Meet Our Therapists
JOY FRIESEN
Joy grew up in Orange County California and from a young age was curious about people, places and things. Always up for the next adventure, her parents used to call her “Joy-a-gogo.” She graduated from Long Beach State University with a Liberal Arts degree in 2000 which included studying abroad in Costa Rica to solidify her Spanish and immerse herself in another culture. This extended stay in a foreign country opened her mind to the variety of human experiences and left a deep impression that fundamentally changed her. Shortly after graduation Joy moved to Colorado to volunteer with AmeriCorps. During this time, she worked with a community health organization bringing education and healthcare to underserved populations. She utilized her Spanish skills and her desire to connect with and support others by teaching health education classes in the community. Joy also had the opportunity to obtain a Doula certification at this time to act as translator for non English speaking mothers during birth.
Eventually returning to California, Joy settled on the Central Coast and completed her massage training at the California Holistic Institute in 2007. She began her professional bodywork career at Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort, where she worked from 2008 to 2016. Simultaneously, she served as a volunteer translator with The Flying Samaritans, a team of medical professionals offering free monthly healthcare services in San Quintin, Baja, Mexico
Joy returned to school and obtained an Associate’s Degree in Nursing at Cuesta College in 2016 which then led her to Reno, her current home. In 2024 Joy obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Chamberlain University. In her various roles as an RN, Joy has had the opportunity to support a diverse population of people in various healthcare settings, always with the goal of holding space and providing encouragement for those going through a difficult time. She became acutely cognizant of how so often our current care model treats the symptoms and not the root cause of what makes people unwell.
In 2023 Joy was diagnosed with breast cancer and her subsequent process of experiencing cancer from the perspective of a patient, and the journey of healing deepened her empathy and connection to her work, leading her back to the desire to support people with bodywork. The combination of nursing, witnessing the suffering and vulnerability and her own experiences with her personal health journey resulted in a deepened awareness of the highs and lows of what we all carry in the human experience.
“It is an honor to help facilitate relaxation and healing in this way. At its best, bodywork operates on this deeper level of empathy and compassion and moves energy, helping people to feel what they carry and what can be released." ~Joy
Joy finds great solace in the natural world and loves playing in the mountains with her family and friends. She enjoys traveling, dabbles with songwriting and is a member of the High Desert Harmony Chorus in Reno, NV. “Music is life, that’s why hearts have beats.” ~unknown
Joy is a seasoned bodywork professional with over a decade of experience, seamlessly blending Swedish massage, deep tissue, and craniosacral therapy to create a uniquely soothing and revitalizing experience. With her intuitive touch, she offers a healing and nurturing massage that transcends mere relaxation, infusing each session with her profound expertise as both a registered nurse and a skilled therapist, ensuring a comprehensive restorative journey for every client.
Whether through nursing or massage, Joy continues to do what she’s always done—hold space for healing, growth, and connection.
what clients are saying about Joy:
“Joy has the most consistent, intuitive, and relaxing touch. I always know when I see her that she’ll give the perfect amount of pressure and I’ll leave feeling completely renewed, head to toe! I’ve had many massages from Joy, and am always looking forward to seeing her beautiful, kind smile, and thoughtful energy.” -Alison 3/25
“I had an incredible massage with Joy. I recently sustained a shoulder injury and she was responsive and conscientious and also worked on my shoulder. The entire massage felt great and was really relaxing and rejuvenating.” -Katie 3/25
ZOE FERNANDES
I'm Zoe, the owner and operator of Aloha Massage. I'm glad you're here. Before I tell you about myself I would like to share with you what a few of my clients are saying about me.
"I was referred to Zoe from a friend because I was in major pain with a pinched nerve and what they call "mom arm". I have an 11 month old little girl who is getting bigger by the day and holding her on my left side begun taking its toll. Booking an appointment with Zoe was super easy as well as communicating with her about my pain and location of my pain. My first appointment was a 60 minute massage and I left feeling like a whole new person. As a mom who is exhausted and in pain, I came home and my husband asked, what did this place do to you, you're a new person?! Just in that one hour, my energy shifted 100% and my happiness was back again and I immediately booked a second appointment. I highly recommend Zoe. I have been getting massages regularly for years and she, by far, is now my go-to therapist. So, if you think you have "mom arm" or any type of feeling where you feel you need a massage...go to Zoe!" 11/8/15
"I just received my first massage from Zoe. It was important to me to have a massage that addressed some issues I am having from an injury. Zoe did a great job of pinpointing those areas that needed extra attention while still including good massage for relaxation. I will definitely see Zoe again." 5/26/15
"I had the pleasure of experiencing one of Zoe's massages and I was completely satisfied. I felt wonderful afterwards and into the following days. I will definitely be returning for more healing :) Thank you Zoe!" 5/4/15
I am passionate about health, healing and bodywork and am thrilled to be working out of this beautiful downtown Truckee, CA location. Since opening my own massage practice in Truckee in February of 2015 I've been enjoying getting to know this community on a deeper level. I'm inspired by so many of my clients! Our community is bursting with motivated, unique and athletic individuals, I've never worked on such a concentration of athletes in my career and have worked on a lot of athletes! If I had to describe my massage in a few words, it would be specific, thorough and nurturing. I tend to incorporate a variety of modalities into each massage session creating individual treatment plans depending on the specific needs of my client. My goal is to curate the most effective treatment plan that I can according to each clients individual needs. I would love to share a little bit about myself here but hope to be seeing you soon in person!
After growing up in central Illinois, I moved to Hawaii at the age of 19. I spent my 20's working, taking college courses and traveling the world. Waiting tables, bartending, working on board cruise ships and private yachts took me places I had dreamed of as a child as well as many I had never even known existed. Always I made my way back to Hawaii and eventually to the Hawaiian Islands School of Body Therapies where I studied and graduated with honors in 2004 from the 1,280 hour Professional Program.
Upon graduation I left Hawaii and returned to my former profession of yachting, this time working as the on-board Therapist on Motor Yacht Sycara for a year. Later, returning to the Big Island, I worked at highly ranked spas including Hualalai at the Four Seasons, Kona and Kukio Spa, Kona. In 2007 I left Hawaii and moved to Seattle, WA for the only reason that would have made sense. Love. I settled into the rain with my now husband and opened and ran a successful private practice in Seattle until having our daughter in 2009. After becoming a mom, I took a year off of work and our little family re-located to Truckee, CA where you will find us today. Until I opened Aloha Massage, I worked as a massage therapist at the spas at The Resort at Squaw Creek, Martis Camp and Old Greenwood.
Besides working in 4 and 5 star Spas in resorts, exclusive private homeowners associations and my private practices I have worked in a number of Chiropractic offices throughout my career. My practice in Seattle (Aloha Wellness Massage) was located directly across the street from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and I was honored at this time to have the opportunity to work on many clients who were in the process of undergoing or had recently finished with cancer treatments including surgical procedures, radiation and chemotherapy. I feel that the diversity of clientele I have had from extreme athletes to individuals dealing with life threatening illness has helped to shape me as a therapist and as a person.
When I am not working on clients, I am busy being a mom and partner so it is important for me to take the time for my own self care. I find balance through movement, spending time in nature daily, connecting with my community, and living a life filled with adventure. At work, I have the opportunity to truly connect with and help wonderful people from all over the world and all walks of life. My clients put a smile on my face every day!
Mahalo! ~Zoe
After almost 20 years as a body worker it has become increasingly apparent to Zoe that often what shows up as patterns of discomfort and pain in our bodies is actually rooted in unresolved responses in our physiology and nervous system. Working collaboratively with clients and at times other health care professionals to process stored stress and trauma can be transformational. Healing in this way can result in more physical and emotional ease as well as the ability to show up in so many aspects of life with vitality and in a more embodied way. Benefits of Somatic Experiencing can positively affect sports performance, increase mobility and decrease pain levels as well as increase an overall sense of connectedness to ourselves and within relationships.
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