CJB Founder

I’ve been in the spa and wellness industry developing protocols and spa treatments since 1994 and teaching and preaching the benefits of facial massage since 2003. I was an Educator before an Esthetician and struggled for more years than I succeeded, but I never gave up and work tirelessly to bring the world to you.

Cecily Braden Spa & Wellness was started from my passion for travel and desire to create a global spa marketplace where I could offer unique products and services that honor and maintain the traditional techniques and philosophy of international cultures.

I’ve traveled extensively throughout Asia learning from Thai Masters and Indonesian Healers and always with the wish to share my global spa experiences and gained knowledge with those who are unable to make the journey on their own.  That desire to share, from rare botanicals to indigenous massage techniques and beliefs that imbibe global spa rituals, is the driving force behind Cecily Braden Spa & Wellness and our dedication to maintain the integrity of ancient healing traditions through comprehensive training and the promotion of cross-cultural spa experiences.

My story is long, with a lot of twists and turns, ups and downs, but my mission’s never changed. This company is somewhat of a slideshow of my life and, as was my closet, it’s meant to be a gift to you.

My Story

I began developing training programs and educating spa professionals in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia and Europe in 1994. After 26 years in the Spa & Wellness industry, I was selected American Spa’s 2020 Women in Wellness Awards “Educator and Trainer of the Year” and recognized by Dermascope Magazine’s 2019 “The A-List” for excellence in the industry, which was a career milestone.

I have a degree in Journalism from the University of Colorado (Boulder) and never dreamed of a career in skincare, but fate had other ideas and my love for Holistic Spa Therapies and Asian culture led me to develop the Gua Sha Facial Fusion and Thai Herbal Poultice Facial Massage hands-on training programs that have achieved international acclaim and global demand for my workshops and patented facial massage tools.

I’m often told I have a gift for massage, and while I recognize it comes naturally for me and my method is mostly intuitive, I believe everyone can learn to do what I do and that’s why I teach. I enjoy applying scientific and alternative healing theories with my decades of hands-on experience to create effective protocols. My down-to-earth approach to learning is to help students easily interpret complex theory and master a vast range of techniques, enabling them to excel in the treatment room and provide fundamentally positive shifts in the health of their clients’ skin and body. My goal is to inspire and guide wellness professionals in how to mindfully take their treatments to the next level and achieve long-term results by working with the natural function(s) of the skin.

My training efforts focus on the whole of the treatment, which embraces the technical as well as the mental, physical and spiritual aspects for both the therapist and guest, creating a deeper connection and increased health and wellness benefits. I believe the spa experience should be equal to the results.

Early Dreams & Travel

I dreamed of traveling the world at an early age, but it wasn’t until I was in college when I signed up for a global music class that I discovered a land that would change my life forever. I was completely overtaken with the beauty of Indonesia during a film about Gamelan Orchestras and said to myself, “That’s where I want to go. I don’t know where Java is, but I’m going there.” It took me 4 years to make the trip and I can say with certainty that I never fully came back. During my stay, it was forbidden to ask, “When are you leaving?” since I would break down in tears at the thought. It felt like I had finally found my true love and was being torn away from them— if a country was a person, Indonesia was my soul mate.

When I returned to the USA, I quit my job and kept returning to discover what I wanted to do. After a year of back and forth and not knowing if my next venture would be in ceramics or beaded bags, I discovered Dewi Sri by Martha Tilaar and the rest is history.

Sophie Benge, author of Tropical Spa and Thai Spa Book, who introduced me to Florence Jaffre, Founder of Ytsara, who in turn introduced me to the Thai Herbal Poultice and Thai traditions. I’ve had the honor of working with them since 2001, which is when I first heard about Gua Sha.

Khun Yongyoot Ratpradit, a Master of Thai massage, provided my first introduction to Traditional Thai Medicine (TTM) through Ytsara and remains an integral part of my training and treatments today. In my workshops you will hear me talk about “Khun YoYo” and the wisdom he imparted to me during our time traveling and training together, and I’m honored to be able to pass along his teachings to new generations, so they can have a deeper understanding of the mindfulness of Thai Massage.

Other notable influences are, but not limited to: Ibu Waru (Indonesia), Clive Witham (Gua Sha/TCM), Pierce Salguero (TTM), Nephyr Anne Jacobsen (TTM), Stephanie Churn Lubow (TTM), Jocelyn Sampson (MLD), Anne Bramaham (MLD/CTM) and Dr. Ping Zhang (TCM), who is a pioneer in Gua Sha Facial Rejuvenation. I had the privilege of learning from Dr. Zhang and taught her protocol throughout the USA for more than a year. It was during this time and in writing the manual for the Nefeli Gua Sha Training Program that I developed an appreciation for the Gua Sha and a deeper understanding of it as part of TCM. Sandra Lanshin Chiu, who first attended my training and ultimately encouraged me to further develop my ideas and integrated approach into what has become the Gua Sha Facial Fusion training program. “You teach a very rich, educational and effective class,” she told me, and those words have stayed with me as I continue to share my knowledge and work to “take facial massage to the next level.”

As I writer, I’ve been published in several trade publications and invited to speak at professional spa events. I consulted as the Bali Spa Authenticity Expert on the set of “New Year’s Eve,” where I coached and choreographed the massage scene with Michelle Pfeifer and provided all the products and boutique items for the Bali Spa set.

My goal is to create a global spa marketplace that reflects and honors the diversity of cultures and abundance of healing traditions practiced around the world.

I live in New York City when not on the road training, discovering new global beauty secrets or developing unique protocols and educational programs. I retired from the treatment room to focus on sharing the knowledge I’ve gained throughout my career with professionals seeking to learn how to take their services to the next level.

I encourage you to view what you learn here as just the beginning, a gateway into your quest for knowledge and appreciation for global spa therapies and culture. I’m honored to share my passions with you and, I hope, inspire you to follow your heart and pursue your dreams. They do come true!