you don’t need to travel far
to get away
katie kiss
owner, massage therapist
Katie is a dual-licensed massage therapist and esthetician with over 18 years of experience in the spa and wellness field. Her journey began after graduating from Branford Hall Career Institute, where she started working alongside chiropractors and physical therapists, specializing in sports and deep tissue massage. Over the years, her love for helping people grew, leading her into the spa world, where she expanded her skills in esthetics, hot stone and therapeutic massage, as well as a variety of body treatments.
Wellness is at the heart of everything Katie does. As the co-owner of Del Soul Spa, Eliana Spa, and Hush Spa, she has turned her passion for wellness into three unique spaces dedicated to relaxation, healing, and connection. Katie believes that wellness goes beyond the treatment room. It’s about creating meaningful connections, making people feel genuinely cared for, and offering a place where they can step away from the demands of everyday life. Beyond her work with clients, she finds great fulfillment in mentoring fellow professionals, supporting her teams, and creating opportunities for others to grow within the industry.
Katie also gives back to the community through her work with the Newington Chamber of Commerce, where she serves on the Executive Board of Directors and volunteers her time supporting fellow business owners. Her dedication to both her clients and her community has been recognized through awards such as Business Person of the Year (2025) by the Chamber and Runner-Up for Business Person of the Year (2024) in the Best of Hartford awards.
Outside of work, Katie’s world revolves around family: her husband, Greg, and their daughters—Ava, a stellar high school athlete with a heart of gold, and Aubrey, a sassy, funny toddler who keeps everyone smiling and on their toes. Katie and Greg are both self-employed and hardworking, finding balance through family time, travel, laughter, and the little moments that make life meaningful.
come as you are. stay for a while.
katie m.
Director of Operations
Katie has had a ten year career in bridal sales including shop management, brand marketing, design consults, event planning, and photo shoot coordination. These experiences give her a unique perspective in creating a welcoming atmosphere and unforgettable customer experience. She brings much of what she learned from the world of bridal to Hush, for instance how impactful it is to pay attention to detail when it comes to making clients feel at home, as well as the critical value of finding time to take care of yourself and step away from the rest of the world when life gets hectic.
Connecting with people is at the heart of everything Katie pursues, wanting most of all to be a bit of brightness in someone’s day. She’s had the opportunity to grow alongside the team and business from the beginning, and feels like one of her greatest strengths is the close relationships she’s built with the staff along the way. She fell in love with Hush from the first moment the elevator doors opened, and hopes to help instill that same feeling of wonder and ease in each guest who crosses the threshold.
When she’s not working magic at Hush she’s most likely home with her husband and their pack of rescued critters, either nose deep in a book or indulging in a variety of nerdy pursuits. She also loves hunting for the best new restaurant experiences with friends, or taking any opportunity to travel the world and create new core memories.
jillian p.
receptionist
Jillian is a hardworking and dependable member of our team, bringing her years of experience to serve our spaces assisting clients, supporting her coworkers, or helping wherever she’s needed. Jillian always takes initiative and approaches her work with a positive, can-do attitude. In addition to her front desk role, she has recently joined the team at The Den at Hush as a bartender. In 2025, Jillian began pursuing a degree in radiology. Outside of work, Jillian enjoys traveling and spending time caring for her nieces and nephews. Her dedication, reliability, and genuine willingness to help make her an invaluable part of our spa family, and we are grateful to have her on our team.
madi j.
receptionist & esthetician
Madi is a dedicated spa professional with experience as both a receptionist in a spa environment and a licensed esthetician. She is passionate about creating a welcoming, relaxing, and personalized experience for every client, from the moment they walk through the door to the end of their treatment. With a strong focus on client care, hospitality, and attention to detail, she strives to ensure each guest feels comfortable, valued, and confident in their skincare journey.
As a licensed esthetician, she specializes in anti-aging treatments, customized facials, and brow services tailored to each client’s individual needs and goals. She loves helping clients achieve healthy, radiant skin while providing a relaxing and results-driven experience. Her goal is to combine her passion for skincare with exceptional customer service to create an environment where every client feels their absolute best.
Bethany S.
massage therapist
Bethany has been practicing massage therapy professionally since May of 2010. She enrolled in the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy (Westport) right after high school knowing she had a passion for the health and wellness field early on. Beth loves to help clients maintain or achieve their optimal physical health by way of regular massage sessions. Over the years she has worked hard at honing her skills and learning how to best serve her clients in various settings such as a chiropractic office, as well as an acupuncture center before settling into the spa world. The majority of her career has been specializing in deep tissue work, coupled with range of motion and some passive stretching techniques to help relieve back, neck, shoulder and hip discomfort while simultaneously assisting clients to achieve that simply blissed out and stress free feeling by the end of their sessions. Bethany is looking forward to meeting you!
Gianna M.
esthetician
Gianna is a licensed esthetician with a passion for helping others look and feel their absolute best. Since becoming licensed in February 2024, Gianna has specialized in facials, waxing, head spa treatments, and lash lifts & tints. What inspires her the most is seeing the transformation and confidence that comes with each treatment. Her goal is always to create a relaxing, personalized experience while addressing your unique skin concerns. Gianna is excited to provide top-notch services to all your beautiful faces and will make sure you enjoy every second—from the moment you step into her treatment room to leaving Hush with glowing, radiant skin and a boost of confidence. She will make it my priority to educate you on at home care and products to make sure you have the best results possible!
liz w.
licensed esthetician
Liz is a licensed esthetician since June 2024 with a passion for helping clients look and feel their best through personalized skincare. She specializes in men’s facials with expert beard care, as well as customized facials for women, full-service waxing, and lash lifts and tints. Whether you’re coming in for a deep cleanse, brow shaping, or a glow-up lash boost, Liz strives to provide a relaxing, professional experience that leaves you feeling confident and refreshed.
As she continues to grow in the field of esthetics, she is constantly expanding her expertise and refining her skills to bring you the latest techniques, products, and trends.
“Your skin journey is important to me, and I am honored to be a part of it every step of the way.” – Liz
Taylor D.
massage therapist
Taylor has been practicing massage professionally since 2016, attending the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy in Newington. He has jumped between working in studios and being an independent contractor which exposed him to a variety of environments but he has always enjoyed the relaxing vibe of a spa. Taylor’s style is rooted in my belief that if he can help the mind be at ease, the physical body will follow as they are intertwined. He utilizes slower, broader moving techniques, as well as some myofascial release to assist with this, but he is more than capable of performing deeper work if needed. He likes to consider his style a bit of a hybrid one.
Alison W.
esthetician
Alison is a licensed esthetician and nail tech with nearly 6 years of experience within the spa industry. In 2017, she graduated from the International Institute of Cosmetology in Wethersfield and began her career. Alison’s focus is to give her clients the best resources possible to achieve their skincare goals both inside and outside of the spa. When she is not doing a relaxing, customized facial treatment, you’ll find her providing full body waxing, lash lifts and tints, eyebrow services, body treatments, and pedicures. Outside of the spa, Alison enjoys being with her dog, family, and boyfriend. She is also passionate about painting, crafting, and home renovation projects.
colleen v.
licensed massage therapist + esthetician
Colleen is a licensed massage therapist that has been enjoying and honing her craft since 2004. She specializes in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Hot Stone, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Cupping, and Pregnancy Massage. Colleen loves showing her clients how good their bodies are supposed to feel.
She believes that regular massage is an integral part of one’s wellness routine and personally couldn’t live without it herself. When not massaging, Colleen teaches yoga, reads, plays tennis, raises a teenager, sells life insurance, stays active in her church, and relaxes with the best cat in the Universe, Bubbles.
emily s.
licensed esthetician
Emily is a licensed esthetician and cosmetologist with a genuine passion for skin health and women’s beauty. She graduated from Paul Mitchell the School of North Haven in 2019 and began her career at Del Soul Spa, where she grew from front desk receptionist to hands-on provider offering facials, body treatments, waxing, and lash services. In 2025, she earned her cosmetology license from the International Institute of Cosmetology in Wethersfield and now practices cosmetology alongside her esthetics work. Emily is known for her calm, welcoming approach and her dedication to helping clients feel relaxed, confident, and beautiful inside and out.
kurt d.
licensed massage therapist
Kurt has been dedicated to the healing arts since becoming a licensed massage therapist in 2003 in Seattle, WA. His work is rooted in a deep understanding of the body’s natural ability to heal and a therapeutic approach focused on optimizing posture, reducing pain, and enhancing mobility. Through individualized, targeted sessions, he assesses and realigns structural imbalances, releases tension, restores natural movement patterns, and supports injury recovery and performance goals. Drawing from a wide range of advanced modalities-including Structural Integration, myofascial deep tissue techniques, neuromuscular therapies, manual lymphatic drainage, visceral and pelvic floor support, intrinsic vocal technique massage, and complementary therapies such as cupping, aromatherapy, Thai bolus, and hot and cold stone massage-Kurt creates customized treatments designed to meet each client’s specific needs, often achieving noticeable same-day relief and reset.
At the heart of Kurt’s practice is an innate desire to help others feel happier, healthier, and more at ease in their bodies. He emphasizes client education and self-care to support lasting results and continued progress beyond the treatment room.
Now a Connecticut resident, Kurt enjoys gardening, boating, soap making, traveling, attending theater performances, and relaxing with a quiet game of cards-bringing the same warmth and presence to his personal life as he does to every session.
alyssa n.
licensed massage therapist
With over 16 years of experience in the spa industry, Alyssa began her career as a nail technician and has continually expanded her skillset and education to include skincare, waxing, and massage therapy. She is passionate about building meaningful connections and creating safe, comfortable, and restorative experiences for every guest. Alyssa believes that self-care is for everyone and can take many forms, and she feels grateful to play a role in supporting others on their wellness journeys.
pedro g.
licensed massage therapist
Pedro is an experienced massage therapist providing bodywork focused on pain relief, rehabilitation and recovery injury. Pedro offers Deep Tissue, Assisted Stretching, Sports and Classic Relaxation Massage. He began his career in Puerto Rico in 2009 and spent the first 8 years working with a Chiropractor specializing in Agility Fitness. Since moving to C.T. he has obtain his C.T. Massage Therapist License, passed the National Massage Therapy Board Certification exam and became a Professional member AMTA. Fluent in Spanish and English. He’s now looking foward assisting the clients at Del Soul Spa.
Amya P.
licensed massage therapist
Amya is a licensed massage therapist who is passionate about helping others relax, restore, and prioritize their overall well-being. She specializes in relaxation massage, deep tissue techniques, manual lymphatic drainage, and spa services. Amya takes a personalized approach to each session, focusing on her clients’ individual needs and creating a warm, welcoming environment where everyone feels comfortable and cared for. She believes massage is an opportunity to release tension, reconnect with the body, and make time for yourself. Amya looks forward to helping each client feel refreshed, renewed, and their very best!
Richard S.
licensed massage therapist
Rich is a Connecticut Licensed Massage Therapist and 200-hour Certified Yoga Teacher whose passion for bodywork began while growing up around his mother’s massage and yoga studio. Inspired by the positive impact movement and hands-on care can have on people’s lives, he began his massage career in 2018. After practicing full-time from 2018–2020, Rich spent four years balancing massage therapy with a career as a hospital K-9 handler before returning to massage full-time in 2025.
Rich’s approach blends deep tissue massage, myofascial techniques, Thai massage, and assisted table stretching into one personalized session. Every treatment is tailored to the individual, combining focused hands-on work with movement-based techniques to help reduce tension, improve mobility, and support long-term wellness.
Rich’s background as both a massage therapist and yoga teacher shapes his philosophy that feeling better starts with moving better. Whether you’re seeking relief from everyday tension, recovering from an active lifestyle, or simply looking to reset, his goal is to help you leave each session feeling looser, stronger, and more connected to your body.
Cheryl g.
licensed massage therapist
With over two decades of experience as a licensed massage therapist, Cheryl brings a wealth of knowledge and a holistic approach to her practice. She specializes in deep tissue, pain management, Swedish, pregnancy massage, and spa services. She is also a licensed esthetician and offers facials and skin care as well. Her goal is to support the unique needs of each client she works with.