Our Talented Team
James 'Jim' Barrile, LMT
James "Jim" combines the therapeutic benefits of myofascial release, deep tissue, and sports massage techniques to offer a massage session that is both restorative and therapeutic. His experience leads to his clients living freer, more productive, and physical lives.
He believes relaxation is the most overlooked aspect of health, wellness, and illness prevention. Massage Therapy is a highly effective method of stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, body's "rest and digest" mode. During this time, our body's energies and resources are directed toward healing and recovery.
His interest in massage therapy began as a result of many years practicing then later teaching martial arts and women's self-defense classes. After witnessing firsthand how massage can help the body prevent injury, increase performance, and resolve acute and chronic pain, he now brings that experience to his clients.
Jim began practicing massage almost twenty years ago in New Jersey and also completed coursework at The Massage School Boston to meet Massachusetts licensing requirements. Additionally, his training includes the American Massage Therapy Association's sports massage program and other educational classes.
When not at work Jim is a husband and father, living in Brookline, MA. He practices yoga and martial arts, enjoys carpentry, and visual arts. He has a deep appreciation of nature and spends as much time as he can experiencing nature and his environment.
MA License# 14856
Minden Barrile, LMT
Minden founded Creative Wellness, established to help busy people promote optimal health. She believes people are more productive and creative when engaged in a lifestyle of wellness and mindfulness.
She has more than twenty years of professional experience in the health and wellness industry, including as a licensed massage therapist certified at the Fingerlakes School of Massage, Biofield Tuning Practioner, and a yoga instructor trained at the Kripalu Center of Yoga and Health. Her wellness training, personal experience, and education in dance and music have given Minden a deep understanding of the human mind, body, and spirit and how to live a healthy, balanced, and purposeful life.
Over the years, Minden's work as a wellness practitioner with tens of thousands of clients has offered her keen insight into the stresses that plague people and their need for support to make positive and sustainable lifestyle changes. The majority of people she has assisted are overworked, overstressed, experiencing low energy, dealing with weight issues and chronic illnesses, who struggle to balance the many aspects of their lives. Her mission is to assist stressed-out people in cultivating a happier, healthier, more productive, and creative lifestyle.
Minden lives in Brookline, Massachusetts, with her husband and their son. She has an insatiable thirst for learning and living her authentic life. Minden is happiest when inspiring others to live fully, singing, playing the ukulele, dancing, doing yoga, reading, meditating, and taking long walks in nature.
MA License# 10120
Jessica L. Merulla
Jess joined Creative Wellness Strategies in January 2015 after a chance conversation at Thanksgiving with Minden. After hearing Minden’s passion for helping others and her ultimate goals for Creative Wellness, Jess knew her technology, administration, and employee supervision background could be an asset to the Creative Wellness team. Luckily for her, Minden felt the same way, and as they say, the rest is history.
For 13 years, Jess worked for a lower Manhattan consulting firm and used her skills to help it grow from 30 people in one office to almost 100 in three separate locations in three states when she left. Over the course of her career, she was responsible for supervising administration, staff business process development, budgeting, database installation and maintenance, and anything related to technology. Many have said Jess has an amazing “Geek-to-English” translator. One of her main talents is using technology to help solve business problems and increase efficiency. At Creative Wellness, this means Jess is able to set up our systems, maintain our infrastructure, and handle day-to-day administrative duties, thus allowing our therapists to focus their attention, where it belongs, on the care and treatment of our guests.
Personally, Jess spends her time with a very spoiled little dog that she and her husband rescued. She recently moved with her husband from New York City to Raleigh, North Carolina. After a slight culture shock, she's been enjoying learning about her new city and all it has to offer.
Jess is passionate about travel and is always planning her next adventure. When not traveling, she can be found reading, enjoying nature, or at yoga.