Upright is a space for people who have experienced trauma and oppression to access touch therapy. Rather than claiming to be a "safe space", my aim is to allow for the complexities of your experiences but to be accountable to practice in a way that prioritises your safety, dignity and belonging. Whilst a massage can be a relaxing experience, my aim is not to offer yet another tool to numb out, but to help people connect with their bodies in a way that reminds them of their own agency.

"The ultimate goal is not human happiness but upright posture, human dignity, the orthopedics of upright walking, thus not a bent back before royal thrones, etc., but the discovery of human dignity, which, however, is largely not derived from the conditions to which one adapts, but (...) from the new, proud concept of man as not groveling, reptilian, but rather with his head held high, which obligates us and distinguishes and sets us apart from the animals." -Ernst Bloch Tagträume vom aufrechten Gang

Hi I'm Kate! I'm a massage therapist living in Brussels for 6 years. Originally, I starting studying massage because I wanted to give other people who've experience physical trauma a way to access and enjoy bodywork. But the more I studied, the more I realised that the trauma living in our bodies doesn't just come from particular events or situations, but the dominance culture we are living under. I don't believe that 'wellness' means we should be calm. I want to help people feel safe enough in their own body to connect to the present moment, even if that means feeling angry. And for those of us with extra privileges, I don't believe we should be regulating our nervous systems in order to disconnect even more from the suffering around us. I think we should be regulating our nervous systems so that we have more energy to keep fighting against it.

Healing cannot take place if the body is focussed on survival. If you or someone you know is struggling to meet their basic needs, you can reach out for a massage on the house.

We're not yet fully operational, but you can still get in touch or make a booking for a massage in exchange for some feedback. I'm also open to exchanges such as tattoos, massages, crafts.. let me know :)

You can dress anyway that makes you feel comfortable. I ask that you keep your underwear on, but you can choose if you want to wear a bra, binder, socks or any other clothes. Therapeutic or 'Swedish' massage is based around using oil on bare skin, but its easy to adapt the techniques to any garment you wish to keep on. Anything you have left on we can protect with towels so they don't get any oil on them. I also ask you to remove any rings or necklaces.

After you get settled in the space, we will have a chat about what you're looking to get out of the session, what makes you feel safe and comfortable, how you like to communicate during a session and to plan how we'll spend our time. Next, I'll leave the room while you get comfortable on the table. Then, we'll have an hour-long massage of your focus areas. Afterwards, you can take your time to come back into the present, get dressed and I'll offer you water or tea.

I use sweet almond oil, which is nourishing for the skin and hair, doesn't block the pores and is easily absorbed so you don't need to wipe it off afterwards. I also use essential oils for aromatherapy. If you have any allergies, please let me know before the session.

An important part of my practice is creating an environment where you feel like the expert on your body and like you can communicate about your experience throughout. I will also be checking in with you during the massage. Otherwise, the massage can be as chatty or silent as you would like.

Our session can incorporate relaxation massage, kneading, tapping, friction and vibration, deep pressure and stretching. Every body is different and each of these techniques will feel or work differently. We'll talk about this before we get started.

Currently, I am not able to work on anyone who is pregnant or has fibromyalgia or cancer. If you have any injuries or skin conditions, we may need to avoid massaging that area. If you have any questions, please let me know.

The massage room in Saint-Gilles is only accessible via stairs. But please contact me if you are interested in a massage in your home or office.