About Essence Physical Therapy
Our Goal is for You to Return to a Pain-Free,
Active Lifestyle – to be the best “you” possible!
Essence Physical Therapy provides a holistic approach to physical therapy with one-on-one treatment in a relaxed setting focused on healing and wellness.
As your therapists, Rachel Davies, PT, and Michel Andreasen OT
will identify and treat the root cause of your pain or dysfunction, primarily using
the John F. Barnes approach to Myofascial Release.
About Rachel Davies, PT
Rachel’s life passion is to facilitate others on their healing journey, sharing the tools and gifts she has discovered along the way and re-inventing what holistic PT may look like.
She strives to empower others by helping them make connections and learn the deeper causes of pain and dysfunction in the body. This successful approach has allowed her to witness the innate healing of her clients and see them return to the activities they love.
Rachel’s education includes a B.S. in Nutritional Science from Michigan State University and a Masters of Physical Therapy degree from Oakland University.
Her professional experience includes a variety of inpatient and outpatient PT settings including orthopedics, brain injury, stroke, spinal cord rehab, burn injuries/wound care, ICU and cardiac rehab. Eventually her path led to the outpatient setting where she has practiced for the majority of her career. She founded Essence Physical Therapy in 2013.
Rachel is a firm believer in lifelong learning and doing her own inner work for personal and professional growth.
Rachel is an expert level trained John F. Barnes Myofascial Release therapist with over 500 hours of continuing education in this method. She also specializes in orthopedic manual joint mobilization, CranioSacral therapy, holistic counseling, trauma/tension release, and subtle energy/healing touch.
Rachel’s personal journey helps her embody these methods of healing and she is dedicated to sharing them with others and holding space for a safe and authentic healing environment.
Above all, her mission is to help others recognize the power they have to heal themselves in order to live a joyful, active and more fulfilling life.
About Michel Andreasen, OT
“Michel strives to provide authentic therapeutic practices based on principles she has personally experienced and found to be truly powerful and healing.”
Michel’s primary intention as a holistic practitioner is to serve as a guide to support people through their own unique healing process in order to reveal an enhanced connection to the authentic self.
She began her therapy career in hand and upper extremity rehabilitation at an outpatient rehabilitation center. During her own personal wellness journey, she was lead to natural health providers who ignited her passion for holistic health services to treat the entire person- mind, body, and spirit.
The profound healing she experienced was what she had been searching for her entire life.
She began studying, taking courses, and practicing therapeutic yoga and John F. Barnes Myofascial Release in order to expand her own state of health and to eventually offer these services to others.
Michel strives to provide authentic therapeutic practices based on principles she has personally experienced and found to be truly powerful and healing.
In her holistic occupational therapy practice, the gentle hands-on approach of John F. Barnes Myofascial Release is utilized to release restrictions of emotional and physical trauma in order to increase the mind-body connection, decrease pain, improve body alignment and balance, restore function, and increase overall health and wellness.
Michel further offers therapeutic services based on principles of yoga to create a sacred space for the body to heal. Meditation and mindfulness techniques, restorative postures and movement, along with breath and energy work are used to align body, mind, and spirit for optimal whole being wellness.
Michel graduated with a B.S. in Anthropology from Grand Valley State University and a M.S. in Occupational Therapy from Western Michigan University.