About Me
Maria grew up in Cherokee, NC, where she attended Swain County High School and graduated in 1995. From there, she attended Meredith College in Raleigh, studying dance and theater. She returned to Swain County and opened a dance and theater company in Bryson City, Cherokee, and Sylva. She and her husband, Loyd, have two children and together run an outdoor advertising company that they built from the ground up in 1997.
After 25 years of teaching dance education, she sold her studio and retired from the entertainment industry. She decided to go back to school to learn therapeutic massage at SCC. She recently opened her private practice out of Caplinger Chiropractic, located in Sylva. Massage by Maria is now open and taking new clients. Maria graduated in 2022 with an Applied Science Degree in Massage Therapy. She has 12 other therapeutic massage modalities to offer her clients. She prides herself on being a client-centered practice.
Credentials
Licensed by the North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy (LMBT# 19700)
Graduated Summa Cum Laude from Southwestern Community College, Sylva, NC
Completed over 1200 hours of Massage & Bodywork Therapy
Graduated American College of Healthcare Sciences with a Degree in Herbal Medicine.
Bachelor of Science in Complementary and Alternative Medicine with a Concentration in Herbal Medicine.
Certified Holistic Health Practitioner
Graduated from Coach Training Alliance
Certified John Maxwell Team - Trainer, Coach, and Public Speaker
Licensed Wellness Coach
Ordained Minister
Ordained by Servanthood Ministries
Fully Licensed and Insured
Member of the International Coaching Federation
Member of American Massage Therapy Association.
Member of Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals
Member of the American Herbal Guild
Certifications
Swedish Massage (2020)
Medical Massage (2021)
Deep Tissue (2021)
Lymphatic Drainage Massage (2022)
CranioSacral (SM) (2022)
Myofascial Release (MFR)(2022)
Reflexology (2022)
Trigger Point Therapy (2021)
Basic Traeger (2021)
Reiki (2021)
Shiatsu (2021)
Spa Technique (2021)
Basic Herbal Medicine (2016)
Advanced Herbal Medicine (2017)
Professional Massage Ethics, (2020)
Nutrition (2021)
Advanced Research and Literacy, (2017)
Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (2018)