VANESSA ROSE KESEF
SKIN THERAPIST
LE | LMT | CLC | CST | AWC
MY APPROACH
Whether you’ve come for a facial, relaxation, nervous system support, or somatic bodywork, I view your trust as a gift and strive to offer a lovingly curated space to encourage a natural return to self. My approach is holistic, specifically meaning I take your whole being into consideration; hydration, nutrition, sleep habits, movement practices, topical + oral plant medicines, and lifestyle.
My most cherished modality is the art of listening. Regardless of the type of treatment, many of my clients experience deep relaxation and a restored sense of balance through trauma-informed care that honors your experiences, releases held tension, and often energetic blockages.
CREDENTIALS + TRAINING
I’ve been in private practice since 2006 as a licensed massage therapist, craniosacral therapist, certified coach, certified ayurvedic wellness counselor, amateur herbalist, educator, and skin care formulator. My extensive training and continued education include intra-oral massage and visceral manipulation work as well as a diploma in organic skin care formulation. I also have some limited training in core energetics and somatic sexological bodywork.
Esthetics at the Euro Institute of Skincare
Massage Therapy at Ashmead School of Massage
Doula Certification with Penny Simkin, PT at Bastyr University
Life Coaching Certification with South West Institute of Healing Arts
Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor Certification with Dr. Jayarajan Kodikannath at Kerala Academy
Panchakarma Technician with Dr. Jayarajan Kodikannath at Kerala Academy
Ayurvedic Bodywork with Nickole Thornton, LMT, CAP, CYI at North West Ayurveda
Craniosacral Training with Urusla Popp, M.A.c, C.C, VCST at Natural Health Resources Center
Visceral Massage Training with Marty Ryan, LMT and Love your Guts Seminars
Healing Craft Practitioner Training with Ylva Mara Radziszewski, EAMP, LAc at the Cunning Crow Apothecary
Beyond The Binary with LC Continenza, LMT at Elemental Roots Bodywork
Authentic Allyship Immersive with Tada Hozumi at the Selfish Activist
Re-Centering the Marginalized Experience with Davinah Simmons, CD at Born Rooted
1st Year of Core Energetics Somatic Therapy with Aylee Welch, LICSW at Seattle School of Body Psychology
Core 1 + 2 of Somatic Sexological Body work with the Institute for the Study of Somatic Sexuality Education
BACKGROUND + FRAMEWORK
I am a 3rd generation immigrant from Greece and a descendant of both Sephardi + Ashkenazi Jewish diasporas of multiple Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and European lineages. In the arena of ritual and ceremony work, my personal and professional practice is rooted in reclaiming Jewish magic + ritual and the converging healing traditions of my Greek and Middle Eastern heritage while stewarding good relationships with the Spirits of this land and its Ancestors.
ABOUT THE BRAND
Named after one of the most re trees, The Madrona House was created by owner Vanessa Kesef as a natural extension of her private practice as a massage therapist, herbalist, ayurvedic practitioner, somatic coach, and energy worker. When our House was still a brick-and-mortar building before covid, it was a refuge for many practitioners, teachers, and their respective clients and students. Vanessa’s aim was to create a beautiful space that held and nurtured all who passed through the threshold. A space where healing and curiosity could unfold unhindered. A space dedicated to the richness and vitality of our community. A house of ritual and ceremony to celebrate the depth and sacredness of the human soul, where healing, learning, and connection could find a home next to the messiness and courage it can sometimes take to do the difficult, yet rewarding, work of healing.
OUR ROOTS
Since we opened our doors in 2014, equity and liberation have been the undercurrent in all we do. Our framework is built on the bedrock of pushing back against the commercialized, stripped-down versions of self-care to instead focus on real results that center sincerity, kindness, compassion, honesty, and integrity.
“I believe that healing is inherently political and that the wellness industrial complex, as it stands, should not exist. I’m not suggesting healers not be paid for their work, rather, I’m inviting an examination of the way we solitarily consume, instead of participate, in wellness.”
Self-care, a term originally coined by Audre Lorde, a self-described “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet”, is defined by her as an act of self-preservation and political warfare. This definition was created as a response to the systemic failure to provide for the needs of Black women, rather than the industrialized pursuit of happiness or well-being.
Self-care is more than champagne and a bubble bath (even though that’s really nice too!). It’s about tending to one's self, as an intentional act, in a system that does not prioritize the real wellness of your body, identity, community, and way of life. It is about seeking methods that allow one to exist; not only to survive but to thrive. More than a consumable luxury, self-care is a tool we can use to find sustainability and support in our lives.”
-Vanessa
OUR BRANCHES
Since permanently closing our physical doors in 2020, Vanessa has moved her private practice to her home office in North Seattle where she keeps a full apothecary and continues to see clients regularly. She’s currently shifting away from trauma informed somatic body work to focus more on product formulation and facial services.