Ron van Beek, Massage Therapist

Most of our regular clients have benefitted from the healing hands of Ron van Beek. Ron has volunteered with Health Care is a Human Right since 2011, first practicing energy healing, then massage therapy after he earned his license in April of 2013.

Where in The Netherlands are you from? When did you immigrate?

I am from a town called Zutphen, It was founded somewhere around 900 A.D. It’s the size of Kingston. I immigrated in 2009 after falling in love with my wife Tania.

Where did you meet Tania?

I met Tania in Woodstock at her parents’ house. Her parents’ ancestors immigrated to America in 1652, from Borculo in The Netherlands, which is a little town about 10 miles away from Zutphen. (We are not related.) Our parents had been friends for 20 years, so they let me stay in their apartment in Brooklyn while I traveled. I bought a Mazda Miata to drive around America, and after the registration and insurance were settled, I took the apartment keys back to their house in Woodstock and met Tania. The story is way longer, but that’s for another time.

What are the benefits of massage therapy? How does it work?

Massage Therapy is always evolving. The main benefit is releasing tension and reducing pain. It depends on what you want to achieve, but just touch alone can make a difference. It produces hormones like dopamine, that make you happy. A happy body is a relaxed body. Also, the increased blood flow makes everything feel better. There are so many different massage techniques, with every one of them having their own unique releases. I have learned many modalities like Tibetan massage, myofascial release, structural release, myoskeletal techniques, and more. I use a lot of movement in my massages that helps release “stuckness.”

Tell us about your massage therapy practice?

I have a cottage in the back of my property in Phoenicia, where I have a full practice. It used to be a rental, but when the renter left, I converted it into a massage studio. My business for the last 10 years is all from word of mouth. I have also worked at Menla Retreat & Spa, [https://menla.org/], on Fridays and Saturdays for almost 10 years.

Tania and Ron

What do you do for fun?

In the winter I snowboard. Now I’m planning a trip to Iceland to do some serious snowboarding with the help of a helicopter. In the summer, as a former auto mechanic, I love to work on my old VWs.

Family?

Family is scattered between The Netherlands and the U.S. My father passed away in 2024; my mother and two sisters are still in Zutphen. I have two stepchildren in their 20s; my daughter lives in Kingston.

What do you think helps make you so popular with HCHR clients?

I think my unique way of seeing the body in a mechanical way. I listen to the client and the body. Like motorcycles, they don't speak in the traditional way, but they do tell you a lot.

If you’d like to schedule a private session with Ron, you can reach him at (518) 728-1758.