A Whole, New You
C8 MCNAUGHTON MEDIA
JANUARY 2022
A massage practice for every body
By Aaron Geerts McNaughton Media
While it seems like there's a massage parlor around every corner these days, Caitlin Eichorn’s A Room of Our Own Massage is a diamond in the monotonous rough. After serving the community for almost five years, this savvy business owner reflects on the broken road of a career path that led her to her calling. Born and raised right here in Davis, Eichorn attended and graduated from UCD in 2015 with a degree in English. With her crosshairs aimed at a teaching career, her next step was to get her Master’s in education. Life — as it so often does — had other plans in mind. “I had a major health crisis and ended up losing eyesight in one eye and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. That ended up being a misdiagnosis, but I was in full patient mode for two years. My life was thrown off track and I struggled with mental and emotional health,” Eichorn explained the struggle that forged her new ambition. “I was spending time with my sister one day and she asked if I could give her a massage. I did and she suggested I go to massage school. I thought I had nothing to lose so I signed up. It was a real struggle at first because I’d been in this mindset where I was sick and had no confidence in my physical abilities.” In her time at school, Eichorn learned more than the art of massaging. Through her own struggles of mind and body, she harnessed her empathy for those uncomfortable in their own
“I think of massage as an insurance policy. If you maintain your body and keep your tissue soft enough, you’ll be less prone to injury. It’s also a great stress reliever too. People enjoy the social aspect and I found they’re starved for touch and also for someone who they can open up to.”
“In my identity as a queer woman and my history of mental health, struggles and trauma, I wanted to tap into that market and help people who weren’t comfortable going to a traditional massage place.” Caitlin Eichorn A Room of Our Own Massage, owner
Caitlin Eichorn massages a client’s hand at her practice, A Room of Our Own Massage. Jeff Rawlinson/ Enterprise photos
Caitlin Eichorn bodies. Moreover, she realized how uncomfortable those people would be getting a massage. It’s this acknowledgement that helped bring Eichorn’s business philosophy to life. “In my identity as a queer woman and my history of mental health, struggles and trauma, I wanted to tap into that market and help people who weren’t comfortable going to a traditional massage place,” Eichorn said. “After opening my doors in 2018 I reached out to LGBTQIA+ organizations and my practice has really
expanded since. It was important to me that people knew my identity, and as a therapist, I never wanted to be in a position where someone comes in and says homophobic things. I want people comfortable coming to me and for me to feel comfortable around other people. That’s why I created a room especially for women and the LGBTQIA+ community.” Beyond providing a mental and emotional safehaven, Eichorn maintains a hands-on approach to physical health and wellness — literally. Since the pandemic has brought upon a more sedentary lifestyle, aches and pains from poor posture and lack of mobility are more commonplace. These facts compound to beget the necessity for regular massage therapy. “It’s critical for a number of reasons. On a physical level, it’s incredible in keeping you limber and allowing people to live their daily lives. It also creates great body awareness, even if you