About Marie
Marie Arcand, RMT
At the heart of Marie’s massage therapy practice is reverence for the body’s ability to rejuvenate and heal. As a therapist practicing since 1999, she’s gained extensive experience treating a wide variety of conditions. Her latest training is in supporting people going through breast cancer, elective breast surgery or gender affirming top surgery using light-touch treatments that are highly effective.
Creating a supportive space and tailoring each treatment session to encourage these processes are central to her practice. Through listening, assessing and evaluating your particular presentation, Marie is able to create a personalized treatment plan to support your body’s healing process.
To learn more about Marie’s education and styles of treatment, please read more below.
Style of Treatment:
Marie continuously evaluates how your body is responding to treatment through palpation, passive range of motion, landmarking and muscle length testing. She also uses techniques that encourage the reduction of physical and emotional stress, such as deep breathing and visualization.
The treatment continues to support you at home by thoughtful home-care exercises and support if desired, which are offered towards the end of your massage session. Some home-care she may suggest includes postural education, stretch & strengthen, relaxation exercises, hydrotherapy.
Marie’s education, experience and commitment constitute the base of her work to which she adds her friendly demeanour and compassionate care. She approaches every treatment with sensitivity and a genuine passion for helping your body to heal.
Preferred Areas of Practice:
WOMEN’S HEALTH:
Breast and Chest Massage:
• 200 hr Mentorship and Training Academy for Breast, Chest and Oncology Massage (completed summer 2024)
• Mastectomy Guide Alumni Circle (continuing education; summer 2024 to present)
How she can help you:
Pre surgical care to get ready to surgery, and post surgical care for optimal recovery from the following surgeries: lumpectomy, mastectomy, augmentation, reduction, lift, explant, expanders, DIEP flap, TRAM flap, Lats flap, multiple surgeries, post-op complications such as chording, breast capsular contracture, post-mastectomy pain syndrome and more.
She is able to treat your scars on breast, abdomen, thighs, gluteals, back and axilla in a manner which is safe, comfortable and brings great relief to itchiness, tightness and pain.
Pregnancy:
Marie can offer a high level of care towards pregnancy and postpartum wellness as she has taken continuing education courses for pregnancy massage, as well as having been trained and worked as a doula.
GENERAL PRACTICE:
Marie welcomes all people into her practice to support issues relating to TMJ, headaches, neck and back pain, stress reduction.
She offers chest treatments for men and transgender people as well. Some reasons men might reach out for chest treatments are post-workout soreness, tension from physical jobs or sitting at a computer, cancer.
Reasons transgender people might reach out for chest treatments are preparing for and recovering from chest reduction/construction surgery (top surgery), including post-op complications.
EDUCATION:
• 1999 : Graduation at Okanagan Valley College of Massage Therapy (3000 hrs)
• 1999-present : Current registration with the College of Complementary Health of BC
• Active member with RMTBC, the registered massage therapy association of BC
• Continuing Education : MET (muscle energy technique) for low back I/II, ribs, neck, upper T- spine / Massage therapy and the childbearing years / TMJ (temporo-mandibular joint) /
Workshops on postural analysis, core stabilization exercise, Body-ball exercise, Yoga, Pilates • LaStone therapy (hot and cold stones hydrotherapy) / Fascial Integration Series, I to VIII (Natale Rao) • Mastectomy Guide mentorship.
TECHNIQUES:
Massage therapy can incorporate a wide variety of active and passive techniques, such as:
• Myofascial release, Swedish massage, Muscle Energy technique, Neuromuscular technique (NMT by Paul St-John) including trigger point release, stretching, joint mobilizations, neuromuscular technique.
Choisissez un service, puis une durée et un mode — les heures à droite suivent votre choix.
