Meet Our Spa Family
It is no small thing to place your trust in someone who places their hands on your person in order to assist you in your efforts toward better health & well-being.
On-board APTB Mobile Spa, you will always find a safe environment that is free from judgement. We are a professional staff of educated & licensed massage therapists & body workers. Each of us highly value & honor YOU, as well as the Traditions, the Art, & the Science of Healing Touch.
We are more than just a staff...we are a family! And just like in every family, each member is valuable & unique, offering their own talents, strengths and gifts that enhance the family!
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We invite you to get to know a bit more about each of us who will be serving you on-board your own private spa oasis. Within this space, may you find A Place to Begin...to care for your body, quiet your mind, to nourish your soul. We look forward to having you, become a part of our Extended Family!
Bernadine Applegate
LMT, Certified Member of ABMP
Meet Bern...
In The Field Of Massage & Bodywork, our Lead Therapist, Bernadine, is a highly trained & skilled practitioner with nearly a decade of experience as a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) serving in a variety of well-appointed day spas throughout the state of New Jersey.
Specializing in both Eastern & Western modalities, she has pursued years of continuing education to enhance her work in an array of manual therapies including a host of Ayurvedic specialties from the Eastern perspective along with extensive studies in soft tissue manipulation techniques from the Western perspective. She is also well versed in geriatric, prenatal and palliative (End of Life) massage.
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Bernadine possesses an energy & uniqueness that is unlike anyone you will ever meet! We affectionately call her "Mother Earth" because of her "earthy" spirit that loves, honors, & regards all of Nature as her sister! If it is "of this planet" or "living on it", If it "flies above or swims below".... the Earth & ALL of Her inhabitants have a true friend & guardian in our Bernadine!
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Oh...and when you visit us at an outdoor event... Don't be at all surprised if you find our Bernadine bare foot in the grass, twirling an umbrella in her tie-dye yoga pants on a perfectly sunny day! Do you think we are kidding?.....
Joanne Consolo
LMT, Certified Member of ABMP, Esthetician, Cosmetologist
Meet Joanne...
Joanne has been in the spa industry for 18 years, initially serving her clients as a licensed Cosmetologist & Esthetician in New York and New Jersey. In 2012, Joanne finally answered another call that her heart was being drawn to.... Massage Therapy!
She began additionally serving her clients with restorative & healing massage as a NJ Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) in 2013.
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Joanne continues to expand her knowledge base through continuing education courses that advance her skills improving the overall well-being of her very grateful clients!
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Well versed in Ayurvedic modalities, an array of therapeutic techniques, & geriatric massage, Joanne brings warmth, kindness & compassion to her work that clients can genuinely feel. Joanne has the ability to make everyone feel important & cared for because she loves what she does!
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When she is not in session, Joanne can be found with her boyfriend, Rob, hiking and exploring all the beauty this country has to offer!
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Joanne's facials & manicure services are available for Spa Party Bookings Only.
Minerva
de la Torriente
(Mollica)
LMT, Certified Member of ABMP
Meet Minerva...
A graduate of Gentle Healing School of Massage in Cranbury, NJ, Minerva has been a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) practicing massage & bodywork in NJ since 2010.
Minerva is truly a talented & well versed therapist who knows how to beautifully blend gentle and restorative massage techniques with much deeper therapeutic work, based on her client's needs. With her experience in geriatric massage, oncology massage & prenatal massage, Minerva's skills & talents are a true gift to the healing arts!
Her immense knowledge base through continuous professional development allows her the ability to address the needs of her clients through an extensive collection of proven effective manipulation techniques as well as through appropriate application of pressure to encourage maximum muscular & health benefits.
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You will just love her gentle nature and respect her healing intuition. Her warmth & care brings much needed peace in this chaotic world for those who are blessed to experience her work.
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When Minerva is not working, she can be found volunteering at numerous animal rescue shelters or taking long walks with her husband of 20 years, Tom (Yes! Our very own Tom!) and their beautiful English bulldog - Newman - who has both of them wrapped around his little paw!
Tom
Mollica
LMT, Certified Member of ABMP
Meet Tom...
Tom has been in the Healing Arts as a highly trained & skilled Licensed Massage Therapist & body worker in the state of New Jersey since 2011. He has served in well-appointed day spa retreats with a focus on Eastern & Western modalities.
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He has great respect for the body's ability to heal itself through holistic practices. As a therapist, his approach to addressing the better health & well-being of his clients are twofold: First, by being a practitioner who values & engages in continuing education to enhance his skill sets in order to maximize the health benefits of massage & body work. Second, by ensuring that every client (both male & female) feels confident in his abilities, at ease on his table, and comfortable in his presence.
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With Tom's vast experience in Ayurvedic modalities, deep tissue, geriatric, medical based oncology, & prenatal massage, you will find he has tremendous range in application of techniques from gentle relief to deep therapeutic work.
Tom is one of the most easy-going people you will ever meet! The ONLY "pressure" you will ever experience is the "pressure" you prefer during your session!
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Beyond the spa, Tom enjoys the outdoors... especially if it includes being on his boat with his wife, Minerva, (Yup! Our Minerva!) a fishing pole in hand & his dog, Newman , by his side!
Kathy
Barker
Reiki Master
Meet Kathy...
Kathy holds a BS degree in Business Management from Montclair State College and has been in the Healing Arts as a professional body work practitioner since 2011.
With a focus on energy work, she is an attuned Certified Reiki Master and has been actively practicing Reiki for more than 7 years.
As a cancer survivor, Reiki has been instrumental in Kathy's journey which has lead her to restored health! As both a receiver and as a practitioner, she has experienced first hand, how this universal life force energy offers healing through the releasing of physical, emotional, & spiritual distress while balancing the body's energy centers (known as chakras).
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Kathy absolutely loves anything that gets her near the beach or on the water! She loves to read, knit, bake and practice yoga--but she also loves to learn new things along the way, that add to this wonderful thing called "Life"!
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Kathy offers Reiki Services & Reiki Training On-board APTB Mobile Spa.
Lisa
Carrick
Reiki Master
Meet Lisa...
Lisa holds a BS degree in Business Management from Monmouth University and has been in the Healing Arts as a professional body work practitioner since 2012.
With a focus on energy work, she is an attuned Certified Reiki Master and has been actively practicing Reiki for more than 6 years. Along with her passion for energy work, Lisa is well versed in the areas of Vibration & Meditation practices.
Lisa has a tremendous love of family & family traditions. She enjoys gardening and finds an incredible sense of peace working with the earth, tending her vegetables. She is also an avid baker and in THIS family, we often call her: "Sara Lee-sa!"
A Reiki treatment is a gentle laying on of hands which unblocks & balances the body's energy. It is Relaxing, Nurturing, Energizing & Freeing. In her own words,
"To me, Reiki is healing…healing from within ~ physically, emotionally & spiritually..."
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Lisa offers Reiki Services & Reiki Training On-board APTB Mobile Spa.
Lynn
Boychuk
Cosmetologist, Nail Technician
Meet Lynn...
As a cosmetologist & Nail Technician, Lynn brings over 45 years of experience to the spa industry! For the first 30 years she was a hair stylist. For the last 15 years Lynn has immersed herself in the art of Manicures & Pedicures including: Spa, French, Ombre, & Gels. She excels at Nail Art & Nail Enhancements including Acrylics, Hard Gels, Silk, Fiberglass and SNS (Signature Nail System.)
She also offers Hand & Foot wax treatments that bring much needed relief to her loyal clientele.
Lynn possesses a fire that will energize your soul! She is as real as real gets! The magical thing about Lynn is that she is truly "Balance" personified! She lives in the real world while embracing Hindu philosophies on the path she is walking during her beautiful journey through this lifetime.
Lynn's services are available for Spa Party Bookings only.
Maureen
Fackenthal
Aromatherapist, Author,
Reiki Master
Meet Maureen...
Maureen has her BS degree in the area of Business & Marketing from Monmouth University. Her love for her family and Mother Earth has inspired her commitment of healing the planet through green living for more than 35 years.
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Her mission to protect Mother Earth is as real as the day is long...and she shares her passion with genuine joy and a truly happy heart. It isn't difficult to see, Maureen celebrates Earth Day...everyday!
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In the areas of Aromatherapy, Essential Oils & Herbs, Maureen brings a vast knowledge of their uses, benefits and application with the correct therapeutic levels for maximum health benefits.
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APTB works closely with Maureen in developing the healthy blends created for our scrubs, wraps, creams, oils & lotions that are used in all of our services and the products we sell on-board.
Michele
Ecochardt
Founder, Owner
LMT, Certified Member of ABMP
Meet Michele...
As a NJ Licensed Massage Therapist since 2013, Michele has extensive training in both Eastern & Western modalities, offering therapeutic services in both the chiropractic & spa arena. From an Eastern perspective, she is a seasoned practitioner in many Ayurvedic treatments including: Mu-Xing, Kansa Wand, and Face Rejuvenation/Marma Point Therapies. Knowledgeable in Clays, Scrubs & Wraps, from around the world, she is able to provide her clients with information & assistance in choosing the best option for them to receive maximum health benefits that these gifts from the earth offer.
Energy is everywhere! It exists in ALL places & in ALL things, living & non-living and it is an integral part of the Healing Arts! Michele addresses her clients' energy field & flow of energy in every service she offers. She is a Level II Reiki practitioner and she offers Gemstone & Crystal services which incorporate additional healing energies.
From a Western perspective, Michele is highly skilled & trained in: The integration of gentle & deep tissue massage & stretching techniques with a focus on controlled manipulation of the muscles & soft tissues; European Trigger Point Therapy; Micro-current Point Stimulation (MPS Therapy), which combines the principles of Western neurology, stress management, integrative dentistry, & scar therapy with Eastern acupuncture philosophies with protocols that reduce stress and chronic pain throughout the human body.
Drawing on years of continuing education, Michele is well versed in deep tissue, geriatric, prenatal and palliative (End of Life) massage.
As the Founder & Owner of A Place To Begin Mobile Spa, Michele's vision was to offer something new & different within the spa industry and in the field of Massage & Bodywork.
Having worked many years in well appointed day spas and hearing her clients say how much they wished they didn't have to drive all the way home after being so pampered & relaxed, she began to think how wonderful it would be if this relaxing spa experience could be brought directly to everyone's front door, eliminating the need to drive to & from a tranquil day at the spa!
So she set out to create a personal sanctuary, inside of a 37 ft. motor coach that has been beautifully transformed into a well appointed spa oasis, providing an affordable "high-end day spa experience" with a variety of therapeutic services.....that comes directly to your door! This is the very first of it's kind anywhere in the United States....A full service spa on-board a beautiful Coach....that comes directly to you!
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Her love of people, commitment to better health & well-being through holistic practices, along with her connection to Spirit & Universal Energy are the driving forces and inspiration behind all that she does in her personal life, her work and her business.