The Tension Tamer was formed with the vision of creating a straight to the point massage therapy space without the frou-frou. You won’t find uplifting quotes on the walls, robes to change into as you sip Brunello di Montalcino, flowery curtains, or even bottled water at the end, so please bring your own re-usable bottle full of water for drinking after the session. Plastic isn’t good for human or environmental health, so I’m pushing back against this common industry standard, because hydration doesn’t have to come at the expense of environmental detriment, when living in a place where water is safe to drink.
You can expect a comfortable, heated table, commercially licensed music of your choice played during session on a high quality blue tooth speaker, with the main player in a separate room for maximum privacy, HIPAA compliant software for health records, quiet sessions where you decide how much talking happens, or doesn’t, and skillful body work by a practitioner who truly cares about your wellbeing.
Your Massage Therapist:
My name is Katie Eken. I graduated from Elite Massage Academy’s 1,100 Hour-Massage Therapy program in April, 2025. I’m licensed in North Dakota and with The City of Moorhead, as Minnesota does not have statewide licensure. The opportunity to blend autonomy and creativity, while meeting individual client needs, through a healing modality that allows for continuous learning is what ultimately resulted in my decision to pursue this path. Massage therapy checked all the boxes, and as I’ve worked on clients since graduation, my enthusiasm for bodywork has only grown!
Cycling, even during frigid winter weather, is a hobby that I hold dear, whether it’s long-distance riding, or just general commuting around town. Being active outdoors is something you can catch me doing in some form everyday, meandering about town with a large backpack, wishing I were on a trail, or kayaking a lake at a State Park. I’m passionate about helping clients maintain their favorite activities, as well, and want to hear all about the adventures you’re planning!
Reading a book over endless cups of coffee is typically where I’ll be found, when not doing things outdoors.
I’m a student at MSUM majoring in English. One of my favorite things in life is writing, especially short-stories that border on the absurd.
Gardening is something I hope to focus on more during upcoming summers. I always enjoy helping friends and family with theirs, when time allows.
I have an unrelenting obsession with push-reel mowers.
Policies:
Cancellation Policy: The Tension Tamer has a 12-hour cancellation policy. You will not be charged whenever you cancel within the 12-hour notice period; however, in the case of a late-cancellation, or no-show, a flat fee of $50.00 will be charged to your card on file. I’ve made the policy 12-hours to be flexible, and you will receive one free pass to have the fee waived, in case of a last minute, unexpected event.
Intake Forms: The intake form, including your health history, will be emailed to you before your scheduled time. Please do your best to fill this out before your session begins, as it will cut into your booked time, otherwise. Arriving 15-minutes before your session begins is recommended, especially if you didn’t fill out your forms at home, and need to do so in the office.
Intake forms are required for the first session, after that they will be updated whenever major changes occur; please communicate with me on these.
I reserve the right to refuse service to anyone who doesn’t respect the therapeutic boundaries of a massage session, and will not refund payment for a session ending due to inappropriate comments or behavior.
A note on Music:
If you want to listen to the stereotypical massage room sounds of calming waves crashing along a beach on a 30-below day in Moorhead, to pretend you’re elsewhere, we can do that, but if you’re a music freak like me, there will be options beyond your standard massage session jams.
Feeling like bluegrass? Okay. Portuguese metal? Heck, Yes! /,,/ Recently discovered an obscure Indie band? Let’s find it! In the mood for the droning of an Australian Didgeridoo? That’s workable!
The Tension Tamer uses Sound Track Your Brand, which connects to customizable Spotify playlists, converting songs for use with commercial licensing permissions. This allows for a multitude of artists to pick from, for a listening session tailored to you.
Let me know before your session what you’d like to listen to, and as long as it’s in the catalog, it will be played during your session, or if you have a favorite Podcast or Audiobook you’d like to listen to, bring in your device, and we’ll listen to that. Your session time is about you. That’s why you decide.
Pricing:
1 hour for $90
1 1/2 hours for $120
2 hours for $180
A session with cupping is $10 extra.
Payment Methods:
Venmo
Cash
Credit
Debit
Modalities Offered:
Deep tissue…I specialize in deep tissue work!
Focused work addressing specific concerns
Swedish for relaxation
Cupping
Trigger point release
A Note on Hours:
You’ll notice at first that hours may seem limited. This is because I’m still maintaining a regular job as I get things off the ground. Once I’m able to dedicate more time to The Tension Tamer, booking options will expand. As of right now hours are the following:
Mondays: 3pm-9pm
Tuesdays: 5pm-9pm
Fridays: 5pm-9pm
Saturdays: 5pm-9pm
*Available hours may shift around a bit from week to week, and will adjust on a seasonal basis. Come January 23rd they will be changing to the following:
Tuesdays 5pm-9pm
Thursdays 2pm-9pm
Saturdays 12pm-9pm
Your best option for checking availability is going directly to the Book Appointment link to see what’s open on the calendar, as that will always reflect the true availability, which may be outside posted hours. Once May comes, posted hours will adjust again.
The Tension Tamer, LLC is about to be your new favorite spot for quality massage therapy!
You can find me located in the Business Center at 200 5th street south, suite 303 in Moorhead, Minnesota.
Scroll down for pictures of the space!
