Esther Martin

Throughout her life, Esther has been curious about the experiences of others. The deep “why” that led to other people’s behavior, their responses, the relationships they had in their life. She loves to understand what other people’s perspectives of the world are. It delights her to understand another’s experience. Beyond the treatment room, she has found expression for this deep empathetic and attentive listening in years of improv theater (the profundity of slow attention, thoughtful and honest response,) in college as a Peer counselor for sexual assault survivors, in her current role coaching medical students through women’s health exams, and above all as a mother to a young child. 

Attentive curiosity to the experiences of others is something that unfolds in every session with a client. Esther believes that open and giving attention is deeply human and therapeutic. We are meant to need each other, and she gives profound respect to the individuals she works with for being available to receive assistance. She believes this is the most important and foundational piece of working with any provider. 

It is important to Esther to understand where you are coming from, and wants to understand what concerns you have and how they affect you. Esther works to hold space for the “you” that is present in the shared time we have.

The recognition of the wisdom and emotions our bodies can and do hold is what led her to study bodywork at the New Mexico School of Natural Therapeutics in 2018.  

As she has expanded her practice through the art of visceral manipulation and the palpation skill of visceral listening, she is able to bring this astute attention to the deeper physical structures within the body. What conversation can we have with your stomach, or sternum, or gallbladder, if we gave any of them our focus and let them express themselves? What do they need to tell us, and what support are they asking for? Esther listens to the wisdom held within the physical structures of our bodies, and lets them guide her in practice. 

Esther is honored to work with you and assist your body into greater freedom, openness, and softness. 




What My Clients Say

"I am so relieved to have found Red Beard Somatic Therapy and massage therapist Esther Martin, who has been treating me since this past summer. Esther's treatments are a big part of my self-care plan to manage stress and chronic pain.  After each monthly visit, I feel much relief. I also love the clean and quiet aesthetic of this studio, which further enhances the experience." - Anna L.

What My Clients Say

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What My Clients Say

"I am so relieved to have found Red Beard Somatic Therapy and massage therapist Esther Martin, who has been treating me since this past summer. Esther's treatments are a big part of my self-care plan to manage stress and chronic pain.  After each monthly visit, I feel much relief. I also love the clean and quiet aesthetic of this studio, which further enhances the experience." - Anna L.

What My Clients Say

"I started working with Esther 2 months after I had a total hip replacement. She was pleasant and sensitive to my recovery, asked for feedback often, and listened to what I had to say about what was helping and what was not. I appreciate her skill in massage, which really helped with pain management and improvement in my operated hip and leg." - Regena D.


What My Clients Say

"I have knee pain from dancing, and I feel immediate improvement after each session. The effect is also lasting and cumulative. My range of motion without pain has greatly improved." - Jennifer B.


What My Clients Say

"Esther’s knowledge, skill, and intuitive approach to massage helped me through chronic back pain. She listened deeply and helped me figure out the best way to go about my process of healing from an injury. Besides just massage, Esther helped me find tools and exercises I needed to recover from disabling back pain. I’d highly recommend Esther as a massage therapist!" - Mario V.


"By the end of the tenth session, I could hardly believe the transformation that took place over time. Only by looking back to session one can I truly appreciate how far I’ve come. The changes were incremental, and minuscule at times, but that’s how lasting change eventuates."

Laura Thomas

"Eleven months ago, at the age of 22, I had a spinal repair of my L5-S1 vertebrae. This was the last resort to continuing back issues from the age of 10.  I am currently pain free and have not felt this good in a very long time.  If bodywork is desired, then Alex is the person to see."

Michael Locasto

"As a licensed therapeutic bodyworker myself, I choose Alex as my bodywork therapist.  It is the focus, self-authenticity, and centered presence that Alex brings to his work that truly makes him a gifted healer."

Courtney Cowie, LMBT

"He works with both confidence and curiosity, and has a special ability to hold space for his clients free from judgement and expectation. As a result of this work I now inhabit my body in new ways."

Annemarie Kalson

"For the last 15+ years I’ve learned to function outside of my body as a method to suppress emotions and also as a protective means in an effort to deal with chronic pain. Not only has Ellen helped me find the ability to listen to my body, but she helped me find my voice and confidence, both of which I was previously greatly lacking. Ellen was a voice of strength when celebrating my success, and she also provided unwavering support when some of the work brought up “old stuff” that felt scary for a short time. To infer that the work we’ve done together has been transformational would truly be an understatement. Not only has my physical pain reduced, my relationships with my family and partner have flourished due to my ability to regulate myself and effectively communicate needs and hold appropriate boundaries. I am so grateful to Ellen for all she has done, and I look forward to continuing our work together as we continue to work on releasing the chronic stress and tension in my body, helping to calm my nervous system, and ultimately move toward an even more comfortable state of embodiment."

"Working with Ellen one-on-one was an incredible deep dive into self-knowledge through experiencing my body. Where Ellen shines is her talent for creating a space for exploration that is gentle, honest, safe, and empowering all at once. Ellen’s knowledge and expertise are clear, but her approach is one of partnership. And it works! I clearly see the physical and emotional results."

"I've always been someone who'd rather be in the library than at the gym. So when I seriously herniated a disc in my lower back, I was completely unprepared for the recovery process. The injury was very bad, and I had to have surgery for pain relief. The surgery was successful, but for many years my core and leg muscles remained incredibly weak and intractable, and I was living with chronic nerve pain in my legs.

Then, after multiple unsuccessful rounds of physical therapy, I met Ellen, and working with her changed my life. She met me where I was with my body and mind-body connection, which felt like rock bottom. She taught me fundamental somatics exercises for recovering command of my body, and radical knowledge for developing my own daily somatics practices. It's not an exaggeration to say her therapy renewed my relationship with myself. Today I feel more cognizant and comfortable in my body than I've ever felt before in my life. My daily life isn't organized around nerve pain anymore, and I'm able to relax and move again. I actually feel more desire to move and grow than ever before. I can't testify to her work and wisdom enthusiastically enough."

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