About Jessica
Jessica Carlin is a Registered Massage Therapist and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner™ with over 20 years of clinical and teaching experience. Her manual therapy practice integrates a person-centered, coherence-based and deep listening approach to the body combined with evidence-based, nervous system aware treatment modalities
A bit about me…
I am a dancer, mama, nature child and a curious forever student. My background is in movement, contemporary dance and pilates, outdoor education, teaching and somatic therapies. I have always been fascinated by the human body and by our innate ability to move, grow and heal. I have practiced massage therapy for over 20 years and have been very fortunate to have had some amazing mentors. In my practice I listen for the unique story of your body and assist you to find your way back to balance and wellness. My tools are a blend of felt sense listening and intuition with evidence based massage therapy, integrative fascial therapies, myofascial release, craniosacral therapy and visceral treatments.
My work is rooted in the belief that our bodies hold the story of our lives—and that with skilled attunement, relational therapeutic safety, and the right support, we create the right conditions for healing. I combine hands-on treatment with somatic therapy to help people feel embodiment, dissolve long-held somatic patterns, and build nervous system resilience. Each session is collaborative, respectful, and guided by the principle that healing happens in relationship—through safety, curiosity, and presence.
Training & Credentials
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Registered Massage Therapist (WCCMT, 2003 – 3000-hour program)
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Certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner™ (SEP, 3-year program)
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Certified Pilates Instructor
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Bachelor of Fine & Performing Arts, Contemporary dance (Simon Fraser University)
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Ongoing Professional Education:
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Craniosacral Therapy
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Visceral Manipulation (Osteopathic & Dissection-based)
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Myofascial & Integrative Fascial Therapies
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Somatic Trauma Work (Kathy Kain, Stephen Terrell, Ergos Institute)
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Neuro Relaxation Technique (NRT)
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Dermoneuromodulation, Ligamentous Articular Strain Techniques
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Educator: Trauma Aware Healthcare Courses for Manual and Movement Therapists
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Somatic Educator: Somatic Alchemy
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Former College of Massage Therapists of BC Board Examiner and Clinic Supervisor
Extended Bio
I graduated from the 3000-hour Registered Massage Therapy program at the West Coast College of Massage Therapy in 2003, following my studies in contemporary dance and kinesiology at Simon Fraser University. My early movement training continues to inform how I understand and support the body: as something expressive, intelligent, and capable of profound change.
Over the past two decades, I’ve worked with a wide range of individuals including pregnant clients, people recovering from injury or surgery, those navigating chronic pain or trauma, and professional dancers and athletes. My clinical approach blends massage therapy with craniosacral therapy, visceral manipulation, myofascial release, and somatic experiencing—a body-based trauma resolution method developed by Dr. Peter Levine.
I am deeply committed to trauma-informed care and have completed advanced studies with leaders in the field, including Kathy Kain and Stephen Terrell. I continue to learn through post-graduate training in somatic bodywork, biodynamic movement, nervous system regulation, and hands-on fascial therapies.
In addition to my hands-on practice, I teach rehabilitative Pilates and trauma awareness courses for manual and movement therapists. I’ve previously taught outdoor education, worked as a clinic supervisor and teaching assistant at WCCMT, and served as a board examiner for the College of Massage Therapists of BC.
I live and practice on the unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nation. Born and raised in the coastal mountains of North Vancouver, I still feel most at home moving through forests, up slopes, or dancing freely in a studio.