Hi! I’m Amy Hartl.
Hi, I’m Amy — a licensed massage therapist, certified lymphatic drainage specialist, and breast cancer survivor who knows what it’s like to feel totally upended by what comes after a diagnosis.
I help women like you and I reconnect with their bodies, feel more at ease in their skin, and take an active role in healing — not just from surgery or side effects, but from the deep disorientation a cancer experience can bring.
Whether you're weeks out from diagnosis, deep into active treatment, or years into long-term survivorship, I offer practical, body-based care that’s tailored to this chapter of your life — not some version of recovery that glosses over the hard parts or leaves you to figure it out alone.
This isn’t about bouncing back. It’s about finding your way forward with support, clarity, and a sense of self you can trust again.
There are some things you just can’t know until you know them.
I thought I knew a lot about breast cancer… but then I was diagnosed myself.
I didn’t set out to work with people navigating cancer.
But looking back, it feels inevitable.
I left the corporate world in 2012 and became a massage therapist because I wanted more meaning in my days — something that connected me to people and helped them feel better in their bodies.
What I didn’t know then was that I’d eventually become my own client.
I grew up BRCA1+ with a long family history of breast and ovarian cancer. I had my first mammogram at 23 and lived with the not-so-quiet awareness that it could be me someday. And in 2017, it was.
By then, I had already built a career supporting people through pain, recovery, and illness, including many with breast cancer. But nothing prepares you for becoming the patient yourself. The physical toll is one thing. But the emotional fallout, the identity shifts, and the uncertainty that follows you home after treatment?
That’s a different kind of work.
And it’s the work I now help others navigate.
Because my training gave me tools. My experience gave me insight. But living through breast cancer gave me purpose.
Now, I support women who are where I’ve been. Maybe not in every detail, but in the way it feels to face a diagnosis, to live with its aftermath, and to want more out of life than to just survive.
My story shaped my perspective.
But it’s my training, values, and who I am that shape the way I show up for you.
Credentials & Experience
Specialized training and experience is critical when working with someone who is navigating a life-altering health challenge like breast cancer. Throughout my career I have worked to hone my knowledge and hands-on skills relevant to my clients’ needs — body, mind, and soul.
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BCTMB - Board Certified in Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (621607-12)
CMLDT - Certified Manual Lymphatic Drainage Therapist (Monarch)
LMT - New York State Licensed Massage Therapist (029431-1)
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Society for Oncology Massage (S4OM) - Professional Member since 2013
Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) Professional Member
Breast Cancer Network of WNY - President, Board of Directors (2023-2024)
Vice President, Board of Directors (2021-2023)
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center & Roswell Park Care Network - Preferred Oncology Massage Therapy Contractor (2018-2023)
Trochaire College Massage Therapy Program - Adjunct Professor, Professional Development (2021)
Healwell - Member, Board of Directors (2013-2014)
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Winner - 2025 ABMB “Massage is for Every Body” Campaign
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I currently hold > 2000 hours of academic and practical training in a wide range of bodywork modalities. This includes professional education and hands-on training since 2011 including but not limited to:
Advanced Oncology Massage Mentorship with Tracy Walton, a pioneer in the field of Oncology Massage
Manual Lymphatic Drainage Therapy Certification with Monarch Continuing Education (LANA approved)
Scar Tissue Mobilization for the Post-Mastectomy & Radiotherapy Client with Healwell Integrative Health Therapies
Scar Tissue: Changeable not Breakable with Cath Ryan and Healwell Integrative Therapies
Oncology Massage Training with Cal Cates of Healwell Integrative Therapies
Hospital Massage Training with Healwell Integrative Health Therapies, providing in-patient care to those in Intensive Care, Oncology/Medical, Palliative Care, and In-Patient Rehabiliation units
Opening to the Mystery: Presence in Caregiving at the End of Life with Cal Cates of Healwell
Life Beyond Cancerland
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My Husband & Family
The people I love and who love me are really what holds me together. I got lucky that those I was born into and those I chose are equally as special and amazing.
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Buffy The Vampire Slayer
If you know you know. She saved the world a lot, and a few times, she even saved me. (For my fellow Buffyverse fans, are you team Spike or Team Angel?)
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Traveling the World
I have yet to meet a country that doesn’t have something so unique and special that I wouldn’t want to come back. The farthest I’ve been is New Zealand but these cliffs in Portugal call to me every few years!
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Tattoos
I have several and they all have meaning to me. This one says “rigged” and covers up my port scar. It comes from Rumi “live life as if everything is rigged in your favor.” And of course three little birds to remind me that every little thing is gonna be alright…
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Creativity & Learning
Ohhhh shiny! I love to learn and explore my creativity. I often come back to music and art, forever working on my endless French lessons, my acoustic guitar, and watercolors just for fun.
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Kenny Rogers
My first concert, my first crush, and the album that helped me know my guardian angels were with me after my diagnosis. My favorite Kenny song that most people wouldn’t guess is “The Greatest”.
My Core Values
Who we are matters just as much, if not more, than what we do. In both work and my personal life I try to lean on my values to guide my way just as I encourage you to explore yours in our work together as you begin your self-care journey. Many of these have evolved from interactions with beloved clients and I hope you might find one to carry with you as well.
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“Love is the answer, and you know that for sure”. - John Lennon
To me love in all forms is the ultimate guiding value. It encompasses Kindness, Compassion, Empathy, Beauty, Honesty, Connection, Passion, Service, Inclusion, Anti-Racism and so much more. When I lead with love I know that it is hard to go wrong.
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“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” - Nelson Mandela
Freedom is a luxury that is sometimes given and a right that is often hard won. To me it means Autonomy, Confidence, Self-Reliance, Safety/Security, Empowerment, Wealth, Exploration, and Equity and I work to create it for myself and the world.
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“I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
Curiosity is the fuel that feeds growth through Creativity, Expression, Reflection, Optimism, Openness, and Courage.
When used with intention and purpose curiosity leads to great things without harm or gossip.
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“If you carry joy in your heart, you can heal at any moment.” - Carlos Santana
To me joy is a feeling worth striving for yet attainable every day. It includes Fun, Adventure, Calm, Happiness, Gratitude, and Ease.
This isn’t blind positivity but means being fully present in all of my feelings with the intent to find growth in experiences.
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“Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good action; try to use ordinary situations.” - Jean-Paul Richter
For the earth, for others, for myself.
Drawing on Self-Compassion, Efficiency, Integrity, Stewardship, Thoughtfulness, and of course Action to ensure that not only do I leave this world better than I found it but that I honor myself in the same way.
Want to go deeper into how I see things?
Click here to read more about my philosophy on survivorship and what I believe makes the difference between passive recovery and active healing.
Ready to take the next step?
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Practical, body-based resources that give you real tools to support your healing—on your own terms, at your own pace.
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If you’re feeling stuck or unsure what to do next, a one-time virtual consultation might be exactly what you need. We’ll talk through your situation and create a plan that works for you.
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Oncology massage and manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) for people recovering from breast cancer. Gentle, safe, and specialized care for real relief.
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Not sure what you need or want to get to know each better first? Here’s some ways to keep exploring:
Weekly Newsletter - Read The Sunday Self-Care Chronicles and decide if you’d like to invite me to your inbox.
Self-Care Savvy Blog - Browse my blog full of empowering and actionable information as well as thoughtful perspective.
Whether you're looking for hands-on support, practical self-care tools, or just someone who truly gets it—you're in the right place.
Explore my services to see what might fit best for where you are now, or book a consultation if you're not sure where to start. I’ll help you figure it out.
You don’t have to do this alone. And you don’t have to wait for things to get worse to start feeling better.