John Dees, LMBT #1865
Practicing since 2001, John specializes in Swedish, deep tissue, myofascial release, hot stone and sports massage.
Valinda Ganous, LMBT #3848
Valinda Britt Deese, LMBT, calls the small Robeson County town of Orrum her hometown. She studied massage therapy at the South Carolina Massage Therapy Institute and has been a massage therapist since 2003.
She previously practiced massage therapy in Lumberton and Fayetteville, but has been with FirstHealth Fitness in Pinehurst and Raeford for the past six years.
She is trained in Swedish, deep tissue, hot stone and prenatal massage as well as in aromatherapy, reflexology and bambo fusion.
Valinda has a very grounded philosophy about the value of massage.
“Everyone can benefit from massage, both physically and mentally,” she says. “Massage should be an integral part of your personal wellness program. In other words, every body needs massage.”
Margarieta Gellman, LMBT #20597
Margarieta Gellman, LMBT, has been a practicing massage therapist since 2022. She is proficient in Swedish and deep tissue massage. She specializes in foot reflexology, pre-natal, hot stone and bamboo, and oncology massage. Margarieta is passionate about the wide-ranging preventative health benefits of massage. “Massage cannot be seen as a luxury,” she says. “It is meant to be preventative medicine and is good for the mind, body and spirit.”
Originally from West Hempstead, New York, Margarieta has lived all over the world being part of a military family. Margarieta is mom to three boys. and a lot of her free time is spent keeping them healthy and active, safe and teaching them to be productive and kind young men. She enjoys reading, playing pickleball and scrapping when she finds the time and space.
Marcie Mann, LMBT #20995
Practicing since 2009, Marcie specializes in deep tissue, traditional, sports massage, hot stone and reflexology.
Pamela Marks, LMBT
Pamela Marks, LMBT, graduated from Sandhills Community College in 2005 and has been practicing massage therapy ever since. She is trained in a number of modalities, including Swedish, deep tissue, prenatal, hot stone, trigger point, myofascial release and cupping. Additionally, Marks is Reiki II trained and certified and has experience working with oncology and hospice care patients.
She believes massage is a valuable asset to both mind and body. Her favorite quote from Irene Smith sums up how she feels about massage and its pain and stress-reducing benefits: "Touch was never meant to be a luxury. It is a basic human need. It is the action that validates life and gives hope to both receiver and giver."
Sheneka Patterson, LMBT #5410
Born and raised in the Sandhills, Sheneka Patterson is a Carthage native who was educated at Sandhills Community College. Her specialties include traditional Swedish, deep tissue, and pre-natal massage.
Sheneka believes in the health value of massage. “Massage is a great health benefit, because it increases body awareness, reduces stress and allows one to enter into a state of relaxation,” she says. “Having clients leave and say they feel so much better and got exactly what they needed means so much to me. When that happens, I know I’ve communicated well with them and used my expertise as a therapist to effectively meet their needs.”
Michele Santiago, LMBT #1448
Fayetteville native Michele Santiago, received her bachelor’s degree from UNC-Wilmington and also studied at the Coastal Carolina Institute for Massage Therapy. She has been a practicing massage therapist since 1999, previously in Wilmington and Aberdeen and currently in Southern Pines as well as with FirstHealth Fitness in Pinehurst.
She has earned a variety of certifications, most recently her Medical Massage Practitioner certification. She specializes in traditional, Swedish, deep tissue, pregnancy and post-partum, Russian sports, hot stone, myofascial release, orthopaedic and medical massage therapy. She has also taken courses in athletic training to further her knowledge of therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, post-surgery and injury recovery.
Michele believes in individualizing the massage session to the specific needs and requests of her client.
“Massage therapy should be incorporated as frequently as possible into our lives to help aid our ability to naturally cope with everyday stress,” she says. “Massage is not a cure-all, but we know that if proper consideration and care is taken of our bodies, those constant stresses can be better tolerated.”
Genell Snyder, LMBT #11887
Genell Snyder received her training in massage therapy in 1997 with the East-West College of Healing Arts in Portland, Ore. A native of Fairbanks, Alaska, she now makes her home in Aberdeen.
Before joining FirstHealth, she had a private practice in both Fairbanks and Portland. Her areas of interest include sports injury and shiatsu. To complement her approach to sports injury therapy, she has taken classes in advanced myofascial techniques, PNF and injury management, and manual lymphatic drainage at the Vodder Institute.
Shiatsu, one of Genell’s favorite modalities – both to practice and receive – involves gentle non-invasive stretching and rhythmic pressure that opens energy pathways with attention on joints and movement.
“Massage is a time-honored method to maintaining our health,” she says. “Learning to understand the language of our body brings awareness and promotes a mind/body connection.”
Kristen Traunecker, LMBT #20195
Born and raised in Connecticut, Kristen now calls North Carolina home. She is a 2008 graduate of the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy (CCMT) and is a certified personal trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Before joining FirstHealth Fitness, she had a private practice, taught sports massage at CCMT and worked in various health care environments, including physical therapy and chiropractic care. Kristen also has a B.S. in equine studies.
She employs a specialized, anatomically-specific style of massage to help restore function and mobility.
"I believe massage is an essential part of one's self care routine," she says. "That can range from taking time out for relaxation to recovering from orthopaedic surgery."
