive person, a “seer” and an experience-er of things beyond normal senses. Due to having 3 near-death experiences at different times in her life, certain abilities she had as a child have been strengthened. With deep emotional and empathic intelligence, she sometimes will receive messages/impressions/visions for the person she is working with, allowing herself to be a container and a catalyst via Divine Source/Wisdom for others' healing and transformation. 

She works with dream interpretation, the intersection of soul purpose/energy and psychotherapy(Yes, they are complementary!), mastery in hands-on healing via several traditions of Reiki, dream interpretation, and soul work.

Along the way, Valerie has acquired a substantial amount of knowledge and experience, but what is most important to her, is the Wisdom that has been gained. Her intention is to teach and inspire others to find their own Wisdom--inside a healthy body and mind with natural support from your own Soul and relationship to your true self.