About Dr. Melissa Stefanski PhD, LMBT (NC License #21881)

Melissa Stefanski, PhD, LMBT, is the founder of Massage Plus, LLC and a Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist (NC License #21881). Originally from Montreal, Canada, Melissa began her career in healthcare as a mental health therapist and brings a unique understanding of the connection between physical tension, emotional stress, and overall well-being to every massage session.

Melissa focuses on helping clients manage chronic pain, muscular tension, and the physical effects of ongoing stress through highly customized massage therapy. Her approach blends the soothing, flowing techniques of Swedish massage with the more focused pressure and muscular work of deep tissue massage, allowing each session to be both restorative and therapeutic.

Naturally firm and heavy-handed when deeper pressure is needed, Melissa is especially well suited for clients who prefer a substantial, therapeutic massage rather than very light touch. At the same time, she carefully adjusts pressure and technique according to each client's comfort, goals, and individual needs. Her philosophy is not that deeper is always better, but that the right pressure applied thoughtfully can help ease persistent tension, improve comfort, and support the body's recovery from the demands of everyday life.

Melissa's background in psychology and healthcare strongly influences her mind-body approach to massage. She recognizes that chronic stress often shows up physically—as tight shoulders, a guarded back, headaches, muscle tension, difficulty relaxing, or simply the feeling of never being able to fully switch off. Her goal is to create a session where clients can address those physical patterns while also experiencing a genuine sense of calm.

Melissa is also a certified hypnotherapist through the National Guild of Hypnotists, and clients often appreciate the quiet, grounded demeanor she brings to her work. She believes therapeutic massage can be both effective and deeply relaxing—helping clients step away from the noise of daily life, reconnect with their bodies, and leave feeling more comfortable, restored, and at ease.

Whether you are seeking support for chronic tension and pain, stress-related muscle tightness, or simply need a skilled massage with firm, confident pressure, Melissa provides thoughtful, individualized care designed around you.

Healthy Body. Calm Mind.

Reviews

Melissa Stefanski: A Personal Story

Hello and welcome to Massage Plus. My name is Melissa Stefanski. I've been that shy kid for as long as I can remember. During parent-teacher meetings, my teachers would always describe me as "a good student but very quiet and timid." I think to this day, others would describe me as "quiet." It's strange because I never think of myself that way. I guess I don't think I'm quiet because there's a stream of conversation/thoughts/songs/etc. going through my head all day long. 

I never liked group activities at school or presentations in front of the class. I still get nervous when I'm called upon at meetings. I'm not usually the first one to speak up. I tend to worry easily and feel the worry throughout my entire body. I remember thinking that stress and anxiety were just a part of my life and that I needed to accept them. I thought maybe my genetic makeup was stacked against me and there was no changing what the genes had dictated.

At some point, I can't really remember when, I decided if I couldn't beat stress maybe I could join it. I decided to learn all I could about stress so I could manage it instead of it managing me! Maybe some people are wired to be more sensitive. Maybe some people have had events in their life to encourage wanting to hide away. But, so what? Resigning to feel stressed or anxious is only one option. Another option is to do the best with what you have. That's what I decided to do for myself.

Stress will never magically disappear, but we can get to know stress. Kind of like keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. I'd call stress a "frienemy." I'm keeping stress close, studying it's every move. I'm learning about my reactions to stressful situations and coping differently now.

Feeling as though I have some control over stress diminishes stress!

After all, stress stems from a perception of something being out of our control.

Am I an expert on stress? I would call myself a lifelong learner of stress. Have I figured out ways of managing stress that work? YES! I encourage you to take a mind-body approach to wellness. 

If you are willing to work on this, you will feel better. There may not be a particular day when you think, "Yea! I've managed stress." But, one day you'll think, "I'm not sure when this happened, but things just feel better."

HEALTHY BODY. CALM MIND.