Michael Harrison, CMT

Michael was amazing! He’s very warm and personable and I could instantly tell just how passionate he is about his work. I felt like I was in a much needed therapy session, as he made a point to sit down with me beforehand to learn more about me as a person, and identify potential stresses. He emphasized the mind/​body connection, and provided me with tips for how I can achieve overall balance and happiness in life.
He works out of his home, and I must say that it had a very comfortable feel to it. The massage was excellent, and he used the perfect amount of pressure to address my problem areas.

The top reasons why Michael is a great bodyworker: 1) He has FANTASTIC massage hands. Large, strong, yet soft. 2) He has great technique. He knows the human body well and incorporates his knowledge with your requests to give your body exactly what it needs to heal and release stress. 3) He is dynamic. He provides deep tissue and Bowen as well as relaxation techniques. 4) He listens. He tailors his sessions to what you ask for.
Overall, I’ve had fantastic healing and relaxation with Michael and feel amazing after every singe one of our sessions. In reading some of the negative reviews, I would guess these people didn’t ask for exactly what they want. Bowen is an amazing technique that for me has helped more with aches and pains. It is also much less physical touch than deep tissue massage. So when I have a session with Michael, I listen to what my body wants and ask exactly for that and Michael always goes above and beyond. Treat yourself to this experience!

I got a groupon for a Bowen pain release massage. Overall, it was a very odd experience. I didn’t mind the «different» technique, though I prefer a firm touch. What I didn’t like, however, was the nonstop and repetitive chatter that went on throughout the entire experience. He also left the room 4 – 5 times and was making tea, and messing about in the kitchen, which was distracting and unprofessional. I also thought his massage space was unkempt.
He was pushy about setting up subsequent appointments, even though I did not indicate an interest in having one. Still, he called me several times afterwards to «confirm» an appointment we had not booked.
I’m intrigued by Bowen massage and would like to try another practitioner.

Michael advertises deep tissue massage. Maybe I missed something, but his Bowen/​Harrison work is not deep tissue. I was gravely disappointed in my «massage» if you can call it that. He lightly touched various body parts and then would «let it cook» for 5 minutes. All told he probably «massaged» me for 5 – 6 minutes out of the hour I saw him. His office is in the back of his home (which is fine), but just be forewarned. It’s not a professional building setting. Michael seems like a genuine person, who believes in his offering. I’m not a hater of people and Michael offers peaceful words of wisdom, which I can appreciate. But I didn’t come to see him for that. As a person, I suspect Michael is a kind and gentle being. As a masseuse, at least from my one and only experience — I would suggest you go elsewhere. I wish I could tell you something different, but I was just terribly disappointed in his offering of a «massage».

Michael is fabulous! I was gifted a massage from him as a graduation present and was surprised to not only receive a wonderful deep tissue massage but experience his Bowen Pain Release technique as well. I walked out of his beautiful space feeling uplifted and relaxed, and far more balanced than when I walked in. Though I’ve only been once, I plan to return, and he seems excited to not only make your body feel better, but to help aid in a deeper, interpersonal transformation through targeting how we exist in our bodies daily. Such a gem!

Michael is one of my favorite people. His calm demeanor and peaceful home in Berkeley are the perfect complement to the healing and reenergizing work he does. I have been going to him for almost 4 years for Bowen therapy on my back and to realign my muscles. I always leave on a high that lasts anything up to a couple of weeks.
I suffer from a subluxation of a lower back disc, and every few months the discomfort/​pain gets too unmanageable, and I visit Michael. His gentle touch and soft words of positivity are the best tonic I know of in the Bay Area.

If you are expecting an impersonal massage in a resort hotel type of environment, you will be in for a surprise.
From his workspace to his offerings, Michael provides an almost shamanic feel and is a seasoned healing artist. He is someone you hire to go deeply with you into your journey of healing and growth.
I walk out of my sessions feeling a new sense of relief and joy in my body, as well as a rewarding sense that I went the extra mile towards working on being my highest expression in this world.

Wonderful massage!

I have been visiting Michael for several years now and his Bowen method (as well as the more usual massage styles) have been wonderful in relieving my chronic pain. He is friendly, skillful, and always ready with a few words of wisdom. Highly recommended!

Michael is a first rate massage therapist with lots of experience. He is well trained in various types of massage and is a kind-​hearted gentleman as well. I always feel much better after a session with him. Highly recommended!

Michael Harrison is an extrordinary body worker, whose knowledge of the body and in depth education, makes him very reliable, especially in dealing with patients with physical pain. I have, many times, gone to him for back problems or leg sprains and found that his attention to the injury was exact and in the days following, healing. I would highly recommend him.