About Lisette Brown MPAS, BBioSc, LMT, Reiki Master/Teacher

I graduated in 2003 from Marquette University with an Master's in Physician Assistant Studies and a Bachelor's in Biomedical Science. I then graduated from Lakeside School of Massage Therapy in 2009. While attending Marquette and being a full time student, I also had the privilege of being a TA for gross anatomy. I love how the body works, the mechanics and energy of it all. 

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5 years after graduating and practicing as a Physician Assistant, I grew frustrated and exhausted with the lack of options or lack of education of the options to care for those with chronic pain. I believed writing short courses of pain medication prescriptions was not the best way to treat pain, especially chronic pain. It was not the way to value my patients' body, mind, or spirit. I started to search for my own resolution and discovered massage therapy. 

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Massage therapy is therapeutic and helps with a variety of conditions, among them, pain, posture, edema, headaches, migraines, stress and anxiety. In all honesty, I had never had a massage prior to entering school, however, now I cannot live without one. I value my education and understanding of western medicine, without it I would not be who I am, but I also value and understand complementary medicine, which has an essential role in wellness. I had no idea this new path would help me treat someone so close and dear to me. 

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In 2013 my mom was diagnosed with cancer, she went through chemotherapy, radiation, and multiple procedures.  It affected her in every way possible-physically, mentally, and spiritually. I had never seen my mom weak and less than her vibrant self. It was something she could not control. Chronic pain, nausea, progressive weight loss and fatigue became a part of her daily life, despite the milieu of medications she was taking for these symptoms. It was difficult to observe, I cannot imagine what she truly felt. My heart ached. 

 

Fortunately, I was able to see her diagnosis as a wake up call, per se. It affected my life in a positive way.  My approach to treating pain evolved, wellness and balance became a priority. Family became priority, once again, and I was able to spend more time with them. My family and I educated ourselves in ways to provide better health and healing for my mom, which included being mindful of what food we took into our bodies, nutritional supplements, energy work, meditation and journaling. In addition, she was being treated with evidence based medicine. This approach, I felt, was an overall wellness approach, which my mom needed.

 

During my mom's treatments my aunts and I would instinctively provide my mom with light massage, compression, joint mobility, which had such a tremendous benefit with reducing her pain and with improving her mental health. When she received regular massages her need for medications to deal with the side effects of the cancer treatment lessened. 

 

Is massage a miracle treatment? No. Does it help? Yes. For some that's all that is needed, just a little help with their symptoms, this makes a world of difference. My mom still suffers from chronic pain, chronic peripheral neuropathy from the chemotherapy and radiation treatments, chronic lymphedema, "chemo brain," difficulty with balance (some days better than others). Massage Therapy is not an end all be all treatment to all ailments and/or obstacles in life, however, it is definitely an integral component in healing and in overall wellness. My mom is still a positive person and very spirited. She still continues with her medications, however, her intake of these medications has overall decreased.  I continue to provide my mom with massage and lymph drainage massage when possible.

 

I appreciate and understand the worth of massage therapy so much more after seeing the effects that it had and continues to have on the whole person, especially on someone that I care for so deeply.  I want to be able to provide this benefit and hope for my clients with chronic concerns.  

 

There are still misconceptions of what massage therapy looks like.  One of the biggest misconceptions, when asking patients or speaking with family & friends, is that massage is an expensive luxury experience and that it is only to be used for special occasions, holidays, a day of pampering oneself, or having to "save up" prior to booking a session.  It is not seen as a necessity, however, it is an intrinsic ingredient to overall wellness, balance, and healing. Finding the right massage therapist who is knowledgeable, who is a listener and who values their clients, is just as important as booking the session in the first place.

 

I understand how the body works and how it moves. My massages are therapeutic focused and are unique due to the detail of my client intakes and thorough assessments. I evaluate each person and examine the areas that may be the cause of discomfort and create the most beneficial & effective massage. My knowledge & skill set provides me with the tools to help my clients. For instance, I discuss the treatment plan prior to starting. Not every client needs deep tissue massage (Oh, I can the 'boos' right now), especially not throughout the whole body.  Every body is different and how the body responds to treatment is different. Unfortunately, deep tissue is the known and the "go to" with regards to technique (Deep Tissue and Deep Pressure are two different things, don't get me started on that). However, in a certain session the treatment most beneficial may be myofascial release and medium pressure. Having a massage therapist who is knowledgeable in providing the best treatment in that moment is vital. Also, being able to explain why and allow for the client to have a choice with regards to that treatment plan. 

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I have completed education in a multitude of therapeutic techniques, among them are: Orthopedic Massage, Oncology Massage, Lymphatic Drainage Massage, Myofascial Release and Facilitated Stretching. I stay up to date with medicine and massage treatments, so that I am able to provide the best treatment for my clients at the present moment. Each client is unique and each client requires a personalized treatment plan and massage session for their wellness.

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My main focus is on reducing pain, improving posture and improving flexibility by treating the area therapeutically. I also focus on helping the emotional effects from chronic pain with massage, such as anxiety and depression. My hope and goal is to help my client accept and find comfort and pain relief.

with the body they have in that moment and to help my client's body gain overall wellness and balance.

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***UPDATE:***

I am deeply saddened to say that my beautiful mother passed away on December 2nd, 2021.  She passed peacefully and I so hope, deep in my heart hope, she passed away without pain.  We were able to control her pain with medications and it was the first time, in a long time, she was comfortable.  In Home Hospice staff were wonderful and so caring and understanding.  I am so grateful that we were able to keep her at home and that she was able to spend her last days with family.  I miss her deeply.  Thanks to her and my father's encouragement, support and understanding I have always believed in myself and have always had confidence that I could accomplish anything.  As a result I am doing what I love.  Thank you Mami for the good times and the bad times, I am grateful to have had all of those memories with you, which made us grow closer together.  Thank you for all that you did for me.  I miss you everyday. 

~You are the pillar of Strength, Kindness