Free, Trauma-Informed Massage Therapy in San Francisco
Care Through Touch Institute brings free, trauma-informed massage to unhoused and marginalized communities across San Francisco, five days a week.
The Impact of Showing Up
- 4,200+ Massage sessions delivered in 2025
- 3,200+ People served in 2025
- 1,000+ Volunteer hours contributed in 2025
- Five days a week Bringing care into San Francisco communities
A Legacy Built On Presence
For over 40 years, Care Through Touch Institute (CTI) has brought compassionate touch to people who are often overlooked by traditional systems of care.
Our mission is simple: to be present with human suffering and promote healing through human connection.
By bringing free massage directly into shelters, clinics, drop-in centers, and other community settings, we offer moments of physical relief, calm, dignity, and connection to people experiencing homelessness, illness, trauma, and isolation.
Care That Meets People Where They Are
Many people experiencing homelessness live with chronic pain, exhaustion, isolation, and the physical effects of prolonged stress and trauma. Accessing care can be difficult when everyday life is focused on finding shelter, food, safety, and stability.
CTI brings free, clothed chair massage directly into trusted community settings. There are no appointments, identification, insurance, or payment required.
Each session offers a chance to pause, relax, and experience safe, consensual human contact. Our care complements the medical, behavioral health, recovery, and housing services already offered by our community partners.
Healing happens through consistency
For many CTI clients, the value of a massage extends beyond the session itself. It is also the knowledge that someone will return, recognize them, and offer care without judgment.
Foote has attended a CTI partner site every week for more than 20 years. Over time, the sessions became more than physical relief. They offered grounding, consistency, and dignity. He has credited that steady presence with supporting his sobriety.
His story reflects the heart of CTI's work: healing and connection are built one person at a time, through care that shows up again and again.
Care is stronger together
CTI works alongside shelters, clinics, hospice and medical respite programs, drop-in centers, and community organizations throughout San Francisco. By integrating massage into services that people already know and trust, we help make whole-person care more accessible.
Our partnerships are built on shared commitments to dignity, compassion, and consistent support.
Join our volunteer community
CTI's work is made possible by practitioners who bring their skills, compassion, and presence to people who might otherwise have little access to massage.
If you are a massage therapist or an eligible student who wants to put your skills to meaningful service, we invite you to learn more about volunteering with CTI.
Support Care Through Touch
Your contribution helps sustain free massage services, support and train practitioners, strengthen our volunteer network, and bring compassionate care to more people across San Francisco.
Every gift helps CTI continue showing up for people who deserve to be seen, welcomed, and cared for.
Follow our work
Stories, updates, and moments from CTI's work across San Francisco.