At Ace of Cups, our team of highly skilled massage therapists brings a wealth of experience and diverse specialties to cater to your unique wellness needs. Exploring sessions with different therapists allows you to experience various techniques and approaches, helping you discover the modalities that resonate best with your body and preferences. This personalized exploration can enhance your overall well-being and ensure that each massage session is tailored to your specific requirements. Our clients have praised the exceptional care and variety offered by our therapists, noting that every visit addresses their individual needs.
Samantha Goldberg Blackthorn
Samantha is a multifaceted wellness provider and teacher whose work bridges science, art, and mysticism. A musician, massage therapist, Iyengar yoga teacher, anatomy instructor, tarot reader, mystic, and registered herbalist, she brings a wide range of wisdom and skill to her craft.
In 2001, she moved to East Austin to raise her two daughters and pursue her vision of creating a space dedicated to community healing. That vision became Ace of Cups, a wellness center and apothecary that continues to serve as a hub for education, connection, and holistic care.
Samantha holds a degree in biological science from Colorado State University, with a focus on anatomy and physiology, enriched by in-depth botanical studies. Samantha graduated from Star institute in 2001 where she studied with Rima Star (author of water birth wisdom. Since 2001 she has completed over 2000 hours of training with specialties in pain management, myofascial trigger point therapy, and structural integration. Her bodywork experience spans clinical settings, wellness centers, and unconventional environments from art installations to construction job sites.
Samantha is an educator and shares her knowledge of anatomy, kinesiology, botany, plant medicine and massage techniques locally and internationally. She has taught at Star institute, Herbal symposiums, Ace of Cups Botanical medicine school, Texas Healing Arts Academy, Austin Yoga, Yoga Yoga, Costa Rica school of massage and yoga to name a few.
Her herbal and botanical education includes studies with renowned teachers such as Dr. William A. Weber and Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, and she trained in herbal formulation and ethical wildcrafting with Bert Norgorden in New Mexico.
Samantha offers private Iyengar yoga sessions, custom herbal consultations, tarot readings, and classes in the mystic arts, meditation, and herbalism—each one rooted in a deep commitment to personal transformation and community wellness.
Tooki P. (Advanced Massage Therapist)
Tooki P. combines the rich tradition of Thai massage with advanced Western techniques to deliver an unparalleled massage experience. Growing up in Thailand, she mastered the art of traditional Thai massage, blending acupressure, Ayurvedic principles, and assisted yoga postures to help her family relieve pain and fatigue. Today, she offers this deeply restorative therapy on both the mat and table, with sessions that are truly out of this world. After moving to the United States, she expanded her expertise at the renowned Lauterstein-Conway Massage School, adding deep tissue and relaxation massage to her repertoire. Her intuitive deep pressure is a rare gift, and her passion for helping clients achieve their wellness goals shines through in every session. Caring for the body, mind, and spirit, Tooki’s devotion to her craft ensures that every massage is tailored to leave you feeling transformed.
Kira S. (Advanced Massage Therapist)
With a lifelong passion for natural healing, Kira brings an unparalleled level of skill and care to every session and excels in helping people feel less pain and tension. A graduate of the prestigious Body Mechanics School of Myotherapy and Massage, Kira has mastered techniques specifically designed to heal injuries and support optimal performance. Specializing in injury treatment and sports massage, she is certified in advanced modalities, including deep tissue, myofascial release, prenatal massage, lymphatic drainage, Lomi-lomi, Swedish massage, trigger point therapy, and more.
What sets Kira apart is her intuitive ability to listen and focus on each client’s unique needs, allowing her to tailor treatments that go beyond surface relief to address root causes. Her massages are not just therapeutic, they’re transformative, combining advanced techniques with a deep commitment to restoring balance and resolving pain. Whether you’re recovering from an injury, seeking relief from tension, or simply looking to reset, a session with Kira will be unlike anything you’ve experienced before.
Jennifer S. (Advanced Massage Therapist)
Jennifer is an intuitive therapist who draws from both Eastern and Western modalities, customizing sessions to release stress and guide the body-mind towards relaxation and well-being. She specializes in Shiatsu and CranioSacral therapy, interacting with energy meridians, acupressure points, and the autonomic nervous system to optimize physical and emotional health by balancing and unblocking energy flow. Jennifer is also trained in Somato-Emotional Release (SER), an extension of CranioSacral therapy that aims to identify and release the energy of past physical and emotional traumas trapped within the body.
Jennifer attended massage school at The Lauterstein-Conway Massage School and Clinic, and continues to study Thai/Zen Shiatsu, Cranio-Sacral therapy, anatomy, breath-work, and the mind-body connection. In her free time, Jennifer can be found riding her bike, doing yoga, gardening, beekeeping, and working with healing plants.
Amber V. (Advanced Massage Therapist)
Amber is a Licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Vibrational Sound Therapist dedicated to helping her clients feel their best through personalized, holistic self-care. With a musician’s heart, Amber integrates Vibrational Sound Therapy into her sessions, using bronze bowls to create deeply relaxing tones that enhance the therapeutic effects of her work. She excels in a range of modalities, including Swedish, deep tissue, prenatal, and postnatal massage, and her fascination with the human body allows her to craft individualized treatments tailored to each client’s needs. Amber’s approach combines technical expertise with a focus on breath and guided intention, nurturing the body’s ability to release tension and restore balance. With an interest in energetic and botanical remedies, she offers a unique, relaxing experience that helps clients unwind and smooth out the kinks life can bring.
Casey C. (Advanced Massage Therapist)
Casey began his career in 2013 as a graduate of the Texas School of Massage in Houston. Three years later, he relocated to Austin in an effort to hone therapeutic skills that could serve a wider gamut of clients. Working aside, chiropractors and primary care physicians gave valuable insight into sharing best practices for achieving optimal wellness of the mind and body, away from the stereotypical cycles of reliance on prescription medicine.
He balances a blend of techniques, allowing freedom from pain and everyday stress. His passion lies in helping people return to living life to the fullest, whether it be through injury recovery or reigniting calm and joy within themselves. Whatever your goals are, you will be fully supported with personalized techniques to enhance your experience in and out of the treatment room.
Casey lives by the mantra," Be Good to Yourself." Self-care is not selfish and reminds you that you must take care of yourself before you can be good for anyone else.
Noe C.
Noe is a dedicated massage therapist whose passion for massage shines through in every session. He has excellent pressure and an intuitive ability to find and address those stubborn knots. Noe studied at Lauterstein-Conway and was profoundly influenced by the school’s founders and their “Deep Method,” a therapeutic approach that he incorporates into his sessions. He uses this technique, along with others, to help clients release tension throughout the body. Noe employs his expertise with a gentle, attentive touch and a keen focus on muscle fulcrums to deliver deeply therapeutic relief.
Nora H. (Advanced Massage Theraist)
Born and raised in Austin, Nora trained at McKinnon Body Therapy Center in Oakland, California, and has been in practice as a massage therapist for over a decade. Their style is fairly clinical in nature, while also being trauma-informed with a heavy focus on breath and the nervous system, resulting in an effective therapeutic touch that is soft and soothing, as deep as necessary, and as strong as it is gentle.
Nora specializes in deep tissue and myofascial release, but has trained in a wide range of modalities, including Swedish, shiatsu, cranial-sacral, clinical deep tissue, sports massage, trigger point therapy, neuromuscular techniques, prenatal, and intra-oral, amongst others. More recently, they have been deepening their skills in energy work and gained experience in hospice massage, both of which they are looking forward to further growth in. Nora's practice draws inspiration from the natural elements, with hands that strive to emulate water. Their touch is highly intuitive and grounded in deep listening.
With experience working in environments that run the gamut from serene spas to medical settings, Nora is ecstatic to have found a home at Ace of Cups amongst other creatives. To Nora, massage has always felt like a dance, and no two sessions are alike. They are honored to hone their deep attunement to the nervous system to invite clients into a metaphysical healing space where their connective tissues can remember ease and release.
Aimee C. (Advanced Massage Therapist)
Aimee has been a dedicated massage therapist for 23 years, beginning her career in 2000 after graduating from the Texas Massage Institute in Dallas, TX. She has worked in a wide variety of settings, from high-end spas to chiropractic clinics, with a focus on helping clients overcome "tech neck" and chronic pain. Years of working with every body type have honed her exceptional touch and healing intuition.
Aimee's advanced training includes Myofascial Release with John Barnes, Neuromuscular Therapy, trigger point techniques, Myoflexxion stretching, and acupressure, which she blends seamlessly to release chronic pain patterns. She also studied Lomi Lomi massage in Hawaii and incorporates its flowing, nurturing techniques into her practice. Certified in Ashiatsu, Aimee is passionate about using this deeply therapeutic modality to unlock her clients’ healing potential and restore balance.
Bryan D. (Advanced Massage Therapist)
Bryan has spent the past twelve years developing a distinctive style of massage that blends myofascial release, trigger point therapy, and deep tissue techniques. He works with a sensitive, attentive touch that allows him to accurately identify areas of tension and apply the right amount of pressure where it’s most effective. His approach is collaborative and responsive, listening closely to the body and adjusting in real time to support clients in easing pain and reconnecting with comfort.
Massage is more than a profession for Bryan; it’s work he finds deeply meaningful. He feels honored each time he’s able to help someone move with more ease, feel more at home in their body, or simply exhale for a moment.
Outside the treatment room, Bryan enjoys video games, electric skateboarding around Austin, and spending time with his two adolescent cats, who keep life playful and unpredictable.