Who We Are, What We Do, Who We Help…
We started as Touch Needed Animal Massage Therapy in 2010. in 2019, After many years expanding our techniques, skills and eye for ‘reading’ a body in movement, Touch Needed decided to expand, including People to the list of those to benefit from our services.
Touch Needed started as a way to offer companion animals a modality to relieve stress and anxiety. Although that is still a main goal, seeing the vast enhancements and benefits of massage, we started to explore more ways massage can help.
We quickly began studying kinesiology (movement of the body) and began offering sport massage for canines, then horses, and even Llamas and cows and more. After years of hearing “Well do you work on humans too”, we decided WHY NOT!
Our therapist started Massage School and has put her same dedication to her studies for Touch Needed Animal Massage and changed to Touch Needed Massage Therapy.
Her training in school (both Animal and Human massage) has opened her studies to include biomechanics (body mechanics), Kinesiology, fascial and myofascial release, Thai massage, Swedish massage, Sports massage and more.
Whether to help you feel better or helping you to help your pet, Touch Needed is here for YOU!
Our therapist has spent many years watching canines, felines, horses, and more, during their daily activity. She is skilled in observing their gate (way of walking) and pinpointing problematic areas that may not be seen by an untrained eye. She has extensive training and has learned how movement can improve with manual therapy (massage). After 2 decades working with animals both professionally and in her personal life, our therapist realized her eye started to focus, not only on the animal, but on the owner’s movement as well.
If you are a living being that is in motion daily, We Can Help YOU
Whether you are a Customer Service Representative whom spends time typing, talking and repetitive sit to stand movements; Or, a Farmer whom spends their time hauling 50 pound feed bags and hay bales without a second thought; Or, a Veterinary Professional whom spends their time bending, lifting, holding unsteady animals while helping them. Or anyone inbetween…
You probably aren’t paying mind to how your daily tasks are changing the way your body works.
Our therapist prides herself on listening to YOUR life, YOUR daily activities and customizing a massage session to YOUR specific needs. She is skilled and proficient in a firm pressure massage, manual therapy and being able to ‘read’ your body. Our goal is to help bring you comfort NOW, but also help you maintain comfort in your everyday life.
*Small and Large animal sessions are priced by session NOT TIME as each animal responds differently.
Our Massage Therapist spends her free time enrolled in continuing education courses and training. She has a special interest in CanineConditioning and Strength Training, as well as Myofascial Release and Manual Therapy.
About the Massage Therapist
Jennifer Matos LMT, LVT, CVT, CAMT
Jen is a graduate of The Massage School in Easthampton, Massachusetts. Finishing the program November 2019, Jens’ previous experience with massage has helped her excel. With 200 hours of clinical experience, clients have raved about her professionalism and skill from the beginning. Jen is proficient in ‘reading’ muscles and allowing the body to show her what it needs. She is skilled in firm, detailed and problem specific massage. She believes for a problem area to find relief; the whole body should be addressed. Because no two bodies are alike, and because our body does not perform the same daily, each massage with Jen is different. She pays attention to how your body is feeling today and helps you to feel better for tomorrow, and beyond.
Because the body works as a whole, and that every body is different, Jen offers massage by session. Jen also offers a custom blend of essential oils to be added to the oil used during your massage. Each 75-minute session is individually customized and offers an array of indicated modalities including deep tissue, myofascial, Swedish, passive assisted range of motion and more.
Jen is a Licensed and Certified Veterinary Technician as well as a Certified Animal Massage Therapist. She has been working with animals professionally since 1998. She obtained her Small Animal Massage Certificate through Bancroft School of Massage, Doggone U in 2010. Her experience as a horse owner, training as a handler and rider has led her to include horses in her practice.
For the last 5 years Jen has put her time in small animal medicine, with a focus on anesthesia, analgesia with traditional and non-traditional pain management. Her extensive training and understanding of pain management helps her to see the animals’ needs in a different light than some other body work practioners. Her focus on animal massage stems from her seeing firsthand that animals aren’t given the same consideration as people.
With training, education and knowledge in animal behavior, physiology and anatomy Jen has a leg up above the rest.
Call us: +413.341.2177
Contact us for an intial evaluation! The first session will be to discuss you or your animals overall activity, your expectations and for our therapist to assess and plan. From there we will discuss an individual plan for you or your pet.
800 Main St Amherst, MA 01002
Upstairs, entrance under RWJ CAMPBELL sign
Massage for you
AND your 4 legged companion
Why Massage? The benefits of massage are immense! There is evidence showing that muscle manipulation can help to improve overall performance and health.