Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Ellen.
Hi Amber, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Back when I was preparing for a career in Occupational Therapy, the rising costs of school made me question my next step. It was my grandmother who gently pointed me toward massage therapy and in that moment, something clicked. What started as a practical pivot became a lifelong calling.
My career began in St. Louis, where I worked on the full body using techniques loved by athletes like Rams’ legend Marshall Faulk. I eventually found myself treating touring musicians from bands like the Foo Fighters and Phish, and supporting people from all walks of life from pro athletes to artists to everyday clients seeking relief. My work became known for its precision, full-body integration, and ability to help people feel better not just in the moment, but in meaningful and lasting ways.
Over time, I realized something was missing: the jaw, the face, the places we store stress we rarely think to treat. That curiosity led me to Memphis to study TMJ-focused massage and eventually to advanced mentorships with doctors pioneering the field of TMJD and orofacial pain.
In early 2022, I opened Advanced Care Massage in Louisville, Kentucky and I also became sober. That choice changed everything. It deepened my relationship with the body, with healing, and with what it means to truly reconnect. Not just physically, but emotionally, intuitively, and energetically.
In 2025 I sold my practice in Louisville, and moved to Kansas City. I opened Relief Massage Method near Parkville. In 2026 I will be a certified educator in the SomaFace℠ Method. This is a powerful approach to facial, intra-oral, and nervous system-informed massage that I created to help practitioners offer their clients the same level of relief.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Very few people walk through life without challenges. My own path was shaped by getting sober at the same time I opened my practice in Louisville. Sobriety arrived with a kind of ego death. The parts of me that once coped, performed, or pushed through could not survive in the life I was trying to create. I had to grieve an old identity while building a new one, and that kind of shedding is never gentle.
Yet within that unraveling I discovered something quieter and more honest. Solitude. It became a space where I could listen to myself without distraction and begin to understand who I was becoming. One of the most beautiful synchronicities was the connection between my clients and me during that time. As I learned more about myself, I brought that insight into my work. Our sessions became a shared transformation, a tandem shift in how both of us related to healing. Those early years taught me that healing moves in both directions. It shapes us as much as we cultivate it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My work is unique because it brings together modalities that are rarely found in one place. I specialize in TMJ Relief Massage with a whole body perspective, buccal facial sculpting, corrective myofascial work for root-level pain relief, and a nurturing tingle touch that helps the nervous system settle. These experiences come from years of studying the body and from the wisdom I gained through my own human transformation. Clients feel that woven into the work.
Although I offer traditional massage too, it is not what I am known for. People who find me are usually seeking something deeper. They want relief from pain, but they also want to understand themselves in a new way. They want to meet the part of them that has been asking for attention. My work creates a space where that can happen. I guide people toward their own awareness and help them connect with what is already within them. Some clients call me a healer, but I see it differently. I do not fix people. I simply help them hear their inner truth more clearly, if they are open to it.
I am most proud of the depth my work offers and the way clients tell me they leave feeling both relieved and more connected to themselves. When we slow down and listen, when we rebuild trust with ourselves, healing happens in ways we forgot were possible. My practice today is built around that philosophy. My hope is that the experience with Relief Massage Method helps people strengthen that connection within. Either way, I am here to support whatever the process, one session at a time.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love the natural landscape around my area, especially the hills and nearby parks, and I appreciate how welcoming people are. What I like least is how spread out the city is. The distance between areas can make connection feel harder to cultivate.
Pricing:
- Intro to TMJ Relief Massage $85
- Special $30 off for any one experience 60 mins or more
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ReliefMassageMethod.com
- Instagram: thereliefmassage
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReliefMassageMethod/
- Other: https://tictok.com/@thetmjmassage
Image Credits
Katie Carlson
