Our Story

Kaitlin Frady is a lifelong movement and functional anatomy nerd with an artist's soul. She is a dual-licensed Physical Therapist Assistant and Massage Therapist, as well as an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Kaitlin started practicing massage therapy in 2012, and concurrently embarked on the adventure of a lifetime training to be a professional circus artist, aerialist, and contortionist (...it's a long story!).  As an artist-athlete immersed in a grueling training routine, she moved through several traumatic and chronic overuse injuries...yet, the show always went on (and she learned a lot through the process!). Kaitlin specializes in working with individuals managing hypermobility related issues, including hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD), POTS, and dysautonomia. She draws from a wide variety of tools and techniques in her practice, with the philosophy that there is no one-size-fits-all approach that works for every body. Root & Branch Bodywork is the culmination of her mission to bridge human movement science, skilled hands-on treatment, and holistic, evidence-based care. Favorite Hands-On Techniques: - Myofascial release - Cupping & instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization - Kinesiology taping - Craniosacral therapy Favorite Movement Modalities: - Functional strength & mobility - Body awareness & proprioception training - Injury prevention programming for athletes & artists - Calisthenics & bodyweight training - Floorwork & locomotive movement - Active flexibility

Being a Yoga practitioner and teacher for years, a lower back injury sent Kristin on a quest to dive deeper into the human body, which led her to study massage therapy at one of the top schools in the country -- the much-loved and missed Educating Hands in Miami, Florida. There she discovered her passion for exploring movement through bodywork and massage. Kristin has been a working massage therapist for over 15 years. She specializes in neuromuscular bodywork and assessment, which uses manual muscle testing to assess and then reprogram dysfunctional movement patterns using the body’s neuromuscular motor control system. For the last 7 years, Kristin has been working and learning alongside a collaborative team of Physical Therapists and Exercise Physiologists as a clinical massage therapist, working with patients managing sports injuries, pre- and post- surgical rehabilitation, and supporting patients’ general fitness and wellness needs. A treatment session with Kristin is not a "cookie cutter" massage experience; rather, it is an active and collaborative exploration of how your heroic body keeps you moving through space.

Liz is a licensed Massage Therapist and professional musician who blends mechanical skill and physiological knowledge with deep empathy to provide restorative, nonjudgmental, and trauma-informed care. She draws on years of experience as a Broadway pit musician to listen, attune, and hold space for healing. Liz strives to support creatives of all kinds to stay pain-free, embodied, and inspired. While enduring a rigorous touring schedule, Liz was fortunate enough to discover the benefits of massage, working to heal chronic overuse injuries and regulate an overstimulated nervous system. She also believes deeply in the psychological benefits of massage and hopes to bring her work to touch-starved populations. Liz loves the outdoors and playing music with her friends. She continues to gig in and around the Northeast on the pedal steel and the guitar.

Following a brief career as a violinist, ended and reevaluated after a several year struggle with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Noah Julian began a lifelong wholistic approach to personal health and wellness. His education and research over the past two decades has led to many areas of specialization, including those related to optimal human movement. Noah’s teaching largely involves Calisthenics (bodyweight strength training) coupled with the work and teaching of Nevine Michaan of Katonah Yoga®. Noah teaches a regular class schedule throughout the Philadelphia area and can periodically be found teaching workshops and trainings throughout the United States.

Jen has been an explorer of strength and wellbeing since she was a young girl. She preferred to play with dumbbells over dolls as a kid and couldn’t wait to get her first gym membership at age 13. In 2016 Jen graduated with a degree in Exercise Science from George Washington University and began teaching fitness full-time in both group and 1:1 formats. While strength is her bread and butter, Jen’s constant curiosity and desire for wholeness led her to a more holistic, whole-person approach as a health & fitness coach. Jen’s work currently blends strength training, nutrition, body image, mindfulness & embodiment, nervous system support, and trauma-informed care. Her definition of strength now includes both physical and emotional resilience; she loves supporting others as they climb the literal and metaphorical mountains in their lives… and not without a little bit of play. You can experience her embodied approach to strength training in her Yin Strength class on Thursday mornings or work with her in a private session.

Alex Brazinski is a licensed acupuncturist and movement practitioner who teaches a combination of acrobatics, contemporary/modern floorwork, and mobility. Alex’s acupuncture practice focuses on sports injuries, pain management, mobility issues, and stress management. Alex is currently treating and educating in Philadelphia. Alex spent most of his 20s pursuing movement-based practices such as acrobatics, floorwork, yoga, and martial arts. Alex has studied intensively under Tom Weksler through Movement Archery and Zen Acrobatics, and now teaches acrobatics and floorwork classes at Urban Movement Arts in Philadelphia and Cardell Dance Studio. He performed as a dancer/acrobat with the Des Moines Metropolitan Opera in its production of The Love of Three Oranges in 2023. Alex premiered his first evening-length performance, “Where There is Hope, There is Light” at Cannonball Festival 2024 accompanied by musician Noah Julian. Alex’s love of acupuncture and mobility work began with his experience as an athlete in Division I cross country and track & field. Looking beyond traditional methods to treat his running-related injuries, Alex found relief and healing through sports and trigger-point-style acupuncture. Mobility and movement work provided additional balance to his training and recovery efforts and laid the groundwork for his interest in completing future certifications. Alex has a Master’s Degree (M.Ac.) in acupuncture from the WON Institute in Philadelphia, and completed all board exams and certification criteria from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) in 2016. Alex is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) since 2017, and in addition to being a certified yoga instructor (CYT) since 2013, Alex holds certifications in Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) 2016, Functional Range Assessment. 2018, and Functional Range Release Upper Extremities 2017.