A people person from the heart, I started my career in managing beauty retail stores and later decided that I wanted to do more to help others. I realized that one of my passions was massage. My daughter also confirmed this for me when she was seven years old, telling me that I give the best massages. Long before this, my grandmother had cancer, and I wanted to help her. I found myself visiting her on a day when her legs were really bothering her, as she had neuropathy. I could tell that she needed some TLC, so I massaged her legs (not knowing at the time that there is a special way to massage someone undergoing cancer). As I was massaging her, she told me how she missed how people touched her, or even hugged her, like they used to ever since she started going through her treatments.

When she passed away, she left me some inheritance money and said to do something with it that I would not have thought possible to do. This was my chance to completely change my goals, career, and life. I decided to go to school for massage therapy! I wanted to do this not only because my daughter told me I was good at massage, but for my grandmother, Ruby McKenzie. I decided that I wanted to learn more, to know how to care for people that need touch the most; people that do not think that they can get a specialized massage catered to them.

I am certified in Tracy Walton’s Oncology and the Vodder technique for Manual Lymphatic Drainage, which complements treatments for a variety of medical issues. I love to work with people from all walks of life, even if their ailments do not call for an Oncology massage; I want to help!

Having been at Austin Lymphatic for several years now, I have worked on a number of cases that required me to understand how different and unique the human body can be. I try to educate my clients so they have the tools to keep their bodies healthy and feeling good. As the office manager of the Balcones location, I help to create a positive environment for all Austin Lymphatic clients. I continue to soak in knowledge, and truly try to expand my mind to solve for any condition.

A people person from the heart, I started my career in managing beauty retail stores and later de... Read More

Hello, I’m Melody. My journey in the realm of health and wellbeing began during my undergraduate years at Kansas State University, where I pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. It was there that I first recognized my passion for helping others achieve optimal health and wellness. I then decided to further my education, obtaining my Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, MO.

As an Occupational Therapist, I’ve always valued using a client-centered approach, placing emphasis on empowering my patients to actively participate in their journey towards improved health and enhanced quality of life. I firmly believe in tailoring treatment plans to suit each individual’s unique needs and aspirations.

My passion for working with the lymphatic system began during my work as an OT specializing in Cancer Rehabilitation. During this time, I was working with breast cancer patients, who often experienced chronic edema as a result of various treatments such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Witnessing the transformative impact of Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) through alleviating pain, improving range of motion, and fostering overall well being was truly inspiring.

Driven by a desire to deepen my understanding and expertise in lymphedema management, I made the decision to pursue certification as a Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT). This specialized training provided me with advanced knowledge and skills necessary for effectively managing chronic lymphedema, further supporting my ability to provide comprehensive care to my clients.

Although my training was focused primarily on advanced cases of lymphedema, I realized through practical experience as a CLT that lymphatic drainage could truly benefit anyone. An example of this occurred when a colleague sought my assistance for a patient struggling with persistent edema following a total knee replacement. Following a single session of MLD, the patient was able to achieve more range of motion than they had in the past 3 months!

I am thrilled to bring my expertise in both Occupational Therapy and lymphatic massage to Austin Lymphatic, where I am dedicated to delivering compassionate, personalized care to every individual I have the privilege to serve

Hello, I’m Melody. My journey in the realm of health and wellbeing began during my undergraduate ... Read More

Hi, I’m Heather!

I am constantly amazed and inspired by the body’s incredible capacity for healing. I am passionate about helping people discover new ways to move their bodies and learn to listen to the feedback that their bodies provide.

I believe that it is necessary to meet each patient where they are and provide individualized care for each person, every single day. I am extremely curious, and I strive to understand the causes of each patient’s presentation to develop the most effective plan of care.

I grew up loving the outdoors and always enjoyed a variety of physical activities. I was one of those kids who was exploring the woods or playing games outside from sunrise until the streetlight came on. I have always loved camping, hiking, walking, weight training, Pilates, and swimming in spring-fed rivers. I also loved soccer from 3rd grade through high school, but frequent injuries ended my soccer career prior to college.

Looking back, I understand my healing trajectory and capacity to return to sport would have improved significantly if my orthopedic physicians had referred me to physical therapy and MLD. Seven broken bones and countless ankle sprains later, I discovered physical therapy accidentally after sustaining a serious ankle injury.

I was so fascinated by the healing process and the mind/body connection that I began my path to becoming a physical therapist. I have always been intrigued by neuroscience and initially embarked on a path to become a clinical psychologist and graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in Psychology.

I love that physical therapy combines my love for neuroscience and neuroplasticity with my love for movement and human connection. I am so grateful that my ankle injury led me to complete my Doctorate in Physical Therapy at Texas State University.

I fell in love with the lymphatic system while completing a clinical rotation in Wound Care and Lymphedema CDT at St. David’s. I was completely amazed to learn the physiology of the lymphatic system and began to recognize that many of my wound care patients were struggling with edema due to an overload in their lymphatic system which delayed their healing trajectory significantly.

During my outpatient experience, I began to recognize that post-surgical edema and systemic inflammation also delayed the recovery of my orthopedic patients.

This led me to pursue my certification in Manual Lymphatic Drainage and I am thrilled as this technique allows my patients to return to their favorite activities more quickly and dramatically improves their quality of life.

I fell in love with the pelvis while pursuing my doctorate in physical therapy. I learned that this vital region of the body is often skipped over with traditional physical therapy despite the profound amount of muscular attachments, neural pathways, and implications to the body as a whole.

Treating pelvic pain and dysfunction can have such a profound positive impact on the quality of life of my patients and I am passionate about discussing and addressing all things pelvic floor!

When I am not treating patients, I love to travel, camp, try new recipes, listen to podcasts, and find new books at Austin Public Library.

Hi, I’m Heather! I am constantly amazed and inspired by the body’s incredible capacity for heali... Read More

Hi, I’m Stephanie!

A native west Texan, my roots in the Lone Star state run deep. After graduating Cum Laude with my Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from UT Permian Basin, I relocated to Austin. Since being here, I’ve accomplished quite a bit. I went to massage therapy school at The Lauterstein-Conway School and Clinic, became a Certified Lymphedema Therapist through The Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy, and began to understand my relationship with my own physical health from a completely different perspective.

My general philosophy as a practitioner is pretty simple: The tools for your recovery process already lie inside you, but sometimes you just need to be helped along and encouraged by a skilled and knowledgeable facilitator.

Analytical by trade, I love exercising my critical thinking skills and building solutions when problems present themselves during treatment. The lymphatic system is fascinating to me. It is so vital to our general health and wellbeing and I continue to be amazed by how truly incredible the human body is and how we are able to aid in it’s healing and restoration processes. Whether I am working on someone with lymphedema or someone recovering from a recent surgery, I feel so genuinely blessed to have found my calling and serve others in a way that is deeply interesting and rewarding to me on a personal level.

I also really love seafood and warm whether, so if I’m not working, I’m probably outside and eating good food!

Hi, I’m Stephanie! A native west Texan, my roots in the Lone Star state run deep. After graduati... Read More