Chelsey Swan, LMT, CEIM
Chelsey (she/her) joined the massage therapy profession after years of working in administration, realizing that her great passion is helping people one-on-one with her own two hands. Her background is in women’s perinatal health and the intersectionality of race, class, gender, and sexuality through her studies at the University of Washington. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Women Studies. Originally, she wanted to be a midwife and worked actively toward that goal. She trained as a birth doula at Bastyr University’s Simkin Center and attended births in this role as well as in the role of birth assistant-in-training. During her work as the past Office Manager of Puget Sound Birth Center, she decided that although her love of the midwifery model of care was great, midwifery was not the route she wanted to go (being on call is hard!).
After she graduated from Cortiva Institute of massage, in Seattle, she opened her first private practice in Kirkland, called Grounded Touch Therapeutic Massage. During this time, she immediately began working on her perinatal specializations, adding breast massage and prenatal massage certifications, as well as becoming a babywearing educator. Through these endeavors, Swan Perinatal Services & Family Massage, LLC was born! She is deeply connected to the birth community in the greater Seattle area and through massage supports birth givers, their families, and other birth professionals. She is dedicated to providing quality care to her clients no matter their sexual orientation, race, gender, sex, or abilities. Chelsey currently lives in Kirkland with her wife, Jessica, who is a licensed midwife and adjunct faculty at Bastyr University’s Master of Midwifery program. Together they have served as Secretary and Vice President, respectively, on the Midwives’ Association of Washington State Board of Directors. When she is not massaging, Chelsey enjoys spending time with her partner, Conor, spending time with her wife, and making things with wool.
Education, Licensure & leadership:
Two Bachelor of Art degrees in Women Studies and Spanish: University of Washington (Seattle, June 2011)
Birth doula training: Bastyr University’s Simkin Center with Carrie Kenner and Kim James (Kenmore)
Advanced birth doula training: When a Baby Dies” with Carrie Kenner (Seattle, 2011)
Massage certificate: Cortiva Institute (Seattle, October 2017)
Washington State Massage License
Spinning Babies Workshop (Edmonds, March 2018)
Bimonthly tutorial group: Brian Utting, LMT (Seattle, 2017-2018)
Breast Massage certification: Aubrey Lesicki, BS, LMP (Bellingham, May 2018)
Prenatal Massage certification (32-hr) – Touch for Birth by Leslie Stager, RN, LMT (Portland, July 2018)
Acupressure for Labor and Birth – Touch for Birth by Leslie Stager, RN, LMT (Portland, July 2018)
Bodywork for the New Mother – Touch for Birth by Leslie Stager, RN, LMT (Portland, July 2018)
Trained Babywearing Educator - Center for Babywearing Studies with Joanna McNeilly
“Touch For Birth” 65-hr Maternity Massage Certification with Leslie Stager, RN, LMT
Served on the Midwives’ Association of Washington State Board of Directors (December 2018-December 2020)
Speaker at the April 5th, 2019 Midwives’ Association of Washington State conference - “Caring for the Lactating Body/ Lactation & Massage: Evidence-based tools for postpartum success” (Auburn)
Speaker at the May 17th, 2019 REACHE Regional Association of Childbirth Educators conference - “Teaching Prenatal Breast Massage: A Tool to Improve Lactation” (Auburn)
Certified Educator of Infant Massage (CEIM) Training: Bastyr University’s Simkin Center with JoAnn Lewis (Kenmore, August 2019)
Secretary of the Midwives’ Association of Washington State Board of Directors (November 2019-December 2020)
Prenatal Massage Certification TA/Teacher Training (32 hr) Leslie Stager, Oregon School of Massage, Portland: November 2019
Entering the Temple: Bodywork for the Female Pelvic Floor with Leslie Stager, RN, LMT (Vancouver, WA - Dec 2019)
Lactation - Supporting Your Breastfeeding Client with Northwest Birth Assistants
Introduction to Biodynamic Craniosacral Work with Pat O’Rourke, 16-hrs (Seattle, June 2021)
Evidence Based Birth® Instructor Training Course 15-hrs (June-August 2021)