Our mission at Sankofa Massage & Coaching is to promote healing and recovery by providing consistent, thorough and high-quality service through therapeutic massage, bodywork, education and or coaching for the health and well-being of health-conscious individuals. Our focus is to look at the person as a whole. You may be bruised but you are not broken.
“You can’t move forward until you know where you have been.”
The word Sankofa means “go back and fetch it”. Sankofa teaches us that we must go back to our past in order to move forward. That we should take all of our experiences from the past, build upon and learn from them, so we may improve ourselves to become better people.
My journey was not a straight shot. There were many twists, turns, highs and steep lows. Taking from the teachings of Sankofa, looking back at my colorful life, I learned many lessons along the way. Most importantly, learning from those lessons and evolving made me the woman I am today!
I wandered into holistic nursing when after my first year as a critical care nurse, I sustained a back injury. And because I “only had significant soft tissue damage and nothing was broken”. I was told by doctors that my nursing career would be over. Little did I know, this would be the beginning of my journey into the world of massage therapy and coaching.
Receiving regular massages became one of the most significant treatments that helped me get back on my feet and reduced my healing time so that I was able to return to work. Not only did the massages help alleviate muscle stiffness and back pain, but they also assisted with stress reduction providing a sense of harmony within.
My personal experience with massage therapy made such an impact on my life that I enrolled at the now-closed Palmer Institute of Massage and Bodywork in Salem, Massachusetts and made it my mission to help others heal, recover, and reconnect with themselves through massage and bodywork.
After feeling burned out from working as a critical care nurse for a number of years and having panic attacks, I no longer felt fulfilled in my career and life. And I no longer recognized myself. I realized that I was simply existing. I knew something needed to change. I took the leap of faith and left bedside nursing to open Sankofa Massage & Coaching.
I love working with people and helping them see and reach their potential. Over time, I began to naturally bring coaching into my bodywork sessions. I also made the decision to invest in myself so that I could be the best version of ME and help support my clients so they can be the best version of themselves. Eventually, I enrolled and completed an ICF (International Coaching Federation) accredited coaching program with the concentration in Neuro Linguistic Programming and Trauma.
It was important that I also did my work. So, you see, I’ve been where you are now, in pain physically and emotionally, frustrated, anxious and stuck. Now, I am happy and pain-free. I love the work that I do and I love the person I am becoming.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Fitchburg State College,
Fitchburg, MA - 1999
Palmer Institute of Massage and Bodywork, Salem, MA-2007
The Massage School of Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand -2007
Lotus Palm School of Thai Yoga Massage, Montreal, Canada-2010
Tye has completed ICF (International Coaching Federation) accredited coaching programs holding certifications as a Life Coach and NLP Practitioner (Neuro Linguistic Programming) from Mindbridge trainings. And received certification as a Trauma Informed Coach by Moving The Human Spirit.
As a professional member of the American Holistic Nurse Association, the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals, and The Association for NLP, Tye is always working on new continuing education opportunities to expand her depth of knowledge so she may better serve her clients.
Registered Nurse-1999 • Licensed Massage Therapist 2007 • Certification in Deep Tissue Massage • Certification in Pregnancy Massage • Certified Usui Reiki Practitioner • Certification Thai Foot Massage/Reflexology • Certification Thai Yoga Massage Level 1
