My journey of wellness began before I could truly understand the importance of being raised a happy, healthy and holistic child. My parents are holistic health practitioners; therefore I knew at a very early age that I needed Echinacea when I had a cold, garlic oil for an earache, and vitamin C supplements to keep me healthy. I was not fed antibiotics, given vaccinations, or ingested many (if any) pharmaceutical drugs. I rarely visited the doctor’s office, ate lots of vegetables, and played outside in the fresh air everyday. I always knew I was raised a little different from the other kids at school (no elementary age kid knew what Echinacea was), but I never realized how much this would shape my future.
This health focused foundation combined with my innate love for animals brought me to the University of Massachusetts Amherst where I studied pre-veterinary science. Here, I took lots of classes on anatomy, physiology, the immune system, nutrition, and how to heal using pharmaceutical drugs. Wait… drugs? What about herbs? I started taking electives on herbal health, nutrition, and spirituality to fill in the gaps that I felt were missing in my western medicine focused major. This is where my interest in medicinal herbal health really began to blossom. By the time I graduated UMass with a B.S. in Animal Science I realized I was more interested in healing people through holistic methods than administering drugs to animals.
After graduation, I found the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Here, I learned innovative coaching methods, over one hundred dietary theories, and was lectured by some of the world’s most influential wellness leaders. I learned about nutritional health for the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual body. After a lot of studying and hard work, I earned my Health Coaching Certification.
Since my college years, my passion for wellness has extended agriculturally. My experience began working on equine farms and then traveled to livestock, taking care of goats, sheep, cows, and chickens and learning about production for meat and dairy markets. This passion for farming extended to vegetables where I worked for CSA farms and farm-to- table farms and restaurants. This gave me the opportunity to grow and harvest an array of New England fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Eating local, knowing your farmer, and growing your own food has become a big part of my focus through my health-coaching program. I love to share my knowledge of seasonally and regionally grown produce, including how to eat, source, and cook delicious fruits, veggies, and herbs for your health.
When I’m not focused on health, wellness, and agriculture I spend my down time nourishing myself. Nourishment for my soul means following my regular yoga practice, riding my horse, connecting with the earth through a hike, reading a great book, cooking delicious meals, and enjoying life with friends and family.
Kirsta Adie
Kirsta graduated from Bancroft School of Massage Therapy in Worcester, MA in 2015. Bancroft prepared Kirsta to be knowledgeable of the human body and how to apply massage to suit her client’s needs. Kirsta may utilize her understanding of Swedish massage, deep tissue, stretching, sports massage, trigger point therapy etc. in her sessions to target your particular issues and to help reach your individual health goals.
Kirsta graduated from the University of New England in Biddeford, ME with a degree in Psychology. She strongly believes in the powerful connection between mind and body and will work with you to promote overall good health.
Kirsta also works in a corporate setting providing massage at iRobot in Burlington, MA. Here she provides relaxation and education through massage, stretching exercises, meditation and self-care to better productivity throughout the workday.
Kirsta is certified in Oncology Massage where she works with people who are currently undergoing cancer treatments or have a history of cancer with our Bridge to Wellness program. She provides a safe and caring touch for her clients who are going through a tough time, physically and mentally.
Christine Petersen
Christine Petersen joined the Body Destinations team in 2016 and is a 2004 graduate of the Muscular Therapy Institute (now, Cortiva Institute). While an Executive Assistant for most of her career, she was deeply moved by the healing power of compassionate touch during her volunteer experience at a women’s shelter in London, England. Christine brings an attentive and calming presence to her therapeutic practice, fostering an environment of reassurance and kindness. Her work incorporates a variety of modalities, including Swedish, deep tissue massage, and active stretching techniques, tailored to help facilitate her clients’ own healing process.
Christine is a professional member of the American Massage Therapy Association. She is a licensed massage therapist in Massachusetts and completed her advanced education in oncology massage therapy in March 2016. Christine is trained in Second Degree Reiki in the Usui Holy Fire II System of natural healing. She is certified in First Aid/CPR and holds a B.A. in English and French from Merrimack College.
Andrea Montgomery - LMT
Andrea Montgomery is a nationally certified licensed massage therapist and foot reflexologist in MA and NH. Andrea graduated from the Palmer Institute of Massage and Bodywork in 2001 and holds over 1200+ hours of continuing training. She combines intuition with a unique holistic approach that blends many types of massage and energetic modalities to help clients achieve personal wellness.
Andrea approaches each session with intention, compassion, and mindfulness. Her goal is to create a sacred space for clients to relax, reduce stress, relieve pain and discomfort, clear physical and/or emotional blockages, raise energetic vibration, and align with their higher authentic self. Through intuitive guidance, Andrea will tailor each session so no two will ever be alike. She prides herself on carefully listening and understanding each client’s individual needs. In her treatments she combines Swedish massage, Polarity, Reiki, guided meditation, visualization, aromatherapy, sound healing, neuromuscular, trigger point therapy, hot stone massage, myofascial release, chakra balancing, and foot/hand/ear reflexology. Her specialty is in Reflexology and has extensive training with leading experts in the field. She is trained in the Universal, Ingham, Dr. Manzanaras, and Father Joseph method of reflexology. She has taken reflexology workshops for PTSD as well as cancer care. Andrea is a board member of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Service advisory board for reflexology and has presented educational workshops to a variety of audiences on the health and wellness benefits of reflexology.
Andrea has taken advanced Clinical training in Oncology Massage and has become a leader in our partnership with The Cancer Center at Lowell General Hospital. She has provided massage therapy, reflexology, and reiki in the hospital infusion room as well as for oncology patients at Body Destinations in Tyngsboro since 2006.
Andrea has special interest in working with our Oncology and Veterans Programs as well as special needs adults and children. She currently provides therapeutic massage to residents at local group homes. Truly believing in the connection between the mind, body and spirit, Andrea has a passion for meditation and is always looking to improve her skills. She is perusing certification to become a mindfulness meditation teacher as well as a connected kids ™ tutor to teach children and teens with special needs meditation and mindfulness. She is committed to helping others achieve balance and a sense of peace and well-being. Andrea is a member of Association Board Massage Therapy.
Kristina Pirani - LMT, RYT
Kristina began her life's path in the healing arts upon completing training at the Muscular Therapy Institute in 1998. Specializing in helping each person facilitate his or her own body's innate ability to heal, she uses many modalities in her work. Each session is a unique experience combining years of knowledge, training, listening and intuition to address injuries, chronic pain and dis-ease, many types of health conditions, as well as emotional and mental stresses.
She has taken numerous classes and continuing education throughout the years to enhance her ability to help her clients. She has studied whole body fascial and myofascial connections with Tom Myers, injury anatomy and deep tissue protocols with Ben Benjamin, pre and perinatal massage with Tracy Walton, in addition to becoming a certified Reiki practitioner in the Usui tradition.
Kristina strongly believes that an integrated mind-body approach is essential to health and well-being. This conviction led her to enhance her studies further with a comprehensive training in yoga therapy, completing the Elemental Yoga Mind-Body Teacher Training with Bo Forbes in 2006. Since then, Kristina has taken numerous workshops in yoga therapy. She also has experience teaching and assisting therapeutic yoga workshops at the Kripalu Center in western Massachusetts in addition to teaching partners massage and yoga workshops at the Omega Centers in New York and Texas.
Helping people to live a healthy lifestyle is Kristina's passion. She teaches people through example with her lifestyle choices. Her dedication to her work comes through in every session, providing clients with her attention to detail and truly listening to and being present in every moment.
Kristina is a licensed massage therapist, member of the American Massage Therapy Association, certified Reiki practitioner, and a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance.
Andrea Dollet - LMT
I decided to become a massage therapist after an injury horseback riding. I would be out of the fitness industry for some time which is what I was doing at the time as well as being mom to my two daughters.
I attended New Hampshire Institute of Therapeutic Arts and received my massage certification in June 2003. That was the beginning of the journey. I was committed to providing the healing properties of touch to my clients.
Being involved in the fitness industry I was immediately pulled to sports massage and the deeper modalities.
I took continuing Education classes and added Thai Yoga Massage to that list of modalities useful to couch potatoes and athletes alike. I love being able to use my body while helping others relax and heal. I much prefer being the giver than the receiver. It is always a satisfying feeling to have helped ease someone's body and mind. By putting the body in a relaxed state whether it be through meditation, deep tissue, Swedish massage or any other type of massage we, as therapists, can help with the difficult amount of stress that most of our clients feel daily.
Several years ago I decided that I wanted to add another direction to my path. I had been participating in the Pan Mass Challenge and wanted to do more to help those battling cancer. I took Tracey Waltons Massage for Cancer workshop. It brought me such a complete feeling to do this kind of work. I immediately followed thru with lymphedema training as this seemed to be a natural progression when I saw what women especially went through after overcoming the difficult treatment protocols for breath cancer and then ending up with the lifelong management of lymphedema. That was when I came to Body Destinations. The opportunity to work with this population was presented to me and I haven't turned back. Having a home like Body Destinations to do what I love is a gift.
Personally I love to be active. I still teach group fitness and aerial classes (think circus). I will travel anywhere and love any thrilling experiences (bungying, sky diving). I have a condo full of pets and a wonderful husband who married his zombie bride. I'm covered with artwork and you can never be sure what color my hair is on any given day. But on the inside...I Am Andrea.
Andrea joined Body Destinations Oncology team in 2013 to provide integrative therapies both at the Cancer Center at Lowell General Hospital as well as at our clinic in Tyngsboro. In addition to completing advanced training in oncology massage, she recently completed her training at Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy, CDT, MLD to provide our oncology patients excellent care. She is a time and confidentiality sensitive results oriented team player focused on individual wellness, preventive and ongoing muscle therapy through personalized treatment plans.
We are blessed to have Andrea join our team with over 10+ years of experience in the integrative therapies in the area of sport, Thai massage, decongestive therapy, and reflexology in support of the well-being and health of our oncology patients. Among her credentials are: New Hampshire Institute of Therapeutic Arts, CMT; Bachelor of Arts, Regis College; Member AMTA, NCBTMB; and Red Cross CPR.