If you've ever felt anxious about getting a massage, tensed up on the table without knowing why, or left a session feeling worse instead of better? You're not alone. And it's not you. It may simply mean that the approach wasn't the right fit for your nervous system.

That's where trauma-informed massage comes in.

At Elevate Healing Arts in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, every session is built on a trauma-informed foundation. But what does that actually mean, and why does it matter so much?