Who We Are + Our Partners
Hi, I'm Allie Whitney, and I am the founder and sole practitioner at Studio A Body Therapy. I grew up here on Indy's west side, and after receiving my B.A. in International Studies from Taylor University and doing development work abroad for 7 years, my family settled in Brownsburg in 2014 as we continued to grow our family. Through life circumstances I was introduced to the world of bodywork and discovered the power of hands-on therapy to help bring deep healing to a person both emotionally and physically. It was one of those rare, exciting moments when you suddenly land on a new part of your life calling.
I began my training first as a massage therapist through Indiana Wellness College, known for its rigorous anatomy curriculum, and then attended further training for several years to understand how stress and trauma are stored in and expressed by the body, and how to help people heal from chronic pain conditions.
I operate in a few different roles that I integrate together when working with clients, depending on what they need:
Massage Therapist / Bodyworker / Manual Therapist
License #: MT21906926
Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner (SEP)
the highest certification within this modality
NARM®-Informed Professional
one of the first in Indiana to undergo this training in complex trauma
Certified Health & Wellness Coach (CHWC)
AFPA Certificate # 98260786
Trauma Educator & Consultant
I have always had deep compassion for those experiencing pain and suffering. I understand firsthand what it is like to live under the effects of complex trauma, chronic illness, and pain. And I also have experienced the profound healing that bodywork and somatic therapies can bring, especially when done consistently over a period of time. I believe that a good therapist of any kind is not just one who is highly trained, but is one who has poured themselves into the healing of their own traumas, pain, etc.--one who is herself engaged in doing "the work".
I have aggressively sought after the best trainings that exist and have gone above and beyond the requirements for the certifications that I hold, because of both the personal and professional benefits. I hold training in the following modalities:
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Myofascial Release
The John F. Barnes' approach, which gently and effectively releases long-held tension -
Visceral Manipulation
An osteopathy-based approach to restoring function to the organs -
Ortho-Bionomy®
A gentle positional release modality rooted in osteopathy -
Thai Massage
A dynamic, movement-based massage practice that takes place on heated mats on the floor -
Emotional Acceptance and Expression Therapy (EAET)
As featured in the film This Might Hurt -
Somatic Experiencing®
A 3-year training in body-based healing of stress and trauma -
NeuroAffective Relational Model® (NARM)
A somatic model for working with complex trauma
There’s not much free time in the stage of life I’m in right now, as I homeschool our 3 children in addition to running my practice. We are out a lot, so you may run into us at local parks, creeks, and playgrounds. When I do have free time, you’ll find me outside biking, hiking, and running. I greatly enjoy being a part of the Brownsburg community and raising our family here.
I am an active member of Associated Bodyworkers & Massage Professionals (ABMP).
On-Site Partners
Studio A is proud to partner with the following local professionals to offer the best and most comprehensive trauma-informed care possible:
Michelle Ester-Bode, RYT 200
Michelle has been a dental hygienist for the past 34 years. It was during her dental career that she started to experience the wear and tear it was taking on her body, and through that she discovered yoga, ballet and Pilates. She completed her 500-hour comprehensive Pilates certification in 2019, including a Bar Effect certification, and opened a small private Pilates studio in her home. In 2018 when a client was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Michelle's focus shifted to the importance of helping people feel in control of their body and breath even when everything else was spiraling out of control. In 2021 she completed her 200-hour yoga training under the direction of Ahna Hoke, and in 2023 completed two 50-hour Yin yoga specialty trainings under Katarina Svabcikova.
Breathwork, Yin and slow methodical movement is Michelle's passion. While she still loves Pilates and teaches regularly out of her home it's the yoga that resonates deepest within her. She completed a trauma/somatic movement course in 2022 under the direction of Allie Whitney at Studio A and continues to dive deeper into the subject of trauma. She co-teaches the Release & Refresh classes alongside Allie at Studio A.
Michelle and her husband have two grown married daughters and one grandson. In her free time she enjoys time with family, thrifting and laughing.
Randy Clark, LCSW
Hi, I'm Randy. The story of our lives often shape our day to day experiences. As we open up to our story and how we ended up at a certain space in our lives, we begin to see patterns. We begin to see unhealthy ways we have responded to people, relationships that have been less than productive, or events that unfolded different than we had hoped. In order to grow and set a new course, we need to identify the patterns that have lead us here. Therapy is about doing just that - uncovering the underlying, usually subconscious, ways of thinking, so that we can become the people that we want to be.
I take an eclectic approach, drawing from the field of Interpersonal Neurobiology, Attachment Theory, Postinduction Therapy, and EMDR, which helps individuals, couples, and families understand ways in which they have developed and react to life stressors. Through the use of interactive therapies, work is done to help grow in one’s ability to handle those life stressors in a more healthy manner, growing in one’s self-esteem, setting healthy boundaries, and developing skills to be able to express one’s needs and wants in a healthy way.
Being housed in the same suite as Studio A allows for deep collaboration for those that want to engage in both mental health services as well as trauma-informed body therapy.
Reach out to me via my website if interested in working together, and make sure to mention if you are a client of Studio A.
Off-Site Partners
Studio A is working to bring the best of somatic trauma healing to Indiana. We are proud to partner with the following people who are trained in modalities that are otherwise nearly non-existent in this state:
Ryan Moore, Trauma-Informed Personal Trainer
Ryan is the creator of Turtle Power Fitness (TPF), a personal training business with a unique emphasis on sustainable physical training and dismantling internalized shame. Ryan is a certified personal trainer with 20+ years’ experience of dedicated movement training in dance, martial arts, and fitness. He is also a former peer-to-peer counselor, group facilitator and lifelong student and recipient of various therapeutic modalities, both cognitive and somatic.
On a physical level, TPF prioritizes the function, longevity, and biomechanics of the body over aesthetics. On an emotional/interpersonal level, clients working with TPF may be asked to notice emotional ‘sensations’ (in addition to physical sensations) while training and there may be opportunities to discuss this emotional content if and when it arises. Clients may also be encouraged to maintain an awareness of negative affect (shame, self- hatred, etc) and be curious about it (“Where did this come from?”, “How did/does this keep me safe?” etc) while simultaneously staying connected to their intention and present-moment sense of self. (“I’m here to train right now because I care about my body and want to feel good.” etc)
Ryan is in Chicago, and is available to Studio A clients via Zoom sessions. Reach out to him directly via his website: Turtle Power Fitness
Laura Carr, NARM Coach
Hello, I'm Laura Carr, and I live in northern California. As a ICF-certified coach, certified NARM™ Master Practitioner, and educator of the Online Basics Training of NARM, I enjoy working with clients that want to embody more presence, peace, heartfulness and ease.
The NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) uses the process of curiosity and inquiry to explore what might be in the way of having more vitality and connection to ourselves and to others. NARM is specifically designed for the treatment of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD).
I work with clients to transform patterns from the adaptations developed in early childhood. As the patterns begin to shift, clients often report a feeling of coming home as they begin to tap into their vitality and life-force. NARM is a relational model that uses a co-creative process to unfold to the experience of reconnecting to the heart.
I am available to clients of Studio A via Zoom sessions, which can be scheduled online here, as well as a free consultation to see if we are a good fit.