Trauma-Informed Massage Therapy

Care Through Touch Institute is a leader in trauma-informed massage therapy, providing free, compassionate care through long-standing community partnerships in San Francisco.

With over 40 years of experience, CTI advances healing, advocacy, and practitioner training for unhoused and marginalized populations.

What Is Trauma-Informed Massage Therapy?

Trauma-informed massage therapy recognizes that trauma lives in the body as well as the mind. For people impacted by poverty, homelessness, violence, addiction, illness, or systemic discrimination, touch must be offered with care, choice, and deep respect.

At Care Through Touch Institute, trauma-informed care means meeting people exactly where they are. Sessions are grounded in consent, clear communication, and client control. Practitioners work slowly, attentively, and responsively, creating a sense of safety that allows the nervous system to settle and the body to experience relief.

Massage is offered not as a luxury, but as accessible, compassionate care—supporting both physical comfort and emotional well-being.

“For that hour, I felt human again.”

— CTI Client

Why Trauma-Informed Touch Matters

Many people served by CTI live with chronic pain, emotional distress, and deep isolation. Trauma—especially when compounded by homelessness, aging, or systemic inequity—can make it difficult to rest, trust, or feel safe in one’s own body.

Trauma-informed massage can help reduce physical pain, ease stress and anxiety, improve sleep, and support emotional regulation. Just as importantly, it helps people feel seen, valued, and connected. For individuals who are often excluded from care, consistent, respectful touch can restore a sense of dignity and belonging.

CTI’s massage sessions are intentionally brief—typically about 15 minutes—making them accessible for people who may find stillness challenging. Even short sessions can offer meaningful relief and a moment of calm in otherwise chaotic lives.

“It puts me at peace. I feel completely relaxed, like I don’t have a care in the world. I can go into that room, leave everything outside, and just unwind. It’s not just the touch—I can feel the energy too.”

— CTI Client

CTI’s Unique Approach

Care Through Touch Institute has practiced trauma-informed massage for more than 40 years—long before the term became widely used. Founded in 1983, CTI was built on the belief that healing begins with presence and that respectful touch is a form of social justice.

What makes CTI unique is our relationship-based, community-embedded model. We partner with shelters, clinics, drop-in centers, self-help programs, and other community organizations across San Francisco, bringing care directly to where people already receive support. Practitioners often serve the same clients week after week, sometimes for years, building trust and continuity that are essential for trauma-informed care.

CTI is among very few organizations offering this level of consistent, free trauma-informed massage through long-standing community partnerships. Our work extends beyond direct service to include advocacy, education, and practitioner training. All CTI practitioners receive specialized preparation emphasizing safety, consent, cultural humility, and responsiveness to trauma shaped by systemic inequality.

Through this work, CTI strengthens the field while ensuring that healing touch is offered ethically, compassionately, and with deep respect for the people we serve.

“During the massage I began feeling like I exist. I felt connected.”

— CTI Client

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Trauma-informed massage prioritizes safety, choice, and dignity. Our practitioners meet people exactly as they are, using slow, responsive touch, clear communication, and consistent boundaries to create a sense of calm and trust.

  • CTI serves unhoused and marginalized populations, trauma survivors, older adults, and people living with chronic pain or isolation. We meet clients where they are—shelters, clinics, drop-in centers, transitional housing, and other community spaces.

  • Sessions typically last about 15 minutes. This is enough time for the body to relax and experience relief while remaining accessible for people who may find stillness challenging due to trauma.

  • No. All CTI services are free and offered with no barriers to care, ensuring accessibility for the people who need it most.

  • CTI is the only organization in San Francisco—and one of very few nationally—providing consistent, free, trauma-informed massage through long-term community partnerships. Our approach emphasizes continuity, trust, advocacy, and practitioner training, not just a one-time session.

  • Yes. All CTI practitioners begin as volunteers and receive specialized training in trauma-informed massage, social awareness, and presence. Volunteers provide hands-on care, gain practical experience, and contribute to meaningful relationships with clients and communities.

How Your Support Matters

A small donation creates a big impact. Your support helps provide free massage to unhoused and marginalized communities, train trauma-informed practitioners, sustain volunteers, and expand CTI’s reach to new neighborhoods.

donate today