Deborah Marasco
About Debbie
Pronouns: She/Her
- Training: 800 hours
- School: Texas Healing Arts Institute
- Licensed since: 2000
- With Myo since: 2007
- Continuing Education: Lymphatic Drainage, Myofascial Release, Hot Stone, Prenatal
- Areas of expertise: The Myo, Hot Stone Massage, Prenatal Massage, Pain Management
Book with Debbie
Deborah Marasco graduated from the Texas Healing Arts Institute in 2001, and is currently studying Kinesiology at St. Edward’s University. She has a background in bodybuilding and personal training, and worked with physical, occupational, and speech therapists before pursuing massage therapy. Deborah’s own experience with chronic pain from surgeries, sports injuries and wrecks have left her with an empathy and understanding for those in acute and chronic pain. She likes to relieve clients of their pain in the least painful way! Her experience includes clients recovering from head injuries, whiplash, spinal fusion, scoliosis, Fibromyalgia, Ehlers- Danlos, and chronic illnesses. Deborah combines Swedish, Deep tissue, CranioSacral, Myofascial, Hot stone and Trigger point therapies to create a customized massage for each client.
How long have you been a licensed massage therapist?
21 years.
How many hours of training do you have?
I have over 800 hours of training.
Why did you choose massage therapy as your career?
It was a natural progression after being a personal trainer and working with rehabilitation specialists.
Where did you go to school for massage?
Texas Healing Arts for my initial training and clinical training.
How do you describe your massage/work to others?
Pain management that combines myofascial, trigger point, hot stone, deep tissue, Swedish with some craniosacral techniques.
What are some examples of Continuing Education you are interested in and why?
Lymphatic drainage and Watsu are what I am studying now. I like to find the best ways to relieve pain for chronic pain sufferers.
How has receiving massage affected you personally?
It helps me manage my chronic pain from multiple accidents, surgeries, and genetic diseases.
What do you do to stay healthy?
Paddleboard, aquajog, swim, walk the dogs, and go to the gym.
What do you like about working at Myo Massage?
The laid-back, supportive atmosphere with highly trained and compassionate coworkers that make me laugh often.
How do you approach pain management massage?
Each one is very different. It depends on the clients pain level, how long they have been in pain, where and what is causing it, and what they have tried to relieve it.
What techniques do you frequently use in pain management massage?
Heat, stones, myofascial, trigger point, deep tissue, craniosacral, neuromuscular therapy.
What is a hot stone massage?
It can be purely Swedish and relaxing. It can be used in pain management. It can be a combination of trigger point with stones and deep tissue. It is a great way to relax muscle spasms painlessly. It helps to get into the muscle deeper, faster and with less pain. Anyone who needs deep tissue but can’t tolerate it; this is a great approach to dealing with their pain.
Do you use the stones throughout the entire massage?
It depends on the session and what a person is looking for in that massage. It can be used throughout the session or it can be used for specific points.
Can you use deeper pressure in a hot stone massage or is it more of a relaxation massage?
Deeper pressure can be used with the stones or in combination with the stones via the hands and elbows.