As a patient with chronic neck and back pain, I have sampled quite a few massage therapists over the years and Julia is probably the best one I've ever seen. I was able to get an appointment with her within the week, and she usually responds quite promptly to texts. Julia's place and her attitude are both no-frills. She asked me in which area I was feeling pain, and took over all the rest. You can tell from the way she treats your body that she knows exactly what she is doing - somehow, she manages to work at the spots that you didn't even know were sore! I love going to Julia because it feels as if I go in with a body that is all twisted and crooked and she slowly straightens every piece of it out. She is absolutely amazing and has a true gift. Julia is also funny, friendly and straightforward, and I feel cared for and better after each visit with her. read more

I had an appointment at 1pm today and I got a text on my way there that she would be half hour late. I have no intention to wait for half hour in a parking lot especially that I have some plans for after the session. So I cancelled and she sent me another text to say we would not be a good fit as she is very flexible with the appointments! I guess people time is of no concern to her. I don't know how good she is but no one is good enough to disrespect other people' schedule. I find this extremely rude. read more

I'm super disappointed, but need to update this review. Julia does an amazing job with massages and I have enjoyed getting to know her, but scheduling is a complete nightmare. At this point I have paid for 10 massages as a pre-pay but only received 6 of them. Even before this point it was difficult to reach Julia to schedule massages and she cancelled at the last minute several times, due to illness or double-booking, sometimes just hours before my appointment. It was frustrating, but I felt it was worth it because I like her work. However, last week I had an appointment with her and she cancelled it about 45 minutes beforehand, saying she was sick and had hoped she could see me but just didn't feel up to it. I asked her repeatedly to re-schedule but she wouldn't give me a time/date. Since then I have texted her 4 times and left a voicemail but she is not getting back to me. So I give up. I am kissing a couple hundred dollars goodbye as well as not receiving the benefit of her massage, but it seems that for some reason she is refusing to contact me. As I said at the beginning, I'm really disappointed. read more

I don't know why she has multiple 5 star reviews. The massage was not good, it did not feel like a high quality massage at all. I kept waiting for the massage to get better, but it never did. I was very disappointed plus the special was 75 minutes for 75 dollars, which I mentioned, and she only massaged for 50-55 minutes (I timed it) even though I was early. I would not recommend this place at all. Even though the price was on the lower end, I feel like it was a complete waste of money. read more

The studio is located in a small plaza in Los Gatos, not easy to find but look very private. I first went there by a Groupon deal and Julia was my therapist. The first time I was there she quickly found out what and where are my problem areas and really work on those areas--She worked on my shoulder for a good 60 mins, and I felt great after the massage. Julia really knows what she is doing and how to do it right without hurting your muscle, and she has a very easy going and cheerful personality. She also offers many kinds of methods. One of my favorite therapists! read more

I have been to many massage therapists in the past but none of them have come close to Julia's ability to actually fix what is wrong. She was able to determine what some of my issues were just by looking at how I was standing and where my neck/shoulders rested. She was able to fully diagnose me once she started the massage session. The combination of various techniques that she uses makes for a very knowledgeable and capable therapist. What I truly appreciate is that she will ask you about your daily habits regarding how you sit and sleep. After listening to you she will then determine what is likely causing the pain you feel in your neck/back/legs etc etc. Then she will show you how to resolve these issues with various stretches that you can do at home. It is of course incumbent upon you to maintain your body (by sitting/sleeping properly and stretching) to avoid the reasons why you went in to see her in the first place, but she is clearly out to help people and not one of those that is preying on your money. Another thing I really like is the price. You just CANNOT beat the price vs benefit here. Other places charge 25% or more for the same length of time, but good luck if you find someone who is as good, knowledgeable and helpful as Julia. read more

My mom went to see Julia today .After being diagnosed with cancer, her body is not what it used to be with chemo and radiation treatments.. Her body is sore, her stomach is constantly in pain and she has no appetite. so i decided to send my mom to julia since i sent my boyfriend to her last year. I just got off the phone with my mom and she was so excited about how she was treated . She raved about how her stomach is not hurting her and that she felt a surge of blood flow from her stomach down her legs. she continued to tell me how she was able to stretch without it hurting her stomach for the first time in a year. Im teary eyed as i write this because she sounded so happy and excited about how her body is feeling today. She said that she left feeling brand new and went straight to eat. Thank you so much Julia you are defiently awesome at what you do. My sisters and i couldnt be happier with the work you did for our mother. We are defiently making this a twice a month thing for her . read more

I have to say I haven't been much into massage because I've done it before and it really didn't do anything for me. a friend of mine recommended that I try Julia out at Therapy Hands and I was hooked. I've never come out of a massage feeling so drained and good at the same time. She knows her craft extremely well and does a fantastic job. I recommend her to everyone I know and can't say enough good things about her. If you are feeling stiff and hurt I would say "go see Julia she'll take care of you!!!!! read more

Julia is the only person who can get rid of my migraine headache. She knows exactly what to do. She also works on my daughter who plays sports and it helps her movement and balance. read more

I get massages around the country and am extremely particular and have very high standards when it comes to good massage therapists. I can confidently say I rate Julia up there with the very best massage therapists. My only regret is that I live across the country and can't get massages from Julia more often. I found her via a lucky recommendation and have gone to see her in consecutive years now. This year I had a particular issue because I had just had knee surgery and had just gotten off crutches and was limping pretty badly. She watched me walk, recognized where my blockages were, and did deep, fantastic work. By the end of the session not only was my limp noticeably less severe, I felt much much better overall. Julia is fantastic I would recommend her to anyone. read more

I am a paramedic. I lift people all day. Heavy people. No good on the body. I have had numerous massages and I always do a sports type massage-deep tissue. It's the only thing that works for me as I have an old injury that flares up every now and then. Well, of course it flared up. I've never seen Julia before but she had Great reviews so I decided to try. Plus she got me in the next day. When I met her, she listen to my problem, told me what she thought she should do and what would help me the most and off we went. Very different massage from anything I've ever had. She works the entire body up into where your problem point is. She still gives an amazing trigger point massage but it's just very different-really good energy. I left feeling very good! I highly recommend her. Plus she's lots of fun to talk to! read more

I cannot thank Julia enough for helping me with my hip/leg issue that I have had for 5 months. I had numerous chiropractic treatments, they did ATR which helped a little bit but was so painful that I was dreading my treatments. I decided to see Julia and it was like a miracle after one session. She really knows her stuff and spent an hour working the muscles and scar tissue that has been causing me problems. Better still, she didn't even hurt me while doing it!! Julia will be my go to person with any aches and pains I have in the future. read more

I have been coming to Julia for a couple of years now and am thoroughly impressed! She continues to explain how my body works so that I can stretch it out better. She massages my lower back and it releases the stress and tension in my shoulder. I am always impressed by her understanding of the muscles and tissues and her ability to open up my shoulders and break up scar tissues and spots that hold tension. She always does it just hard enough to work the muscle but not leave me in pain. I don't see her just as a massues - she is more of a muscle and body therapist that is creating health and wholeness. I am going to continue going back as long as she practices. read more

I am an extremely active individual whom has been suffering from lower back pain off and on for 2 years. I have gone to doctors whom just want to prescribe medication to alleviate my pain and to chiropractors who want to see me on a weekly basis for extended periods of time without a clear termination of services in the future. I would get better but inevitable with time the pain and discomfort from my lower back would return. Being an avid runner having lower back pain is detrimental! I was so use to getting up in the morning and running 6-10 miles per day but with lower back pain that all comes to an immediate stop. The last time this occurred to me was in January of 2012 which inevitably debilitated me for well over a month. I was hunched over and in pain. I moved at a slow pace and could not find a comfortable position that would lessen my pain. This was a frustrating and emotionally low point for me as I was accustomed to being on the go every day. Fortunately, I was given Julia's number by a friend yet it was still with great hesitation but with a "nothing to lose" attitude that I decided to give her a call. She immediately scheduled me in and assessed my situation. I was impressed by her knowledge, experience and sincere passion for what she does as well as her desire to help me feel better. She was able to understand my problem and provided me with ample information and specific exercises that I could do to collaborate with her in expediting my recovery. She makes sure to explain to you her "plan of action" that integrates various modalities to best suit your need. I have to admit that I have never been comfortable having a massage therapist massage/trigger point my aches and pains away. I'm not a fan of people touching me in an aggressive manner and I was fearful of manual manipulation making my pain worse, but I can honestly say that since my first session with Julia my body and muscles have been receptive to her work and I've been able to incorporate actives back into my life while continuing to be pain free. Julia is extremely professional, informative and positive. She makes each session enjoyable even when she's working on your trouble spots! I am now a believer in sport therapy massage! I can see the difference in my body. I feel my muscles are stretched and manipulated to be positioned as they should be. I feel my "booty" as Julia so eloquently calls it has been repositioned to a higher state (a huge plus!!). I know that if I consistently apply the exercises she has recommended for me to do I will soon be back to running the miles I use to do and then some! I strongly recommend Julia for all your muscle discomforts! read more

So let me start by saying I was the biggest critic of massage as a healing tool you could possibly find. My thought process was along the lines of "WTF is a back rub going to accomplish to heal my injuries?" Boy, how that has changed over the last 3 years of working with Julia. I intially was recommened to see Julia after I got a knee injury training in Krav Maga a few weeks before I was scheduled to take a belt test. My knee was swollen, I could feel a popping in the knee, I had reduced range of motion, and it hurt when I walked. When I walked in she took a look at me and told me 3-4 things (rounded forward posture, messed up hips, uneven shoulders, and no neck) that were immediatley wrong with my posture and body mechanics. These things are pretty typical symptoms people who train to fight usually get. My response: "That's nice, back rubs don't work. I'm desperate to to get my knee fixed and the only reason I'm here is because someone I really trust said you were good. If you fix my knee problem maybe I'll let you sort out the other stuff." So she went to work, just not on my knee at first. Julia started manipulating muscles in my upper and lower leg in ways I didn't think they could move. This was not a backrub. Those of you who have researched sports massage may have come across something called "rolfing." That stuff is the real deal and Julia uses a modified version of it as the original version is supposed to be incredibly painful. Whatever magic she did, i had an immediate 10-15 degree improvment in range of motion in the knee. I went back week after week and she got me back to 100% in time to take my test. On top of that she even came to the test center to strectch me out on the day of the test so I would minimze the chances of re-injuring. Now I'm a die hard fan. Here's a list of injuries that she has worked on and fixed for me: busted knee, grade 2 seperated shoulder, groin pull, scarring from broken ankle, no neck, lower back pain, severe tendonitis in both elbows. All of these have usually come with a deadline for when they needed to be fixed due to testing for belts. Some things I especially like: 1) She is incredibly knoweldgeble about kinesiology and anatomy. 2) She will explain why she is doing something and how that relates to your issue when it may seem unrelated at first. Ex. She released some knots in my upper back on the right side to relieve the tension on my left elbow. I never realized they were that related. 3) If she is free for time she will often run over your alloted time to make sure you treated properly. 4) Loves to talk and can make good conversation. Other back rub massages I have had in the past felt like they took forever. Time flies talking with her. Some things YOU may not like: 1) She is super strong and some of the muscle manipulation techniques she uses can be painful. Be quiet, suck it up, and let her work. You'll thank me later. 2) Does not take credit cards. Kind of a pain to run to the bank each time, but her studio has a number of them close by. 3) Loves to talk and can make good conversation. Yes I repeated this from above. I'm sure if you want peace, quiet, and realxing time she could probably accomodate you. read more

Julia has helped me in so many ways. She is the reason I was able to finish my athletic career pain free. I would go to Julia with a headache and shooting pain in my neck and leave feeling 10 years younger. She is very professional and is very knowledgeable. I HIGHLY recommend Julia! read more

Julia is the best. She is incredibly knowledgable. As someone who is very active it is wonderful to go to someone who truly understands the body and working with athletes who train. read more

I found Julia based on reviews here, while staying with inlaws in town. She was able to take me in after my distressed phone call, to help address mid back pain I was having from sleeping on the too-hard guest bed. While working on that she noticed and worked on some other problem areas such as a shoulder that has been troubling me for years, and fore-arm tightness from too much typing. I'm happy to say that she helped get me pain free in one session for the mid-back issue. I also found her approach to be multimodal and quite intuitive versus some other massage therapists I have had in the past who may have been more wed to one approach. read more

Julia is a life saver! I threw out my back the other day and she straightened me out! She has an incredible knowledge of muscles and gave me tips on how to stretch properly so that I don't have the same problem again! Thank you Julia! read more

Julia is amazing!!! She has been able to help alleviate my lower back pain. She manipulates muscles I had no idea would have affected my lower back strains. On top of her knowledge of massage she is a wonderful person and very caring. She is readily available when I call her and makes time to see/help her clients. She is truly amazing and now that I've found her I couldn't imagine going to anyone else! read more

Wow she is THE best massage therapist. She instinctively knows what to do and I just really enjoy her lovely personality. She is a beautiful soul inside and out and I'm so grateful for all that energy she fills up in my body... She's definitely part of my wolf pack. read more

I have been a client of Julia's for several months. She has been instrumental in helping me when I am in pain (foot, knee, ankle) and also in keeping me out of pain as I prepare for a half marathon. Julia really focuses on your individual areas of concern and actively works with you during each session to target problem areas. She has great schedule flexibility and fast response time. Highly recommended! read more

My mom who is overweight was visiting from outside of the country and had severe mobility issues due to swelling and pain below abdomen. She had difficulty walking just a 100 yards. She has been having this problem for almost 10 years now. I was not sure how going to Julia would help but since I had a good experience with her I decided to give it a shot. I'm glad I did. While we paid for one hour session, Julia spent close to 1 1/2 hours with my mom. She was able to adjust my mom's body and blood flow where my mom started feeling lighter and lost some weight too. Before leaving back from here my mom was able to walk read more

Julia's work is amazing! She recently worked on me to relieve back and shoulder tension which was triggering a major headache. My shoulders get very knotted and hard as cement. She spent 2 hours working on me. She started at my feet and worked her way to my problem area (shoulders) where she concentrated her efforts for a very long time. Not only did I get relief, but I also got a very clear picture of what was happening with my muscles. She explained how my posture etc. was affecting these muscles and gave me stretches to alleviate this problem in the future. Julia's knowledge of how the muscles, tendons and ligaments work seem to be on par with a medical doctor. It is important to note, Julia uses pure essential oils which is very important to me. Last year I had a very bad sprain to my ankle and it was extremely swollen and painful. Julia worked on my ankle and identified that my achilles tendon was also out of place. She massaged my ankle and used a homeopathic rub to help relieve the swelling. The very next day the swelling had gone down substantially. Most importantly, Julia really cares about her clients. Her concern is for their well being and ongoing health. read more

Julia is truly the best person I have had work on me, and I have had MANY good people work on me.. I am a former pro bicycle racer, so my postural and pinched nerve syndromes needed someone who would really attack the issues at the root. Julia is helping me so much, she is a treasure!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! read more

Julia does an amazing job with making you feel comfortable right from the start and I defiantly saw a change from coming in with my whole left leg stiff to leaving with my left leg feeling less tight and more comfortable to walk in! She also gave me tips on stretches and exercises to do! read more

I can honestly say... I've been the most skeptical person on the planet when it comes to massages, let alone deep tissue massages.. The first one in my life was after 50..when Julia challenged me and said she could help my golf elbow.. I decided to give it a try... not only did Julia fix my golf elbow... I haven't had any other problems for over 2 years... I have recently visited her for my shoulder pain... and my (plantar fasciitis) foot pain.. I never would have thought deep tissue massage could help.. but not only am I a believer.. I will look to her first before getting a doctors opinion.. Julia focuses on solving the problem on the first visit... My sessions have been a work out.. but the results are definitely worth it. Give her a try.. you will be amazed. Thanks Julia.. I'm glad I found you and converted me.. read more

Ms. Tabarez worked out my legs back and neck really well and was able to tell that I have migraines from feeling the muscles in my back. She got rid of a headache that I had from before the session. read more

Julia Tabarez has been my therapist for about two years now and I wouldn't choose someone else. I go to her now and then when I have soreness or I when I'm really tight in my legs and she works them out. She's very personable and easy to talk to which makes the appointment not awkward. I highly recommend her if you have tightness and soreness read more

all i have to say is thank god for julia. a few months ago i found her and i will never let her go. she focuses on all my back and hip problems and relaxes me well and always sends me on my way feeling better and in less pain. go to her. really. read more

I was having problems with my shoulder for 3 months. Found Julia through a friend and she was exactly what I needed! I have not felt this good in 3 months even with all the anti-inflammatories, physical therapy, etc. I highly recommend placing yourself in Julia's healing hands!! read more

I first met Julia when I was pregnant with my second and suffering from hip flexor problems. A few visits to her and I felt like i was walking on clouds. She helped me release those muscles and gave me a straight forward exercise routine to use during and after my pregnancy. Thank you Julia!!! read more

Julia is amazing. She is able to determine how to relieve my pain and relax my muscles. She is very concerned with my feelings and sensations on my body. Looking forward to my next appointment. read more

Julia is an amazing find! Especially The way she can zero in on stuck area and loosen it up when I don't even know it is there until she touches it! Julia is very intuitive. She has healing hands and is very giving and compassionate! I've been looking for an awesome massage therapist in this area for years...my quest is finally complete!! read more

This is not a blog about my pains nor an essay about my journey to wellness, so I will get to the point. On my first visit Julia identified my body posture problems and gave me suggestions on what I can do to correct them. I also received a list of daily exercises. For my issues I have tried medical doctors, chiropractors, physical therapy, accupuncture, biofeedback and related healers. The treatments were ineffective, time consuming, ominously mind provoking and dangerous physically. I am amazed by Julia's strength and her knowledge of the musculoskeletal system. I am happy to find a gem. I recommend Julia. read more

I was first referred to Julia after a Crossfit injury. I was in extreme pain and she stayed late to fit me in the same day- you just don't see that type of customer service anymore! Julia has an amazing natural ability and intuition about how the body works and how to release tension. She is professional and extremely personable. While she works on me, she explains what she is doing and why she is doing it. I really enjoy knowing that there is intention behind her work (not just the routine that therapists at chain massage businesses go through). I felt so much better after one visit, but continue to see Julia. She has helped my posture, flexibility and TMJ. I would recommend her to any athlete or individual who wants effective, healing therapy instead of a "fru fru" massage. read more

Julia is one of the most knowledgeable and professional people I have met in this field. As a personal trainer, I have been very conscience of who I have do work on my body. I needed to get work done due to sports related muscle tension and inbalance; she was more than capable of accommodating. Her technique and knowledge is impeccable. I have bounced around to different massage therapist, but now I have finally found the one I will stick with!! I always look forward to a session with the personable Julia Tabarez! read more

I found Julia while searching for a practitioner who performs a specific type of therapy. She is indeed a wizard at relieving aches and pains, some of which I never knew I had. In addition to addressing my requested needs, she has a keen sense for finding areas of my body through which her treatment relieves pain and stress. She is generous with her time and the cost of treatment is very reasonable. I am truly fortunate to have found Julia and will continue to be a loyal client for a long time to come. read more

When I hurt my back during one of my soccer games, I believed that I was going to be in pain for days. That all changed when I met Julia. I play soccer with her daughter, and when she saw me get hurt in my game, she came to me on the sideline and started working on my back immediately. The next day, I had an appointment with Julia. To be honest, I believed that she was going to make my back worse. She proved me wrong. Right away, she found the source of my pain and started working on it. Throughout the appointment, she would tell me what she was doing and why she was doing it. I found this very, very helpful because she also gave me advice on how to roll and stretch myself later. Julia is very knowledgeable about all the different parts of the body and how they work with each other and she is also very personable. If you like to talk, she is your girl. With every knot she broke, I could feel my back loosening up. At the end of my appointment she was very confident that I would be able to participate in my practice that was later tonight. And when I went to practice, I felt amazing. I had no pain whatsoever. With her advice on how to keep my back in good shape, my back has not been in pain since my last appointment with her. I would strongly recommend her to any sports athlete or anyone with major pain. She has magic hands that can help fix any problem you have. read more