ABOUT ME

Rachael Gonzalez, B.A., L.M.T., R.M. SHE/HER/THEY/THEM

I am a licensed massage therapist, reiki master, folk herbalist and artist living and working in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

My work is rooted in the idea that informed touch & energy healing empowers individuals and grounds them in their bodies. My business is trauma informed and anti-racist. As a white American of Swedish/Finn/ Northern European descent, I am working to become a better ally by educating myself and my family about discrimination, equal access, cultural appropriation, and what it means to be actively anti-racist in the face of white apathy. I am always open to criticism and communication from my clients, who are my greatest teachers. I believe in health at all sizes, and I welcome trans and non-binary individuals to feel comfortable within my practice. In an effort to care for my community better, I offer sliding scale or free sessions to BIPOC, Trans, and low income individuals who live in Milwaukee as a form of mutual aid and reparation.

I am an artist; I weave handmade brooms, baskets, write zines, and make drawings/paintings/printmaking about things that interest me- healing, ritual, the natural world, and community. I sometimes sell these items along with slow made herbal wares under the FAMILIAR name as an extension of my practice.

I am also an urban homesteader who keeps bees, chickens, and a medicinal/edible garden. I enjoy riding my bicycle, backpacking and hiking, snowshoeing, canoeing, and walking every day. This love of nature and the cycles of the year informs the work I do deeply.

EDUCATION

I received my B.A. at North Park University prior to studying massage therapy at Cortiva Institute in Chicago, graduating class Valedictorian. I received my Usui Reiki certifications and attunements from Usui Master Teacher Jeanne Steen at the Zen Shiatsu School in Evanston IL. My cupping, gua sha, chinese elementals and tui na certifications were also received at Zen Shiatsu, and strengthened during my 6 years working alongside acupuncturists and TCM practitioners.

Although I will always have a deep love and appreciation for the practice of reiki, I consider it just a stepping stone on my spiritual healing path. I am currently a student at the Urhall school in Sweden, apprenticing under Dr. Johannes Gårdbäck, a lifelong trollcunner and the author of the only book in English on the subject of Swedish folk magic. Under his guidance I am connecting with my ancestors and learning old ways of healing, and I am deeply thankful to have finally landed in the wise arms of my people, as it feels more like home.

My herbal education began with years of self study, books and blogs, supplemented by classes and workshops with wise herbalists and wild edible plant teachers. After moving to Mexico City in 2018 and experiencing the powerful methods of folk healing, Curanderismo, there, which combine simple herbs and massage with prayer to treat a wide range of issues, I was inspired to enroll in the Herbal Academy of New England where I learned a science-based approach to plant healing in an environment that harkens back to my roots growing up in New England. The walk of an herbalist is long, winding and never complete, I am constantly learning.

My herbal self care products are made carefully in small batches with intention and reiki healing, utilizing the highest quality materials I can source and packaged in the lowest waste containers I can find. We do not live in a circular economy but I try my hardest to stay as kind to the planet as possible, through selling locally / wildcrafting only when it is safe to do so / buying organic / composting the waste products / creating in small batches. I am working towards an herbal practice that minimizes harmful essential oils, and maximizes using whole plants grown where I live. You can find these products on my SHOP.

Post Graduate Education / Certifications / Trainings

in Traditional Bodywork:

Cupping for Health and Vitality- 6 hrs, 2016
PNMT Precision Neuromuscular Therapy - Form & Function Seminar (Whole Body Balancing) 16 hrs, 2019
Gua Sha Therapy for Muscular-skeletal injuries, pain, and Internal disorders 6 hrs, 2020
Tui Na Therapy for Muscular-skeletal injuries, pain, and Internal disorders 6 hrs, 2020
Chinese Medicine Fundamentals 12 hrs, 2022
Northern Thai Bodywork 14 hrs, 2023

Calming an overactive brain, 6 hrs, 2024

in Energy Healing:

Usui Reiki I 6 hrs, 2017
Usui Reiki II 6 hrs, 2018
Usui Reiki III- Master Level, 6 hrs, 2019

in Western Herbalism:

The Herbal Academy - Herbal I, Beginners herbalism & history, 2018
The Herbal Academy- Herbal II, Intermediate herbalism & practice, 2019
Midwest Women's Herbal Conference and workshops, 2015
Midwest Women’s Herbal Conference and workshops, 2016
Midwest Women’s Mushroom Conference and workshops, 2018

in Folk Healing + Energy Healing:

Trolldom & Nordic Spirituality- 18 month course at the Urhall School of Trolldom in Sweden- with Johannes Gårdbäck 2023-2024 (ongoing)
Between Two Lucy’s; a journey from Sicily to Sweden (Sankta Lucia) with Mary Beth Bonfiglio & Rachel Rice, 2023
Springtide in the Nordic tradition with Missy M. Rhysing, völva, witch & healer, 2024
Jul, Sankta Lucia & the winter tide with Missy M. Rhysing, völva, witch & healer, 2023
Midsummer Traditions with Missy M. Rhysing, völva, witch & healer, 2023
Sauna culture & ritual in the Nordic tradition with Missy M. Rhysing, völva, witch & healer, 2023
Tending the Hearth: folk practices and traditions of old europe for winter time 6 week course with Liz Migliorelli, 2022/23
Sap Rising: folk practices and traditions of old europe for spring time 6 week course with Liz Migliorelli, 2022
Amaro dei Morte; Ancestral amaro making and bitter roots 4 week program with Mary Beth Bonfiglio, 2021
Midsummer Rituals with Megan McGuire of Forest Whisperer, 2021
Traditional Sauna Medicine: Water, The Oldest of Ointments with Milla Prince, 2021
The Bathhouse; Sauna Traditions with Kari Tauring, 2021
The Second Jul Month; Nordic Traditions with Kari Tauring, 2021
Reading the Runes with Siri Vincent Plouff, 2021
Domum: House spirits with Siri Vincent Plouff, 2021
The Star Tree: Apple Magic with Liz Migliorelli, 2020
Veil Opener: Autumnal Plant Magic with Liz Migliorelli, 2020
Julefrid: Spirituality, Trolldom, and Medicine in Swedish Christmas with Johannes Gårdbäck, 2020