Hi, I’m Fiona Malamen and I’m a lifelong student of the body. We don’t live our lives in a straight line but in cycles, in ups and downs, moments of clarity and truth or confusion and distress. Since I graduated from the Massage Therapy program at Columbia Greene Community College in 2006, I have been holding safe space for healing and the recovery of homeostasis, the body’s “happy place.” This healing work is a collaborative partnership that prioritizes deep listening, something that is all too scarce in our broken and unequal healthcare system.
After graduating from SUNY New Paltz with a degree in Biology and Psychology, a session with mentor and local luminary Nina Silverman, P.T. introduced me to the osteopathic modality of Counterstrain. In this Indirect Approach, the therapist follows the signals of the body and releases occur in the direction of ease, rather than going against the tension and the body/mind defenses, to effectively relieve pain and inflammation.
Other influences in my life that helped me recognize the value of this approach include dance, West African dance, Eastern medicine philosophy and Buddhist psychology, a passion for Anatomy and my own self-compassionate healing process.
When I’m not being humbled by this work, gardening, foraging and hiking the Catskill peaks are a great source of pleasure and perspective.
David Dalbey , August, 2021
Bryse Paffile
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Education/Certification: Bryse has a Doctorate degree in Physical therapy from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO. He received with honors a Bachelor of Science degree in Pre-Physical Therapy from Pensacola Christian College. He also presented a poster at the 2018 Combined sections meeting for APTA regarding low back pain and postural education.
Experience: Bryse graduated in 2018 and has been studying Strain-Counterstrain since 2012 and has been actively implementing it in his practice since physical therapy school. He has clinical education in pain neuroscience education, working with athletes, and implementation of functional training in treating patients.
What physical therapy means to Bryse: “I see physical therapy as an opportunity for a practitioner to facility healing in the human body. During my graduate education I was able to attend 2 missions trips to Peru and East Asia. It was an opportunity that helped me understand how physical therapy can be performed no matter the language or cultural barriers. I enjoy working with anyone to return to their daily activities/routeins. It has been a passion for me to help others recover with effective and researched treatment options in order to reach attainable goals.”
On a personal note: “I have been born and raised in the Northwest and enjoy the outdoors, hiking, climbing, and any water sport. Also have enjoyed flatwater sprint canoeing internationally in the past and coaching nationally and internally with the Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Racing Team from 2012-2019 enjoyed treating athletes.”
Trisa’s approach to your care is not about chasing the pain, but finding the dysfunction and teaching you techniques to use for self-care. She has a holistic approach to therapy, utilizing Counterstrain techniques as her primary foundation of care and incorporating many other learned skills, including: muscle energy, ART, Cranio-Sacral, balance / ergonomics, MELT method, and specific exercises to enhance recovery. She considers herself a sponge when it comes to learning and skill-development.
Trisa was Physical Therapy Assistant
for 21 years before starting her own business in 2021 as an LMT.
Born and raised in San Francisco CA and moved to Pacific Northwest as a young adult. Prior to her training as a therapist, she worked as a Chef and Instructed Aqua Aerobics classes, but she has always been passionate about healing. As a kid, Trisa used methods similar to Counterstrain to treat her Dad, who was a professional marathon runner. This formative experience was when she first discovered that moving the body in certain positions can release muscle (fascial) tension and begin the healing process.
Interests & hobbies
When Trisa is not “learning” something new, you can usually find her walking or kayaking with her beagle!
Dr. Melynda McIntosh has provided wellness and natural healing care using the Fascial Counterstrain platform for over a decade. She has an extensive treatment experience working with pediatrics, concussions, sport injuries, digestive disorders, asthma, chronic headaches and chronic pain patients for over 30 years. Melynda has earned her Doctor of Chiropractic degree at Palmer Chiropractic College in 1987. Since the start of her clinical experience, she continually searched for new ways to treat her patients, focusing on studying and applying various manual therapy techniques, before becoming one of the first chiropractors to use strain/counterstrain therapy (the precursor to Fascial Counterstrain) nearly two decades ago. Due to the consistent and profound impact the method makes to her patients’ care and their quality of life, Melynda continues to focus the majority of her continuing education on the method and its utilization in her practice.
Jason graduated from University at Buffalo in 2001, receiving his Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy. He has practiced in multiple areas of his field including outpatient orthopedic, skilled nursing and transitional sub-acute physical therapy over his 24 year career.
Jason has extensive manual therapy training focusing on osteopathic principles. He is trained in fascial counterstrain, myofascial release, muscle energy technique, cranial/sacral, visceral manipulation and many other osteopathic techniques. He took his first class with Brian Tuckey in 2005 and has been learning from him ever since. Jason has also worked for Brian in the past. Jason currently works at his practice, Shiflett Integrative Treatment Solutions in Berkeley Springs, WV.
“Our entire complex human body works as a whole, never functioning separately as isolated parts. Endlessly treating downstream symptoms will only produce temporary relief, if any at all. To truly help your patient, you must find the root causes of their problem.”
“My goal is to help you achieve the pinnacle of healthy living. Life is meant to be lived thriving, not just surviving. Let me show you the way. You can trust your health in my hands.”
To schedule an appointment contact me at 304-620-2577 or email at jmail23@tutanota.com
Josh Wright received his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2011 from the University of Missouri. He started Libertas Physical Therapy in 2018, a cash pay clinic, to get away from insurance limitations and focus on his patients 1:1. Therapy sessions are primarily manual therapy with a focus on counterstrain. Additionally, patients receive education on general wellness and lifestyle/diet adjustments to achieve their best self.
Tracey grew up on a dairy farm in Maine and graduated from Maryland Bible College and Seminary in 1999. She worked in animal medicine for 15 years before switching to work as an MA for a podiatry group and later for orthopedic surgeons. She suffered with back pain for 8 years before she discovered Fascial Counterstrain. After experiencing the power of this therapy she had an extreme interest in learning it herself. She graduated from the massage therapy program at Cortiva Institute in September of 2020 and took her first class in Fascial Counterstrain in October of 2020. She has since taken every class offered that she possibly could. She practices primarily Fascial Counterstrain as a Licensed Massage Therapist at her home studio in Stewartstown, PA and at Elegant Hair Salon & Spa in Timonium, MD.
