Ace Of Cups | Massage Therapists
Samantha Goldberg Blackthorn
Samantha is a musician, massage therapist, Iyengar yoga teacher, anatomy teacher, tarotlogist, mystic and herbalist. She founded Ace of Cups as a dream to build a center to serve her east Austin community which she moved in 2001 to raise her two daughters. She has a degree from CSU in biological science with an emphasis on anatomy and physiology as well as extensive studies in botanical sciences.
She is has been in practice as a massage therapist since 2003 with over 2000 hours of training and a focus on pain management, myofascial trigger point release, structural integration, profession specific and sports massage. Samantha has extensive experience working with acute injury and chronic pain. She works in clinics, massage schools, wellness center and onsite in high intensity locations such as large art installations and on job sites. She teaches anatomy, kinesiology, and massage technique at massage schools and clinics in the states and abroad.
Samantha studied herbalism from Dr. William A Weber in her undergranduate studies. She moved to New Mexico and studied with Dr. Tieronna Lowdog and worked making herbal formulas with Bert Norgorden. She also provides private Iyengar yoga sessions, herbal consultations, tarot card readings, classes in mystic arts, meditation, herbal and mystic classes.
Katie Russ
Katie comes to us from the world of sports and kinesiology. Her passion is all things to do with the optimal performance of the body. She completed her bachelors in kinesiology at Cal State Northridge while playing soccer on the universities team. She attended massage school at National Holistic Institute where she learned advanced modalities. She started her career working as the massage therapist for UCLA football team, a very reputable chiropractor, as well as at a holistic physical therapy clinic, and has gained knowledge in those settings for therapeutic massage. Deep tissue, sports massage, pain management, myofascial release, clinical and structural/postural correction are some of her specialties that can aid in performance and everyday life! Katie has a detailed approach and is able to apply advanced techniques and create the perfect session for your individual needs. Katie is also available for personal training and stretching sessions.
Russ Ritter
Russ is an artistic and thoughtful therapist who is trained in advanced modalities, reiki and hatha yoga. He is excellent at deep tissue and can get to those stubborn areas that cause discomfort and release them. He is experienced with sports massage, clinical and deep tissue work. On his free time Russ can be found studying mystic arts and riding his motorcycle.
Jessie Purdom
Jessie is a massage therapist, ashiatsu practitioner and esthetician at Ace of Cups. She is passionate about learning new modalities in massage and keeping up with the newest skin care research. She loves ashiatsu (barefoot massage) and has a passion for using this technique to get those knots out and help you relax. Book a massage facial combination with Jessie and be in complete awe of her skills. She offers skin care, ashiatsu, cupping therapy and relaxation massage at Ace of cups.
Tiffani Patel
Tiffani has a passion for mind-body health that shows in her attention to detail, breath and mindfulness. Her massage style incorporates a balanced combination of relaxing Swedish strokes, trigger point therapy, and deep tissue. Tiff graduated from National Holistic Institute in California, where she loved to spend time along the cold Bay Area beaches. She was inspired to do holistic bodywork after working as an assistant to an incredible chiropractor and mentor who guided her into investing in her own health. She wears a few other hats, including Yoga Teacher, Private Chef, and Chai-Wala. In her free time, you can find her outside hiking and swimming with her dogs, volunteering at Austin Animal Center, or sipping matcha with her head buried in a book.
Debbie Liang
I graduated from Austin Massage Academy in March 2021. I enjoy helping people feel good, and I'm fascinated by the healing touch of bodywork on the human body and mind. I do Swedish, deep tissue, prenatal, hot stones, chair massage, cupping, and Gua-Sha. I have a gentle touch and excel in full-body relaxation massage. I have a strong interest in learning new modalities to get better at my skill, such as mat base Thai massage/shiatsu and Lomi Lomi.
Growing up in a Chinese household, I’ve been taught to do cuppings and Gua- Sha by my grandmother as home remedies at a young age. I like to work with clients to find out their specific massage goals and work within their preferred pressure range to find ways to achieve that goal. I have a gentle touch and excel in full-body relaxation massage.
My favorite film is everything produced by Studio Ghibli. In my spare time, I enjoy drawing, gaming, indoor bouldering, practicing kung-fu, and playing with my dog Chiquita and two cats Loki and Freya.
Dee Richards
Dee graduated from a New Beginning in 2018. She is a talented and experienced bodyworker passionate about helping to alleviate pain from repetive stress and daily tasks. She specializes in full body sessions and excels in upper back and foot work. Dee enjoys prenatal sessions, working with athletes and desk warriors. She offers relaxation, deep tissue, cupping therapy, aromatherapy, and soul to sole foot massage. When not working Dee enjoys a good meal with friends or hiking with her dog. So don't hestiate to ask for local recommendations for restaurants and hiking trails.
Nathan Luu
Nathan is an incredible therapist. He has a way of helping the client go into deep relaxation while still offering an advanced therapeutic massage that will leave you in complete bliss. Nathan has over a decade of experience and is deeply passionate about creating the perfect session for his clients. Nathan Luu has studied personal training and Nutrition Science at the University of Texas at Austin.
Riley Burris
Riley is a certified yoga instructor, licensed massage therapist, meditation and breath work coach and reiki practitioner who is kind & detail oriented with her holistic approach to healing which leaves you walking with more ease in your body. She graduated from Lauderstein Conway School of massage with the intention of integrating her skills in order to create the perfect session to meet the individual need of each client. Growing up she developed scoliosis and discovered that body work and energy work had transformative effects that kept her out of pain and in good spirits. Due to this she is confident and passionate about helping others identify and release pain patterns in their own body. Riley utilizes a number of modalities such as Reiki, cupping, hot stone, aromatherapy, deep tissue, sports, scoliosis protocol & Swedish massage to help you heal on all levels. She is also available for private meditation, breath work and yoga sessions.
Kathryn Adcox
Kathryn graduated from The Lauterstein-Conway Massage School in April 2021. She is new to massage but not to the healing arts world. Prior to choosing massage as a career path, she focused primarily on teaching yoga. She started her yoga journey in 2007 and has been teaching since 2014, so she has an understanding of the body and its movements. She takes an intuitive approach to massage while blending in her knowledge and passion for all things wellness. Kathryn has an a magical way of knowing exactly what the body needs and is calming and nurturing.
Jennifer Schaffer
Jennifer is an intuitive therapist who draws from both eastern and western modalities, customizing your session to release stress and guide your body, mind, and heart towards peace and good health. She specializes in Shiatsu, deep tissue, pain management, prenatal, and relaxation therapies with the intent of optimizing health and well-being by balancing and unblocking energy flow. Jennifer attended massage school at The Lauterstein-Conway Massage School and Clinic, and continues to study Thai/Zen Shiatsu, acupressure, anatomy, and breath work. In her free time, Jennifer can be found riding her bike, doing yoga, gardening, beekeeping, and working with healing plants.
Aimee Clement
Aimee has had a 20 year career as a massage therapist starting in 2000 in Dallas, TX. She graduated from Texas Massage Institute. She has worked in all varieties of massage establishments from high end spas to chiropractic clinics, with a focus on helping people free themselves from chronic pain. Years of experience working on every body type has honed her touch and healing intuition. She has training in Myofascial Release from John Barnes. She also incorporates Neuromuscular therapy, trigger point, Myoflexxion stretching, and acupressure techniques synergistically to release chronic pain patterns.
In addition to her many massage certifications, she also completed the 3 month ”Work as Meditation” program at the Osho center in Pune, India. There she learned to focus all of her attention on you in the present moment to help you relax and heal.
Peter Jones
Besides being a massage therapist for over 30 years, Peter is also an acupuncturist, movement educator, trauma therapist and functional medicine practitioner. He has also been a student of various meditation and mind-body integration practices for over 30 years.
With advanced training in biomechanics and movement analysis, connective tissue, joint mobilization, and autonomic nervous system balancing techniques, Peter’s entire focus is on helping people to overcome their limitations and achieve their true potential and peak performance. His talents are utilized best in our advanced sessions or trying the modality he created called "Somatic Integration" Peter is not currently offering acupuncture.