Centered Presence, Ltd. is a Limited Liability Company (LLC), the practice of massage therapist Michael J. Patrick.  Centered Presence, Ltd. provides on-site massage therapy services including chair and table massage with additional focus on the principles of centering and presencing. 

The focus of my practice is to help you as clients move toward your center and remain fully present through massage therapy.  By "center," I am referring to your own sense of being, in relation to your mind, body & spirit.  By "present," I am referring to focusing your attention to this current moment, where your body functions and where life is genuinely experienced and practically lived.  This focus has grown out of my own approach to living my life and thus influences my massage work with clients, who often share these same aims.        -Michael J. Patrick 

Michael has taken an interesting path in his professional life:  In addition to being a massage therapist, he also earned a Master's Degree in Analytical Chemistry from Youngstown State University in 1994.  He has worked in the field of fluorescent dye chemistry for over 15 years.  He was employed from 1995-2001 by Amersham Biosciences (now a part of GE Healthcare) where he manufactured and analyzed fluorescent CyDyes®.  This lead to a 3 year assignment in Cardiff, Wales, UK where he trained personnel to manufacture the dyes and conducted additional process development.  Living in Wales was an exciting and enjoyable adventure.  He works full time as a research associate at Carnegie Mellon University, where he applies his Master's Degree in Analytical Chemistry towards multidisciplinary research.  Current projects include the use of fluorescent dyes to study hemodynamics to advance Biomedical Engineering, and development of pharmaceutical formulations to advance the fight against cancer.  He has worked at CMU since 2002 and has co-authored several academic research articles which have been published in peer-reviewed journals. Research Chemistry and Massage Therapy appear to be diametrically opposed; however both require dedication, creativity and the ability to react to what is observed, or in the case of massage therapy, palpated.  Work in both fields complements the other:  his analytical approach has allowed him to engage his mind along with his intuitive abilities in massage therapy.  In turn, the relaxation techniques and increased body awareness have made him more effective as a researcher, allowing for the ability to better manage stressful deadlines.

Massage therapy is something that has been with Michael all of his life.  As a child he used to massage his father's feet and walk on his back to alleviate Dad's aches and pains.  This continued over the years as he casually massaged close friends as his contribution to making their lives better and providing the positive reassurance that physical contact does.  It became evident to Michael that he could utilize these innate skills to help others outside his immediate circle.  He decided to pursue a dual career in massage therapy and received proper training through CCAC's respected Massage Therapy Degree Program. 

Michael formed Massage Therapy Professionals in late 2005 as a Sole Proprietorship.  In Feb 2007, he changed the structure to a Limited Liability Company, expanding the name to Massage Therapy Professionals, Ltd.  In Oct 2010, the shift to a solo massage practice, Centered Presence, Ltd was made.

Professional Qualifications