About Relax Blacksburg

Melissa and Brian established this independent practice in 2015 to cultivate a sustainable, supportive workplace where therapists can thrive without burnout.  Together as a couple since 2000, they believe that professional bodywork should be a straightforward, transparent component of overall wellness. We operate on the simple principle that delivering thoughtful care to clients begins with respecting and supporting the well-being of the therapists who provide it.  

The Logic Behind Our Ingredients

Relax Blacksburg was founded on a deep respect for clean botanical standards and precise craftsmanship.

Our formulation process is guided directly by Melissa's twenty-five year scientific background in advanced cell biology. Instead of relying on pre-made commercial spa bases or rely on vague marketing trends, she looks directly at raw plant biochemistry to select stable, deeply nourishing plant botanicals that respect the skin barrier.

• Meticulous Lipid Selection: She explicitly selects premium, long-chain fatty acid structures like organic meadowfoam seed oil because they naturally resist oxidation, staying completely fresh on the shelf without a single drop of synthetic stabilizers.
• Pure Botanical Absolutes: She  bypasses laboratory-engineered synthetic fragrance oils entirely. Instead, she sources authentic extractions like pure jasmine and vanilla absolutes -- highly concentrated, completely natural aromatics directly from the plant -- to deliver a clean, high-end sensory experience on the table.
• Uncompromising Purity Standards: Because she understands how artificial additives and synthetic fillers impact the skin, our blending kitchen operates under a strict standard of unrefined purity, using only whole, skin-compatible botanicals.

Dedicated to the Blacksburg Community

As a local, veteran-owned small business, the studio is deeply invested in the New River Valley. Beyond providing a space for unhurried, professional care, we believe in supporting the health of our community as a whole. We are proud to consistently provide financial support to local nonprofits and community-driven initiatives. We structure our daily calendar to ensure our therapists have the time and focus required to deliver exceptional, consistent treatment in every session. By maintaining this high standard of care for our clients and our team, we are better equipped to reinvest in the community that has supported us for so many years.

Studio Owners

Melissa Makris — Owner and Director

Melissa manages the studio’s business operations and hand-crafts all of our plant-based massage products from scratch. Drawing on her academic background in cell biology, she serves as the technical gatekeeper for every raw ingredient used on our tables. Her small-batch blending method ensures our signature formulas remain at their maximum potency, while her choice to source ilike organic treatments reflects her absolute commitment to brands that share our studio's values.

A Personal Note from Melissa:

"People often ask why I choose to spend hours hand-mixing custom oil blends when there are hundreds of commercial spa products available at a tiny fraction of the cost.

The truth is, because of my own sensitive skin, I know firsthand the importance of absolute ingredient purity, and my nose instantly rejects synthetic fragrances. I have never been able to compromise on what goes onto my body, and I refuse to compromise on what goes onto yours. Your skin absorbs everything applied to it, and using mass market fillers on our clients is something I simply refuse to do.

There is another deeply important reason, too. I formulate our oils to protect our incredible team of therapists. They spend entire days working directly with these blends, absorbing them through their skin as they care for others. Their long-term health and safety matter immensely to me.

I view our practice's ingredient standards through a very strict lens. If an organic botanical ingredient isn't premium enough for my own skin, it will never enter our building. My goal here is to support our team and provide a luxurious, transparent experience the moment you relax onto our tables, so you can simply unwind and enjoy your session."

Brian — Owner and Lead Practitioner

Brian directs the practice's therapeutic bodywork standards and upcoming skincare expansions. As a veteran small business owner, his primary goal is to improve the daily physical functionality of every client. He excels at helping clients do what they want to do every day with less pain, combining technical muscle release with unhurried relaxation to relieve significant chronic or acute discomfort that make everyday tasks easier.

A Personal Note from Brian:

"In the traditional massage world, my clinical approach is considered highly unconventional -- and that is exactly why it succeeds where standard routines fall short.

I have taken the unusual step of completing two separate, comprehensive massage therapy programs -- each with a completely different focus -- alongside advanced certifications in Lomi Lomi, Strain Counterstrain (SCS), Neural Reset Therapy (NRT), and Kinesio Taping. However, you will never receive a standard, textbook sequence from me.

I view these diverse disciplines as distinct lenses for reading the human body. Lomi Lomi taught me the complex relationship between tendons and muscles. NRT maps neurological reciprocity. Kinesio taping reshaped how I create physical 'space' within compressed, painful tissue.

Because no two people hold pain for the exact same reason, everything I do is custom and adapted in real-time. Through precise palpation, my hands find the root restriction, and I build a strategy on the fly. The hardest request a client can give me is 'do exactly what you did last time'—because your body is in a completely different place today than it was during your last session. I don't massage based on a rigid plan made before you arrive; I respond entirely to what your muscles need the moment you are on the table."

Studio Operations

Becky Sutherland, Studio Manager

After studying hospitality at Virginia Tech, Becky decided to make Blacksburg her long-term home. She spent the early part of her career managing front office operations within the hotel industry, where she developed a deep expertise in client service systems and team coordination.

Joining Relax Blacksburg offered a welcome evolution in practice. Moving away from the fast, transactional nature of commercial hotels, her role as our Studio Manager allows her to establish genuine, long-term relationships with our local client community while keeping our complex scheduling blocks running flawlessly.

When she is not overseeing the front desk or coordinating our practice communication, Becky is an avid reader and gamer who enjoys relaxing at home with her cats.

Our Massage Therapists

While we oversee the studio's clinical and administrative standards, our business reputation relies on a highly-trained team of dedicated professionals.  Every massage therapist at our practice is a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) regulated by the Virginia Board of Nursing.  They are also all deeply committed to delivering focused, unhurried sessions tailored entirely to your physical needs.  We invite you to read through our massage therapists' biographies to learn more about them.