The Best Massage Therapists in New York

Gracia Imboden, Ricari Studios, WSA, 161 Water St., 23rd fl., Ste. 2304; ricaristudios.com

All of the massages Gracia Imboden performs incorporate Icoone, a machine resembling Spider-Man’s Doctor Octopus; it has three dangling tentacles with plastic cups that suction the skin as they glide across the body in a high-tech version of lymphatic-drainage massage. The treatment, which increases blood flow and removes excess fluid, leads to less puffiness. Lisa Watts, a lawyer, started seeing Imboden after tearing a calf muscle. “I had been prescribed exercises, but Imboden’s treatment felt like it was actually healing my leg. It was really helpful in getting my circulation going,” she says. Since recovering, she sees Imboden once a month to help with soreness from marathon training and travel. Designer Kara Council likes to make an appointment after a long flight, too. “Her massages give me a feeling of lightness, but the aesthetic improvements” — a slimmer, more toned look — “are also amazing,” she says. (From $175.)

Liza Roeckl, 552 Broadway, Ste. 502; lizaroeckl.com

Known for seamlessly melding physical and emotional wellness, Liza Roeckl’s treatment menu includes craniosacral massages and eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy. Influencer Hannah Bronfman first started going to Roeckl five years ago for abdominal and postpartum massages to release stress in her stomach but unexpectedly wound up communing with her deceased grandmother in a session. (Roeckl is a bit of a medium, Bronfman says.) Suzanne Guillette, a memoirist and intuitive, was reeling from a breakup when she tapped Roeckl for energywork. “She can really tune in to what a person is needing at any given moment,” Guillette says, adding that a massage from Roeckl — which often includes fragrant lavender and copal oils — helps her release deep tension. “She also just gives a damn good massage.” (From $300.)

Shadi Presha, 87 Richardson St., second fl., Williamsburg; shadipresha-lmt.com

Shadi Presha customizes massages to fit her clients’ specific pain points and medical history and explains which techniques she plans to use before the massage starts. She combines eastern techniques; Swedish massage, which focuses on firm pressure and circular movements to relax muscles; and deep-tissue massage or forceful pressure. “She approaches the massage in a way that’s not dissimilar from what doctors should be doing,” Artforum associate publisher Kate Koza says, “but I have never in my life had a doctor spend the kind of quality attention that she has.” Melissa Sansone, a managing director at Seen Group, a beauty PR agency, works out about five days a week and gets massages from Presha to prevent injuries and ease knotted muscles. “I needed someone who understands how to give an athletic massage, and I found one — a hurts-so-good kind of treatment,” she says. (From $140.)

Sophie Bolvary, Raquel New York, 86 Walker St., sixth fl.; raquelnewyork.com

On the sixth floor of an airy loft building on Tribeca’s gallery row is skin-care and massage studio Raquel New York. Here, Sophie Bolvary blends Swedish massage, acupressure, and shiatsu, which she studied under Master Ohashi, who developed his own shiatsu technique. She uses this combination on doorman Frankie Carattini, who has pain in his hips and his left IT band from standing all day, and he says Bolvary “manages to release all that tension.” Author Laura Albert, who has been seeing Bolvary for several years, says that Bolvary’s ability to make her feel comfortable in her body — and apply hard pressure with her hands, elbows, and fingers — has kept her coming back. “I was 320 pounds before weight-loss surgery. I still have a lot of loose skin that makes me self-conscious,” Albert says. “I didn’t feel judged. She makes me feel really safe.” (From $300.)

Beret Loncar, Body Mechanics Orthopedic Massage, 1 W. 34th St., Ste. 204; 212-600-4808; bodymechanicsnyc.com

As part of her massage training, Beret Loncar completed internships at a Parkinson’s clinic and a hospice for aids patients and worked with clients recovering from car accidents. She uses fascia manipulation and stretching to increase range of motion. The massages aren’t always relaxing, but they’re consistently transformative. Dana Goldman, a real-estate broker, started seeing Loncar eight years ago for muscle strain from standing all day. She had been to an orthopedist in the past but says Loncar “can diagnose and fix pain faster.” Tennis coach Amin Khalaf has been going to Loncar for more than 15 years to help manage injuries. “She is so knowledgeable,” he says. “I came to her with a heel injury, and she told me the real issue was in my hip flexor and immediately fixed the problem.” (From $155.)

Renew Day Spa, 10 Bowery St., second fl. 212-227-9488 renewdayspa.onbuildhealth.com

When cookbook author Roya Shariat feels stressed, she visits Renew Day Spa for a walk-in foot massage. (Ask for Linda, she says). The spa is on the second floor of a nondescript building with just a handwritten sign alerting clients to its presence. “You sit on a worn pleather massage chair separated from others by a curtain and then you get the best foot massage of your life,” says Shariat. She often books an hourlong treatment that includes a neck-and-shoulder massage. Rivka Rappoport, a CrossFit coach and middle-school teacher, goes for a full-body rub down once a month. She sees whoever’s available and says the practitioner always checks in throughout the treatment to get the pressure just right. “I walk out feeling light and less sore. The massages have improved my range of motion without bankrupting me,” Rappoport says. (Foot massage from $55; full-body massage from $65.)