THE DEEP RIVER PHILOSOPHY

Being a human is hard.

At Deep River we believe it is a human right to have agency over one’s own body and access to competent, respectful care for all bodies. We offer no quick-fixes or miracle cures; our treatments are customized to your body by the skillful hands of experienced practitioners that genuinely care for your well being. When you are feeling worn out or helpless, we are happy to be your advocates, mechanics, and most importantly, your safe space.  

Physical pain is inevitable in life, but it does not have to persist, unmanaged, unchanging and misunderstood. Deep River Healing Arts is the seed of Yvonne Kawamura's larger vision of preventative healthcare for busy New Yorkers. We at Deep River also specialize in care for the queer and trans community, are fat-positive, anti-racist, kink positive and trauma informed. Having a stranger touch your body to comfort and heal it is an incredibly vulnerable thing to do; it is imperative that our clients feel safe, informed and involved in their own treatment plan. We look forward to being your ally in bodily health and well-being.

YVONNE KAWAMURA

Founder, pronouns: she/her

After graduating Magna Cum Laude from Barnard College and the Swedish Institute, Yvonne received her massage license and embarked on her career. After 8 years in the profession she found herself increasingly dissatisfied with the quality of care offered by Western and Alternative medicine alike and decided to open her own practice in 2017. Clients consistently expressed surprise and gratitude at Yvonne’s commitment to addressing their complaints, as she had often been the first in their life to properly identify and treat chronic pain that other health professionals had ignored or missed. That commitment led her to pivot and pursue a career as a psychotherapist after she received her Masters of Social Work at the Smith School for Social Work in 2025. As she embarks on this new path, she has retired from massage but continues to run the practice, trusting her incredible team members to carry on and expand upon her philosophy. While she misses her clients, she is happy to be delving deeper into the mind-body continuum and learning to help people in a new way.

LINDA BENJAMIN, LMT

Lead Massage Therapist, pronouns: she/her

Linda melds her knowledge of Western and Eastern techniques to move her clients towards balance through unique, integrative sessions. With over a decade of experience, she specializes in myofascial and deep tissue work that also leaves her clients relaxed and fully integrated. In keeping with the Deep River philosophy, Linda aims to facilitate a space where the body's natural ability to heal is supported and balanced.

BRIT FALCON, LMT

Massage Therapist, pronouns: she/her

Brit is a licensed Massage Therapist, Movement Coach and professional dancer with over a decade of clinical experience. She trained at The Swedish Institute for Massage Therapy and has been licensed since 2011. Brit has worked across a range of clinical and rehabilitative settings, treating clients with musculoskeletal and neurological injuries, postural dysfunction, trauma, and chronic pain. She has also provided specialized care for high-level and Olympic athletes requiring performance-based recovery and maintenance.

Her clinical approach integrates manual therapy with evidence-informed movement re-education. Brit specializes in restoring functional alignment, improving mobility, and reducing pain through targeted soft-tissue work, including myofascial release, deep tissue manipulation, and Active Release Techniques, applied with precision and specificity.