About Threshold Healing
A trauma-informed approach to bodywork.
We’re your Minneapolis, LGBTQ-friendly massage therapists.
We work with many body types including older bodies, large bodies (all size bodies), transgender/a-gender/queer bodies, athletes at every level and during/post/pre-pregnancy.
Threshold Healing takes a trauma-informed approach to bodywork — our therapists work with trauma as it shows in the body.
Our Massage Therapists
Alyssa Hill (she/they)
Alyssa Hill (she/they) is trained in a variety of massage modalities and alternative therapies. In 2007 she decided to start healing work beginning with Reiki training, a modality she found useful and exciting as she started to learn yoga and AcroYoga.
In 2010 she began officially training in professional massage, starting with Thai Yoga Bodywork and AcroYoga. She completed an 80 hour AcroYoga Teacher training with AcroYoga Montreal in the summer of 2010.
Her Thai Yoga Bodywork training, an extensive 350 hour training, was completed in 2011. She holds Advanced Practitioner status through Devanadi Yoga Studio and the Thai Healing Alliance International. She completed a 900 hour Advanced Therapeutic Massage training program at CenterPoint Massage and Shiatsu School in 2015.
She also has 80+ hours of training through Coaching the Body Institute in Chicago, a school focusing on Clinical Thai Bodywork, a massage modality that uses Trigger Point release techniques to quickly release pain and disfunction from muscle tissue. Her other trainings include Craniosacral healing, advanced techniques in Trigger Point release, Chi Nei Tsang (abdominal massage), Fire Cupping and Gua Sha with Kim Hart of Adagio Holistic, Ayurvedic massage, Flower Essences training, Chakra balancing techniques, energy healing, and aura visualization.
Outside massage and teaching AcroYoga, Alyssa sings in a choir, Anonymous Choir. She enjoys performing fire with the amazing Infiamati Fire Circus and Barebones Puppet Show. She seasonally harvests wild rice and maple syrup in northern Minnesota. She enjoys weightlifting, bicycle riding, and sailing.
In the fall of 2017 she shifted into the most important role of her life, motherhood. She now has two rad little humans (Ursa and Minerva) that she has the elite privilege of facilitating into adulthood.
She firmly believes all bodies are valuable and truly incredible. She approaches life and bodywork from a trauma-informed approach. She enjoys healing herself, facilitating healing in others, and living life like it is important.
Liz Cates (they/them)
Liz Cates (they/them) has been apprenticing with Alyssa since 2014 when they started learning Thai Massage and Acro Yoga. Liz graduated to become an Acro Yoga instructor and has since and has since started apprenticing Alyssa in massage therapy. In 2022 Liz began studying Fire Cupping with Kim Hart at Adagio Holistic and has completed both levels of training.
Liz believes that bodywork is an incredible way to heal ourselves and others while practicing love, listening, and consent. A Dakota descendant and a Dakota language learner, Liz prioritizes decolonizing the body and mind through awareness of Indigenous values, homelands, and sacred spaces. In addition to addressing the stressors of the modern age, Liz acknowledges the impacts of generational trauma on the mind/body and believes that bodywork is part of radical healing.
While not at work, Liz enjoys spending time outside. They love making music and art and snuggling with their two cats (Konen & Cece). Liz spends many long weekends camping all over the midwest, especially in the Fall. Their evenings are spent indulging in creativity, relaxing, and connecting with friends year-round.
Tiger Tuchel (they/them)
Tiger is deeply inspired by the strength, vulnerability, and resilience of their clients. They graduated from East West College of the Healing Arts in Portland, OR in 2019, focusing on Swedish, triggerpoint, and myofascial techniques. Their bodywork aims to be anti-oppressive and trauma informed, with compassion and listening at the heart of their practice. Clients describe their treatments as specific, calming, and affirming.
Movement and rhythm have been important recurring themes throughout their experiences as an athlete, a musician, and a student of nature. They are a lifelong learner, and strive to continually incorporate new concepts and modalities into their practice. They firmly believe in the healing power of touch and attention, and are invested in making massage more widely understood and accessible.
When they are not practicing bodywork or walking in the woods, they can be found reading and discussing critical theory, cooking big meals, playing with fiber arts, and making music.
Harper Nelson (they/them)
Harper (they/them) is passionate about supporting people in cultivating a relationship with their bodies. They approach massage from a trauma informed perspective, and are especially excited about working with fellow queer, trans, and disabled people. It's important to them that massage be accessible to all types of bodies.
Harper is trained in relaxation massage, cupping, gua sha, and acupressure. They started apprenticing with Alyssa in 2022, and are currently working towards their therapeutic massage certificate at Northwestern Health Sciences University.
Harper works in gender care as a registered nurse when they're not doing massage. They spend their free time connecting with the land they live on through gardening and nature walks with their pit bull Emma, and making things out of clay.
Avi Marshall (they/them)
Avi (they/them) finds interpersonal interaction regenerative, they are fascinated by bodily functions, and they approach community-led healing very earnestly.
After working in caretaking and healthcare for the past handful of years, Avi has a keen sense of bodies. Now, as a massage therapist, Avi utilizes those skills along with an intimate anatomical understanding of the body. Avi is trained in relaxation massage, craniosacral therapy, and fire cupping. They started apprenticing with Alyssa in 2023, and are excited to be able to integrate clinical massage and shiatsu once graduating from Northwestern Health Sciences University with an East West Therapeutic massage certificate.
As a queer, intersex person Avi’s dedication to LGBTQ+ health is personal. Working with disabled, trans, and BIPOC clients has given Avi a better understanding of the failings of many healing institutions and ways that Avi can better support all clients. Avi is extremely grateful to those individuals for showing them vulnerability and continuing their learning.
Avi believes that all bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made implements of Nature and is grateful for that interconnectedness every day.
Our Beliefs and Values
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Equality
We are strongly non-judgmental and actively support LGBTQ+ people and BIPOC.
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Honesty
We are interested in hearing critiques and practice non-defensive listening to heal and change.
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Intuitive
We support people to heal themselves through connective touch, verbal and non-verbal communication, and deep listening.