About Us

My name is Melissa Buckheit. I am the owner and therapeutic practitioner of Atlantic Orthopedic Massage & Integrated Bodywork. I have been practicing massage and bodywork therapy for fifteen years in Southern Arizona, Northeast Connecticut and Eastern Rhode Island. I am a licensed massage therapist, a Biodynamic Craniosacral therapist, and a Modern and Aerial Dance educator and choreographer.

I offer deeply therapeutic Orthopedic Massage, Integrated Bodywork and Heat & Halo Co-Therapies. My practice began in 2008, in Tucson, AZ where I also received my education and licensure from The Providence Institute for Massage Therapy in dual Western and Eastern modalities, with particular emphasis on outcome-based, orthopedic and alternative bodywork therapies. My expertise is a unique, compassionate and effective outcome-based, integrated massage. With a specialty menu of treatments, I offer a comprehensive range of modalities and therapies: Myofascial Release, Myofascial Unwinding, Muscle Activation Technique, Neuromuscular Release, Visceral Release, Swedish, Prenatal, Manual Deep Tissue Techniques, Biodynamic Craniosacral, Table Shiatsu, Bamboo and Basalt Stone Therapy, Energetic Unwinding, Sports Massage, Foot Reflexology, Positional Release, Hot Fomentation, Water-Based Qi Gong Breathing & Dissolving and Active/Passive Stretching. Each massage is a results-oriented and transforming treatment unique to each client. 

I became a massage practitioner because I wanted to bring pain relief, body awareness, and balance to people in a way which honors each person’s individual pathway to healing as well as the stories their body carries. In the treatment space, we’ll tailor a treatment plan to your individual needs, whether that’s seeking pain relief and relaxation, addressing postural and structural conditions, supporting long-term health issues and emotional holding, or simply seeking whole body maintenance and health. Our goal is to bring the physical, emotional, and energetic bodies into greater harmony as well as receptivity to living and sensation through safe, intelligent touch therapy.

We’ll achieve this through a combination of deep tissue focus work on specific joint, soft tissue and fascial imbalances, while integrating the whole body through multi-modalities. I believe that safety, respect and healthy boundaries are crucial to client-therapist trust and real results—and I promise to create a space that supports your success and healing.    

The Integrated Orthopedic Deep Tissue Massage offers clients physical, emotional and energetic benefits and results, including reduced stress & pain relief, long-term postural improvement & injury management/recovery, emotional & energetic release, increased ROM, released fascial restrictions, improved circulation & detoxification, improved recovery after exercise, increased flexibility, reduced joint restriction & pain, boosted health & immunity, and increased somatic awareness & healing. 

I use only organic products, and offer halo & heat co-therapies like Far Infrared Sauna Blanket, hot fomentation, and Heat Hydrocollator Packs to enhance the efficacy of your massage. Previous education in Modern Dance, Somatic Psychology, BMC, & Movement Therapy from Brandeis University, Naropa University, as well as over thirty years as a dancer and dance educator led me to become a Licensed Massage Therapeutic and inform my practice.  Call or text  475-471-4443 or go online to book in Vagaro. Take control of your pain and self-care today.