Myotherapy Practice Opens in North Adams
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A new mind and body therapist has opened for business in Greylock Works.
Owner of Holistic Myotherapy, Georgette Yannetti-Peña, started her muscle therapy practice in her native Brooklyn, N.Y., to help those with spinal problems like herself.
"I started my practice in Brooklyn in 2015 specifically to help teenagers with spinal deformities, scoliosis, because I myself struggle with that since I was an adolescent, I had four spinal surgeries and was disabled," she said.
Yannetti worked as a massage therapist at the Greenwich Hotel and started doing myotherapy as a side project until it took off and she could focus on it full time.
"The practice just took off, and it wasn't just for scoliosis," she said. "It branched out to other spinal deformities and just other kind of people suffering with other kind of disabilities, and not even just physical disabilities, but psychological, you know, anxiety, depression, anything that people really needed space to be held for."
She explained her process as building a connection with clients and being able to talk with her about their problems before they get on the table.
"It needs to be more than just like, well, you're gonna get undressed and now I'm gonna touch you for like 60 minutes. To go from I don't know you to now get on the table — you can't, there needs to be more," Yannetti said. "So I provided this seating area and tea and like a little bit of connection. So even though I'm not a psychotherapist, I mean, I am very clear with people, like I'm not your therapist ... but I provide the space for people to also share more about themselves, what's happening."
She said she couldn't find the type of service she is now giving and wanted for herself.
"I basically started my practice, and I was like, when I receive body work, this is what this is the kind of work that I would want because this is what I need when I'm receiving body work because of my trauma, and I can't find that," she said.
Yannetti moved to Berkshire County earlier this year because she had always enjoyed visiting the area, saying this was her preferred vacation spot and even came here for her honeymoon.
"I've been visiting consistently for the past 10 years, specifically to Berkshire County, just because I love it here. It's been a safe space for me. I never wanted to leave," she said. "Every time I came, I was always like, I don't want to leave, and that said something to me. Whenever I had the opportunity to travel, if it wasn't internationally, I was like, I want to go to the Berkshires."
She was looking online one day and found a house, and her husband agreed it was their perfect place. On a whim they decided to buy it and move out here. While she was not initially planning to restart her practice, she decided to do a free class with Greylock Yoga and fell in love with the renovated mill building. She immediately asked about a space for rent and signed the lease in early June.
She held her soft opening on July 1.
She hopes her clients know this is a safe space where she will support them.
"That I'm here to support them in whatever their process is. That this is a safe space. A lot of people release emotionally in here, because the body stores emotion. A lot of people are still learning that."
Yannetti said she would want people to know that if they wanted to start a business to be themselves, follow their passion, and trust your gut. She said she would not be here if she had listened to others who said her business name was too unheard of and told her not to move.
"I would advise people to be unique and don't try to be like everybody else. Don't try to fit in and do what everybody else is doing. Find your own approach, and be passionate about it. Be passionate about it because when you're passionate about it, it doesn't feel like work, and then you really enjoy it," she said. "And when you really enjoy it, people can feel that, and people want to be around that."
Holistic Myotherapy is located in Studio A3 at Greylock Works; book an appointment through her website.
Tags: massage therapy,
