Courtney Atkins, LMT

Courtney Atkins, LMT is a highly sought-after medical massage therapist in the southeast. She is known for helping chronic pain sufferers gain hope, and start to live their life again with little to no pain. She is also a certified personal trainer.

Courtney graduated from the Atlanta School of Massage in Atlanta, Georgia. Her focus was in Eastern medicine and Clinical massage.  In 2002, she received National Certification through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) and has been a member of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) since 2003.  She is Currently Licensed in Florida and Georgia. 

During the 8 years before opening TherapyWorks Clinical & Wellness Massage, Courtney was working as part of a surgical rehab team in Atlanta with an Orthopedic Doctor & Neurosurgeon . She studied various techniques and procedures that allowed her to deepen her medical knowledge as well as her natural abilities to treat patients for pain relief and overall improved function. 

Courtney continues her love of learning through completing over 680 hours of continuing education courses to date,  in addition to research and listening podcasts.  

In her free time, Courtney enjoys swimming in the ocean, workouts, any type of art project, sewing, spending time with friends or relaxing at home with her 2 dogs.

From the time I was five, I was only interested in two things - art and sports.  Growing up, I was fiercely competitive in both. 

During my years as an athlete, I had knee surgery, rotator cuff tears, back injuries, spinal fractures, multiple dislocations and was told I needed bilateral shoulder surgery. I was in constant pain,  it traveled through all of my joints and muscles. Sometimes it was extreme and unbearable, other times it was just a constant annoyance that I couldn't shake.  Sports became harder to push myself to the limit in. And some days, just sitting at my drafting table, or even holding up a paintbrush was difficult to endure.  

By the time I was 14,  I was living on prescription anti-inflammatory drugs.  I was having nerve conduction tests. I was given Valium, pain medicine and muscle relaxers. I stopped doing things I enjoyed. I eventually even quit sports at my Orthopedic surgeons repeated suggestion. I started seeking alternatives, including chiropractic and massage. This helped with the pain, but I still couldn't return to sports without surgery, so I only went when I was suffering.

I continued on to art school and became a costume designer.  I often worked from very early in the morning until the middle of the night. With no work-life balance I was headed towards breakdown.

By the time I was 22, I was diagnosed with cancer.  In the year following the surgery and treatments,  I felt sick and exhausted all the time, and was completely disconnected from myself and my body. I went through major anxiety and depression and wondered what the purpose of life even was.  

Eventually I decided to take a stand for myself and that's when I started seeking a different path...alternative medicine. I went to the local nutrition store and read as many books as I could. I sought advice from a massage therapist friend, an acupuncturist, a nutritionist, and found a doctor who was open-minded about holistic healing. 

However, I stayed stuck, because even though I was taking some supplements, learning about natural health and trying to meditate, I was still living a high-speed, fast food, high stress lifestyle, and not really following the solid advice I was receiving.  

Breakdown & Turning Point

My massage therapist friend suggested that I go to massage school, and I laughed it off. I "tried" for years to become healthier, but my lifestyle was not supporting this change. I finally had a breakdown when I turned 26, and decided I needed to change my life in order to help myself and then help I could help others like me.

I immediately enrolled in massage school.  I quickly learned it was the exact opposite of the lifestyle I had been living. I felt comforted and at peace. I started to be comfortable being touched and cared for. I learned how to connect my mind and body.  I learned to slow down, to breathe and manage stress and anxiety.  I began to accept and honor the days when I have pain, and to rest when I need to. Most importantly, I discovered that pain can be managed and even erased through receiving massage on a routine basis!

When I graduated, my focus was on chronic pain conditions and fibromyalgia. That continues today with a deeper dive into all pain patterns from sports injuries, autoimmune conditions, cancer, edema, orthopedic injuries, surgeries, connective tissue disorders, chronic pain or an acute injury, and emotional stress.

Massage for chronic neuromuscular pain, fibromyalgia, cancer, anxiety and depression management is my calling.  My goal is to help others find pain free or reduced pain movement and enjoy their lives again. To help people get back in the game: whether it's in sports or life in general.

My personal experience makes me the best practitioner for those living with chronic pain, sports injuries, fibromyalgia, anxiety, depression, autoimmune or genetic conditions, cancer or recovering from cancer treatments.  

I can relate to what you are going through physically and feeling emotionally. 

And by the way... I am 48 now and a cancer survivor. I'm still an artist, but now I create for meditation and fun.  You can see some of my artwork around the massage therapy clinic.

Health & Happiness,  

Courtney Atkins, LMT

Experience what specialized therapeutic massage can do for you. 

Call 727-469-3069 or click book online for your session and see how medical  and clinical massage can help you live a better life. 

TherapyWorks Clinical and Wellness Massage is located in New Port Richey  at 5234 State Road 54 between 19 and Grand blvd