About Melania

Over 20 years of holistic practice and more than 13,000 professional hours working directly with people.

Melania Mersades, Licensed Massage Therapist and Reiki Master Teacher, professional portrait in St. Petersburg, Florida
Creative Loafing Best of the Bay 2024 Winner — Best Massage Therapist, Readers Pick

Best of the Bay 2024

Best Massage Therapist

My Story

Melania Mersades

As someone who has spent over two decades working with the body, energy, and human behavior, I guide individuals through unlearning, emotional regulation, and self-trust so they can move from survival patterns into a life that reflects who they truly are.

I understand experiences others dismiss, and I help you integrate them without losing yourself.

If you've ever been told you're too sensitive, or you experience intuition, energy, or phenomena you can't always explain, I speak your language.

I work with individuals carrying unresolved grief and with bodies that have learned to brace, protect, and armor after trauma.

Through hands-on work, nervous system support, and deep awareness, I help you release what has been stored so your body no longer has to stay in protection mode.

My work integrates bodywork, emotional processing, and energetic awareness because the body does not separate these experiences.

If you're ready to stop managing symptoms and start understanding what your body has been holding, you're in the right place.

20+

Years of Practice

13K+

Professional Hours

2012

Licensed in FL

My Approach

How I Work

My style is intuitive and is experienced as a blend between Eastern Philosophy with Western somatics and Taino wisdom. It is multi-dimensional.

I work at the intersection of:

Therapeutic bodywork
Nervous system regulation & maintenance
Energy/holistic healing
Ancestral Remembrance & cycle breaking
Shadow work/womb healing
Emotional intelligence
Leadership and capacity building

This is not surface-level wellness. My work supports people in understanding what their body is holding, recognizing emotional and behavioral patterns, and increasing their capacity to respond to life with awareness rather than reaction.

Capacity Building

What That Means

Capacity building means:

Being able to stay present under pressure

Processing emotions instead of suppressing or projecting them

Developing self-awareness and accountability

Strengthening your ability to lead yourself and, if applicable, others

Creating a wellness lifestyle

Shadow Work

Into the Depths

Shadow work is the process of becoming aware of the unconscious patterns, beliefs, and behaviors that influence how you show up. Together we walk bravely into the parts of yourself you have neglected or abandoned and alchemize them into Gold and genius.

Credentials

Background & Experience

Licensed Massage Therapist (Florida, since 2012) MA72092
Reiki Master Teacher in the Usui Shiki Ryoho tradition
U.S. Army Veteran
Somatic practitioner and spiritual mentor
Creator of leadership and personal development trainings
Host of Beach Reiki Tampa Bay community gatherings
Florida State Licensed Massage Therapist - Melania Mersades Nunez - License MA72092

Florida Licensed Massage Therapist — MA72092

Community & Connection

This work is not only personal, but also communal.

In addition to private sessions, I host:

Monthly Beach Reiki gatherings

Wellness events and experiences

Trainings and group spaces focused on growth and self-awareness

These spaces allow people to engage in healing work in both individual and shared environments.

Philosophy

Awareness, Regulation, and Responsibility

Listening to your body

Understanding your patterns

Developing emotional intelligence

Increasing your capacity to navigate life

Leading yourself with clarity and integrity

I don't position myself as someone who fixes people. I support people in building the awareness and capacity required to create lasting change.