About Us

Barstow Massage and Bodywork opened its doors in August of 2010. Almost everything about this practice has changed since then. Heather built the practice as a solo practitioner with a waitlist, at times, as long as 12 weeks. She aspires to share her knowledge and passion for this work by mentoring and collaborating with her staff to ultimately expand our reach and effect the health and wellbeing of our entire community one client at a time. We believe that massage and bodywork is an integral part of a person’s wellbeing and aim to provide the absolute best massage and bodywork the pioneer valley has to offer. We know as ambitious and passionate as we are about bodywork, wellness is a moving target with many facets, which is why we refer regularly to equally talented and reputable health and wellness practices and professionals. It takes a village, folks! Join ours!

Massage table in Room with black furniture, a grey mandala rug and ambient lighting. at Barstow Massage and Bodywork
Clinical spine drawing on clipboard
Waiting room with black sofa, rattan chairs, wall art and a black coffee table and cow picture.

Meet our Therapists

Heather Barstow A Young woman with long brown/red hair smiling outdoors, wearing a high-neck teal shirt, in a garden with colorful autumn foliage in the background.

Heather Barstow - Orthopedic Massage Specialist

A native of Hadley, Heather holds two degrees from Springfield Technical Community College. One in Myofascial Therapy and the other in Physical Therapist Assistant. Heather has a unique passion and fascination for the intersection of physical conditioning, massage and bodywork. She applies the principles of orthopedic medicine to her massage and bodywork practices which have been most effective in treating chronic pain and discomfort in clients who have otherwise exhausted all the usual avenues of health care to find relief.

She hopes to integrate her talents and resources to best support recovery as well as the overall health and wellness of the people of the Pioneer Valley.

Veronica/Vee Boinay. A portrait of a woman with shoulder-length wavy red hair, blue eyes, and light skin, wearing a dark blue top, earrings and smiling slightly.

Vee Boinay

Veronica Boinay, better known as “Vee”, received her massage education from Springfield Technical Community College, graduating in 2002 with an Associate’s Degree in Myofascial Therapy. She received the Healing Hands award that year and began her work running her own practice in Easthampton and later East Longmeadow Massachusetts, while simultaneously teaching Swedish and Deep Tissue courses for STCC. With over 20 years of experience in bodywork, her passion lies in the fact that no two massages sessions can be the same as every person comes to the table with a unique experience on that day. She believes in listening with ears and hands to every helpful message a body communicates, and responding with techniques that help relax, undo and normalize tissues.

Sarah Bessonett. A woman with shoulder-length wavy hair, wearing glasses, earrings, and a sleeveless black top, standing outdoors in front of green plants and yellow-orange flowers.

Sarah Bessonett

Sarah’s interest in massage began when she started receiving massages for chronic migraines she had that persisted from adolescence to young adulthood. When receiving massage for the first time, she had more relief from her migraines than she had experienced before with other treatment options and she was inspired to pursue a career in massage therapy. She attended the Cortiva Institute  of Connecticut in 2018 where she continued to fuel her passion for massage therapy and how the body operates. She graduated her program with a 4.0 GPA. She then moved to Keene New Hampshire where she practiced as an LMT for 7 years. During her career, she has further bolstered her knowledge for the body with continuing education. Sarah holds certifications in: Cupping therapy,  Prenatal Massage, Table Thai and advanced Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD).She uses this wide variety of techniques and knowledge of the body to tailor a session based on client needs. She especially has a passion for the Lymphatic System and believes so many people can benefit from MLD. Sarah herself has found profound relief from seasonal allergies by learning about the Lymphatic system and receiving MLD. Sarah generally has lighter touch but don’t mistake that as ineffective! She uses her knowledge of the body and skill set to make sure each massage is effective at reaching your pain management needs, without making you excessively sore the next day. She is so excited to bring her skill set to the Pioneer Valley!