Lead Massage Therapist

Michelle Perez, LMT

Michelle Perez, LMT (she/they) is a New York State licensed massage therapist and graduate of Queensborough Community College. With a background as a Physical Therapy Aide and a degree in Psychology, Michelle approaches care through both a structural and nervous-system lens—addressing not just where it hurts, but why it keeps showing up. Their sessions blend Deep Tissue, Trigger Point Therapy, and advanced extremity stretching to restore more efficient mechanics and reduce persistent tension patterns.

Michelle frequently help clients with shoulder pain & rotator cuff strain, hip pain & low back referral patterns, TMJ & jaw tension, carpal tunnel & wrist pain, tech-neck, and stress-driven muscular tension.

Book a session with Michelle

Book now. Pay after.  
New here? Choose “New Client Massage” for $25 off your first visit.

At a glance

The essentials

NYS Licensed Massage Therapist • Background as Physical Therapy Aide • Degree in Psychology

Hands‑on client care 3 days/week (book ahead)

Midtown West Studio

Recurring pain patterns with hidden contributors—especially shoulder, hip, and extremity issues that haven’t fully resolved.

Clinical assessment. Integrated stretching. Nervous-system aware touch.

A clearer understanding of how your symptoms connect to other areas of the body—plus practical next steps to help progress hold between sessions.

WHY Michelle

Precise work.
Clear next steps.

Michelle blends orthopedic awareness with psychological insight, helping clients understand both the physical drivers of pain and the stress patterns that reinforce it.

Book a session with Michelle

Before becoming an LMT, Michelle worked as a Physical Therapy Aide, supporting patients through structured rehabilitation. That environment sharpened her eye for compensation patterns, movement restrictions, and the subtle ways pain shifts when the primary issue isn’t addressed.

She doesn’t just work where it hurts — she evaluates how force and gravity is distributed through the joints above and below. That rehab-informed lens makes her especially effective with shoulder, hip, knee, and repetitive strain patterns that haven’t fully resolved.

Michelle is particularly skilled in upper and lower extremity stretching techniques. She integrates joint-specific mobility work with targeted soft tissue treatment to restore cleaner mechanics — not just temporary relief.

Her sessions often feel precise and organized — tissues are treated, then length and joint mechanics are reintroduced deliberately.

With a degree in Psychology, Michelle understands that pain is not purely mechanical. Stress, emotional load, and cognitive patterns influence muscular tension and recovery capacity.

Her approach remains clinically grounded — but she’s attentive to how the nervous system contributes to holding patterns. Pressure is responsive rather than forceful. Communication is clear. Sessions are paced so the body can actually integrate the work.

For clients who carry stress physically — in the jaw, shoulders, diaphragm, or hips — this layered awareness makes a measurable difference.

Best Fit

Is Michelle the right therapist for you?

A great fit if you:

Tension patterns influenced by stress or emotional load
Athletes or active individuals needing structured stretching work
Shoulder restriction tied to ribcage or thoracic stiffness
Hip tightness influencing low back pain
Repetitive strain in wrists, elbows, or ankles

Not the best fit if you want:

A spa-only relaxation massage with no assessment
Extremely heavy pressure without pacing or communication
Clients uninterested in understanding contributing factors

CONDITIONS TREATED

What Michelle helps with most often

Tap a condition to learn more—start where it hurts.
You don’t need the perfect label for your pain—start with what you feel. Michelle will evaluate what’s driving it.

Browse all pains & conditions

HOW Michelle WORKS

How sessions work—and why results hold

Listen + assess

Your story + a few movement checks (quick, practical, not performative).

Targeted treatment

Michelle blends deep tissue, myofascial, neuromuscular/trigger‑point, and orthopedic techniques—based on what your body needs that day.

Re‑check + next steps

We re‑test what matters, then you leave with a simple plan and 1–3 next steps to help results hold between visits.

Time not styles

You book time (60 or 90 minutes). After evaluation, we choose the right blend—no spa menu.

Support beyond the table

When helpful, Michelle can coordinate with your PT/MD/trainer so your plan stays aligned.

Ready to start feeling better?

Book a session

Michelle Perez LMT licensed massage therapist at Bodyworks DW NYC

Meet Michelle

What shapes Michelle's work

Michelle’s clinical perspective was shaped early through hands-on experience in physical therapy settings. Working closely with rehabilitation patients gave her firsthand insight into how pain rarely originates exactly where it’s felt. Compensations, protective guarding, and subtle imbalances often tell a larger story.

This foundation informs her massage work today. Rather than isolating a single area, Michelle evaluates how the body distributes load and tension. Upper and lower extremity mechanics, joint mobility, and soft tissue restrictions are assessed together—because the shoulder doesn’t operate independently of the ribcage, and hip pain rarely exists without influence from the feet or lumbar spine.

Her degree in Psychology adds another layer to her practice. Michelle recognizes that stress, emotional states, and cognitive patterns influence muscular holding and recovery capacity. While her sessions remain clinically grounded and structurally focused, she integrates awareness of how the nervous system impacts pain perception and tissue response.

Technically, Michelle works comfortably with Deep Tissue and Trigger Point Therapy, but her approach is not brute force. She adjusts pressure based on tissue response and client feedback, integrating Swedish techniques to maintain circulation and calm the nervous system. Her proficiency in advanced stretching allows her to support joint mobility and restore more efficient movement patterns—especially in the shoulders, hips, and lower extremities.

Clients often describe her sessions as thorough, focused, and thoughtful. She is particularly effective with patterns that feel interconnected or persistent—cases where previous work helped temporarily but didn’t quite stick.

Michelle’s goal isn’t just to reduce discomfort in the moment. It’s to help clients understand their patterns, restore functional movement, and build resilience over time.

EDUCATION & TRAINING

Credentials that  back the work

Relevant training—and what it means for your care.

NYS License # 033079 · Verify

Graduate

Queensborough Community College – Massage Therapy Program

Clinical Background

Physical Therapy Aide – Rehabilitation-focused experience supporting orthopedic recovery

Training Focus

Swedish Massage • Deep Tissue • Trigger Point Therapy • Advanced Upper & Lower Extremity Stretching

Academic Foundation

Degree in Psychology – supporting mind-body integration and stress-informed care

Pricing & wellness wallets

Book now. Pay after.
Save up to 20%.

Pay after your session—no prepay.  
New here? Select “New Client Massage” to get $25 off your first visit. Add a Wellness Wallet before your first session or within 7 days after to get up to 20% bonus credit.

Lead

60 minutes

$160

/ with Senior Therapist

90 minutes

$230

/ with Senior Therapist

Book a session

$800

Get $120 bonus

Covers ~3–5 sessions

15% bonus credit

$1400

Get $250 bonus

Covers ~5–10 sessions

17.5% bonus credit

$3000

Get $600 bonus

Covers ~12–22 sessions (Annual plan)

20% bonus credit

Reviews

What Clients Notice

Michelle really listened and gave an excellent massage. My legs, hips, and feet haven’t felt so good in years. I took a brief run without hip pain for the first time since June and am hopeful about gradually adding some time and distance. They also did great work with my chest, shoulders, and back.

Joanna C.