Meet the Synapse Crew
AERYN MERCED
XIMENA (PRONOUNCED "HE-MEN-AH") ARESTIZABAL
GIANLUCA CIULLA
CAROLYN LETHERLAND
ZOE BURTON
DUSTIN KOSEK
LIZ WILLIAMS
NAOMI WILSON
STAN BARRETT
CAROLYN LETHERLAND CAMTC #24127
Carolyn believes in the healing power of massage and provides her expertise to assist in the process. Drawing from her extensive training through the National Holistic Institute, her unique style blends various modalities to create each hypnotic and restorative session. As a therapist, her goals are to provide relaxation, decrease pain and support body awareness and self-care for each client.
She brings to her craft a wealth of life experiences including a background in Montessori education and the completion of a yoga teacher training. Outside of her working life, Carolyn enjoys traveling to far away destinations but loves to call California home.
AERYN MERCED CAMTC #76779
Aeryn’s approach to bodywork is focused on creating space for each client’s innate healing abilities to shine through. Her sessions are a nurturing blend of Esalen massage, deep tissue, and Eastern-influenced meridian work.
Combining her experience teaching restorative yoga with her massage education from Mckinnon Institute in Oakland, Aeryn has developed a working physiological knowledge of the body and a deep reverence for the energetic composition of the body and mind. Utilizing her studies in various modalities, Aeryn works with you to bring you back to a relaxed, balanced state.
XIMENA ARESTIZABAL CAMTC #85177
Ximena Arestizabal is a native of El Salvador who grew up in the East Bay. Since graduating from the National Holistic Institute in 2000, she has worked in many settings ranging from physical therapy and chiropractic offices to luxury resort spas. She has recently returned from living in Hawai’i where she studied Lomi lomi massage.
Ximena’s work strikes a perfect balance between intuition and skilled therapeutic intervention. As influenced by Lomi lomi, each session is soothing and flowing –leaving her clients with a sense of balance and wellbeing. Ximena is excited to be back in the bay area to continue practicing and learning with each client.
DUSTIN KOSEK CAMTC #71999
Dustin believes that the body is sacred and should be treated as such. As someone who regularly surfs and plays soccer, he also knows the importance of maintaining a healthy mind, body, and spirit for optimal performance.
He derives his inspiration from his travels to Indonesia where he was introduced to Balinese massage. Dustin continued his studies at the National Holistic Institute of Massage where he completed 900 hours of training. His background in early childhood education fostered his calming and patient energy, which is a nice compliment to his work as a massage practitioner.
Whether the focus is on relaxing after a long week of work or recovering from a long hike or sporting event, Dustin uses the regenerative powers of massage to help others continue doing what they love most.
AZZAYA GANTULGA CAMTC #77152
Azzaya found her passion in bodywork after completing a 200-hour yoga teacher training course in Denver, Colorado. Learning about how muscles, ligaments, and bones work together inspired her to pursue a career in massage, and more specifically in neuromuscular therapy.
Azzaya approaches massage with an eye towards eastern modalities, strongly influenced by Shiatsu and Thai massage. She can adjust her massage techniques according to the needs of the client for each session, ranging from relaxing Swedish massage to therapeutic deep tissue. She has multiple modalities in her toolkit including trigger point therapy, myofascial release, and neuromuscular therapy.
ZOE BURTON CAMTC #46636
Zoe loves practicing massage as a way to facilitate well-being. Her work is therapeutic in nature, drawing on advanced techniques including deep tissue, neuromuscular therapy, myofascial release, Swedish, sports, and prenatal massage.
Zoe incorporates specific work within nurturing full-body sessions, which allows for deep relaxation. Her daily meditation practice supports clarity, grounding, and intuition in her bodywork.
Her work is informed by over 900 hours of education at the San Francisco School of Massage and Bodywork and at NHI’s Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Program. A lifelong learner exploring the body, mind, and spirit, Zoe supports clients as a fellow traveler on the path to better self-care, healing, and a thriving body.
VICKY CASSIS CAMTC #80713
Vicky is committed to providing holistic bodywork to help clients navigate their healing journey. Vicky combines deep tissue massage, trigger point therapy, and myofascial release techniques to address chronic pain and injuries.
Vicky’s approach to bodywork ranges from relaxing to clinical depending on what folks need from each session. Since graduating from the Bodymechanics Institute of Myotherapy and Massage in Washington, they have worked with clients for relief from acute injuries, postural rehabilitation, and maintenance of health and wellness.
LIZ WILLIAMS CAPT 32437
Liz Williams offers physical therapy, pelvic floor rehabilitation, and diagnostic bodywork. She brings to the practice an integrated approach that combines manual therapy, mindfulness, and exercise to facilitate health & well-being. Her goal: to help clients find their way to a healthy and balanced body that moves well in their everyday lives.
Liz has worked extensively in orthopedic and neurologic rehabilitation since attaining her master’s degree in Physical Therapy from UCSF/SFSU in 2005. For a complete listing of all of her continuing education coursework, follow this link. In addition to her work as a PT Liz has been a certified massage therapist since 2000. She has studied meditation and yoga extensively since the late nineties and completed over 500 hours of training in yoga therapy. All of this to say – Liz is committed to the study of the mind-body connection and brings this wisdom into her clinical practice.
Outside of her life as a clinician, Liz teaches and trains in partner acrobatics. When not balancing on her hands, she can be found riding bikes, exploring the Sierras, or enjoying delicious cuisine with her family and friends. Liz is a bit of an activity nut and has a fairly in-depth movement history to draw upon when working with clients.
Please note: equal care will be provided for all clients regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender identity/ expression, or sexual orientation. All folks are welcome here.
STAN BARRETT CAMTC #27853
Stan is the humble owner of Synapse, who began his career in bodywork on the East Coast more than two decades ago. From 1998-2002 Stan lived out his dream of working in professional cycling with Mercury, an American team based in France. In the ensuing years, he developed his expertise in sports massage by working with UMass Rowing and the University of Wisconsin swim team. Stan has also worked with elite runners, adventure racers, and triathletes over the years.
Fast forward to the early 2000’s – Stan landed in the Bay Area and worked at the Claremont Spa where his practice deepened in efforts to meet the expectations of the most discerning clients. The nuances of the spa experience, in combination with decades plus of skilled bodywork, are the foundation for the massage experience one can expect when coming into Synapse.
In addition to creating a top-notch experience for clients of Synapse, Stan goes to great efforts to create a positive environment for the talented team of Synapse therapists. As a result, Synapse is known for its reliably outstanding bodywork in the East Bay, which is built upon a foundation of mutual respect. Stan is honored to be of service to you, your colleagues, and your loved ones.
STAN BARRETT CAMTC #27853
Stan is the humble owner of Synapse, who began his career in bodywork on the East Coast more than two decades ago. From 1998-2002 Stan lived out his dream of working in professional cycling with Mercury, an American team based in France. In the ensuing years, he developed his expertise in sports massage by working with UMass Rowing and the University of Wisconsin swim team. Stan has also worked with elite runners, adventure racers, and triathletes over the years.
Fast forward to the early 2000’s – Stan landed in the Bay Area and worked at the Claremont Spa where his practice deepened in efforts to meet the expectations of the most discerning clients. The nuances of the spa experience, in combination with decades plus of skilled bodywork, are the foundation for the massage experience one can expect when coming into Synapse.
In addition to creating a top-notch experience for clients of Synapse, Stan goes to great efforts to create a positive environment for the talented team of Synapse therapists. As a result, Synapse is known for its reliably outstanding bodywork in the East Bay, which is built upon a foundation of mutual respect. Stan is honored to be of service to you, your colleagues, and your loved ones.
STAN BARRETT CAMTC #27853
Stan is the humble owner of Synapse, who began his career in bodywork on the East Coast more than two decades ago. From 1998-2002 Stan lived out his dream of working in professional cycling with Mercury, an American team based in France. In the ensuing years, he developed his expertise in sports massage by working with UMass Rowing and the University of Wisconsin swim team. Stan has also worked with elite runners, adventure racers, and triathletes over the years.
Fast forward to the early 2000’s – Stan landed in the Bay Area and worked at the Claremont Spa where his practice deepened in efforts to meet the expectations of the most discerning clients. The nuances of the spa experience, in combination with decades plus of skilled bodywork, are the foundation for the massage experience one can expect when coming into Synapse.
In addition to creating a top-notch experience for clients of Synapse, Stan goes to great efforts to create a positive environment for the talented team of Synapse therapists. As a result, Synapse is known for its reliably outstanding bodywork in the East Bay, which is built upon a foundation of mutual respect. Stan is honored to be of service to you, your colleagues, and your loved ones.
Gianluca Ciulla CAMTC # 41069
Gianluca approaches bodywork with a sense of fascination in how things work, and problem solving on how to fix things when they go wrong. While he considers deep tissue his niche, his diverse training background lends towards a holistic, therapeutic flow during each session.
Gianluca graduated in 2006 from Arcata School of Massage with training in multiple modalities including deep tissue, Swedish, trigger point, myofascial, Shiatsu, and cranial sacral. He has also studied somatics and trauma work. Gianluca specializes in working with queer and trans folks.
AZZAYA GANTULGA CAMTC #77152
Azzaya found her passion in bodywork after completing a 200-hour yoga teacher training course in Denver, Colorado. Learning about how muscles, ligaments, and bones work together inspired her to pursue a career in massage, and more specifically in neuromuscular therapy.
Azzaya approaches massage with an eye towards eastern modalities, strongly influenced by Shiatsu and Thai massage. She can adjust her massage techniques according to the needs of the client for each session, ranging from relaxing Swedish massage to therapeutic deep tissue. She has multiple modalities in her toolkit including trigger point therapy, myofascial release, and neuromuscular therapy.
Naomi Wilson CAMTC #82272
Naomi believes an integral part of massage is providing a safe and open space to facilitate healing. They approach bodywork with open ears and attuned touch in order to listen to the body and best meet its needs. Whether that be with focused work, or a softer and more fluid massage, their goal is to help guide each client through their personal healing journey. Naomi understands that while massage works with the body, there is also energetic work and release that accompanies the physical. They create a setting that allows people to tap into this side of bodywork and experience that deep release.
Naomi attended school at the California Holistic Institute in San Luis Obispo with training in many modalities such as Swedish, deep tissue, myofascial release, and prenatal. They have worked in a variety of settings, from resort spas to wellness centers which has led to a well rounded practice.