MEET THE TEAM
NISSA (EUNICE)
Nissa has been a bodyworker for the past 20 years and founded YOUU-NESS in 2018. A Chicago native and resident for 26 years, she made her way west after completing her masters degree in music at Northwestern University. She has worked as a music therapist, pianist, and teacher. In pursuing her love for nature, Nissa spent almost 5 years in Colorado before making California her home. She discovered the central coast in 2016 and the rest is history. She is grateful to call San Luis Obispo home.
As a young aspiring concert pianist, Nissa was introduced to the Feldenkrais Method when attending a workshop for musicians. It explored sensing the body and how it moves in the context of performing arts. Careful attention to subtle changes such as the way a hand is lifted to play the piano resulted in profound improvements in feelings of ease where there was once mental and physical stress and tension. It planted a seed of curiosity that led to years of exploration into the world of bodywork and the mind body connection.
Today, Nissa is a seasoned therapist and offers advanced manual therapy specializing in corrective treatment and fascial work. Her hands can be very gentle or firm depending on what she senses from the body in each moment. She typically sees clients dealing with chronic tension who have conditions resulting from injury or overuse. Her style is unique and influenced by her trainings in ART® (Active Release Technique), MFR® (Myofascial Release), Structural Integration, Medical Massage, and CST (CranioSacral Therapy). Nissa will complete her 4 year training as a Feldenkrais practitioner in 2024. She is excited to come full circle to empower others on their own journey of self discovery and finding freedom in movement. She will be offering Awareness through Movement classes this spring.
When Nissa is not in the office, she enjoys camping, hiking, backpacking, cooking, drawing, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
SUMMER
Summer is a health advocate, educator, and enthusiast. She is originally from Southern California and completed a degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Exercise Science from Humboldt State Universitybefore before pursuing a career in massage therapy and bodywork. In college, she worked in a Human Performance Lab testing muscular endurance and completed an internship with the athletic training department working in injury prevention and rehabilitation.
Summer discovered her love for helping people move better and feel amazing in their bodies after experiencing her own challenges. After tearing her ACL as a teenager playing high school volleyball, she felt physically disconnected to her body. Reconstructive surgery was required and she endured months of rehabilitation. This is where her journey toward becoming a bodyworker began.
After working with a physical therapist, personal trainer, and massage therapist over 9 months, she was inspired by the relationships she built with the team of professionals that helped her recover. Not only did she get to walk again, she returned to high school and made 1st Team All-League! Summer now sees her injury as a blessing in disguise that helped spark her passion for the rehabilitation world. She believes that she found her calling to help as many people optimize how they feel in their own skin.
Today, Summer has developed a unique style and enjoys providing MFR® (Myofascial Release) and Medical Massage techniques that help correct soft tissue based conditions along with self care exercises and stretches. She has a passion for working with people from all walks of life. Typical clientele are people with desk jobs, athletes, service workers, and active seniors.
When Summer is not at the office, you might find her rollerblading, playing volleyball, disc golf, listening to a podcast on health and wellness, hanging out with friends, or having fun in the kitchen!
DR. JEN
Jen has performed thousands of treatments and graduated Summa Cum Laude in her doctoral program at Pacific College or Oriental Medicine in San Diego. She helps people with a myriad of issues including physical, mental, and emotional to find a path to healing through Chinese medicine and compassionate listening.
Her educational journey includes: Doctorate in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese Medicinal Herbology; Masters in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Herbology; Bachelors in Holistic Medicine; Associate in Psychology, RYT Yoga Instructor; LMT massage therapist for 22 years, Cranial Sacral; Medical Qi Gong practitioner; Reiki 1 & 2 practitioner for 20 years; Vipassana meditation.
Jen is an animal mom and a nature lover from the Central Coast of California. You might find her hiking with her dog, riding her electric bike, or writing poetry when she is not with her patients.