Local masseuse has the right touch

By Matt Shaw

Matthew Brockelman got his first massage when he was a senior in high school. His mother had given him a gift certificate to a now-defunct spa in Fitchburg, and the two decided to enjoy a relaxing afternoon together being pampered. He doesn’t remember the name of the parlor, but he does recall the name of the therapist who worked with him: Kaycee Condon. After Condon, now the owner of Body Connections Massage Center in Leominster, introduced Brockelman to the power of massage therapy, he instantly fell in love with it. The rest, he says, was downhill.

Five years ago Brockelman, a Lancaster native, started learning the ropes at a shop in Worcester County. While by his own admission his experience there was not entirely positive, it proved to be an important one. Word had reached Condon that Brockelman was a budding young talent on the massage circuit, and she contacted her former client.

“She called me out of the blue,” Brockelman said. “She asked me to come work with her at Body Connections. I ended up working with her for three years.”

Today, Brockelman is a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) with five years of experience under his belt. He has his own office, a loyal customer base, and an intense passion for his trade. He has plans for the future of his business. He is planning on expanding his services and has a well-articulated idea of how to run his practice. And above all, he’s got talent. Yes, Brockelman has a lot going for him. But it’s what he doesn’t have that makes him different ~ a hoity-toity attitude.

It’s too easy today to associate massage therapy with high-dollar spas and salons. Television shows and movies tell us that the only people who can afford massage therapy are the mistresses of wealthy entrepreneurs, twenty-something trust-fund-babies, or celebrity socialites. As for the rest of us, we’re left thinking that the only kind of affordable massage therapy out there is the kind you have to plug into a wall. Brockelman does away with all this pretense. While most day spas lock their doors around dinnertime, Matthew takes appointments as late as 9 or 10 o’clock at night.

“I cater to the working class,” he says. “I think that draws a lot of people. It’s what sets me apart.”

Patrons of Brockelman’s practice can expect to start the relaxation process the moment they set foot into his office.

“[The office is] really cute and relaxing,” he says. “Lots of other places are very blah. I wanted it to feel more like a home than an office.”

Soft colors on the walls and an inviting décor put customers at ease, a mood that is further fostered by Brockelman’s professional but relaxed demeanor.

There are several different types of massage, and Brockelman is well-versed in many of them. While his specialty is a relaxing deep-tissue massage focused on relieving stress, he is also trained in such practices as Swedish massage and reflexology and hopes to soon include hot stone therapy in his list of options. In the future, he hopes to move to a bigger location that will allow for him to expand his services, even adding outdoor massages in the summertime. Choosing from the full list of available services may seem daunting, but Brockelman is committed to helping each of his clients choose the right kind of therapy to suit his or her particular needs.

Brockelman is excited about sharing his passion with other people. He is currently offering a $10 discount to first-time clients. Appointments can be made in person at Brockelman’s Leominster office, or by phone at (978) 660-5289.