About Me & Be Well

~ Get to Know the Therapist ~

I have a bachelors degree in Exercise Physiology with a concentration in gerontology (2001) from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania and a professional degree from Potomac Massage Training Institute (2005) in Washington, D.C. Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork from 2005-2013 and Nevada state licensed since 2007. I have been a working LMT in Las Vegas since 2005 and self-employed since 2009. I am a member of the professional group ABMP (Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals).

I became a Certified Integrated Reflexology in 2012 and trained Reiki Master in March 2016.

I have received a Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies (Dec. 2015) and earned a Culinary Rx Certificate of Completion from the Rouxbe Online Cooking School (Dec. 2017). I plan to continue pursuing knowledge in the field of plant-based nutrition and the healing benefits of a whole foods plant based diet/lifestyle. My passion for this information was planted (excuse the pun) after discovering Dr. T. Colin Campbell's work ("The China Study", "Whole", "Forks Over Knives" "PlantPure Nation"). I will continue to feed my curiosity for this material as well as apply what I learn to my own life. My intent is to share the power of Lifestyle Medicine with individuals looking to take control of their wellness.

While I was in massage school and following my graduation, I worked at a pain management center (in Rockville, MD) and had the opportunity to work with a number of patients there who were receiving care for various chronic & acute pain conditions. I have experience working with a wide range of chronic pain conditions including disc herniations, sciatica, fibromyalgia, migraine headaches, neuralgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, paralysis, scoliosis, and whiplash (to name a few). I am comfortable working with individuals with these conditions and understand the time, dedication, and client-therapist trust relationship that is required in order to make great strides to improve an individuals health. I also know it is possible to make significant improvements and have seen them first hand.

I worked for the MGM Grand Spa as a massage therapist for 3 years, where I had the opportunity to work on a variety of clients from all over the world. I was honored to have been the preferred therapist for a world famous athlete and other VIP guests. I had several repeat guests during my time at this spa and received a lot of positive feedback from them and others regarding my therapy. I was lucky to get a lot of experience in a short amount of time which allowed me to fine tune my skills. I have thousands upon thousands of massages under my belt and each person I work with gets the best of me, every time.

I've had further training & experience in hot stone massage, warm bamboo massage, shiatsu, spa therapies (sugar & salt scrubs, body wraps, hot oil scalp treatments), prenatal massage, lymph drainage, sports massage, myofascial release technique, and aromatherapy. I am a level 1 Tuning Fork Practitioner®, a Certified Integrated Reflexologist™ and a Level 3 Reiki Practitioner ("Reiki Master"). I have also studied acupuncture and pet massage though I am not a certified specialist in these modalities.

Now-a-days I work mostly with Las Vegas locals, some visitors, and some visiting family members of my regulars. We all become family. My clients range in age, from teenagers to 80+ seniors but I have also worked with children. Most people come to me for my integrated massage. They trust my hands, intuition, & experience; they know I will provide consistent touch therapy with the goal of promoting wellness & self healing. I regularly work with individuals w/ chronic or acute neck and/or back pain (some post major surgery), repetitive-use/over-use injury, sports injury, circulation issues, cancer-survivors, chronic and/or acute soft tissue pain, migraine headaches, scoliosis, high stress, depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, GI issues, pregnancy, post surgical healing, sciatica & piriformis syndrome, carpel tunnel syndrome, diabetes, circulation issues, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, & plantar fasciitis (to name a few).

I also enjoy scenic photography (the scenic photos on this site were all taken by either myself or my husband) and keep active by going hiking & camping, trail running, practicing yoga, weight & circuit training, bicycling, and dancing. I love to road-trip with my husband and dogs in our converted van. I also enjoy spending time cooking, painting & drawing, meditation, laughing often, shooting guns, reading, watching documentaries, practicing self-love, and being an activist for the planet & all it's earthlings.

I love to learn and plan to continue adding services and resources that I believe will aid in the wellness of myself and my clients.

I love my work and feel very fortunate to have found a career that I am passionate about. It is my pleasure to serve my community and help relax, replenish, rejuvenate, and most importantly, promote wellness in the city of Las Vegas!

Jill L. Kerner

Licensed Massage Therapist

Certified Integrated Reflexologist™

Reiki Master

Level 1 Tuning Fork Practitioner®

Lifestyle Medicine Advocate

Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition

Certificate in Culinary Rx

NVMT1544

ABMP 903856

Business License # G68-04910

~ My Story ~

I've been a chronic pain sufferer since our car was rear-ended in the snow back in 2003 in Maryland. Years later, after finally accepting the fact that I was always going to have neck pain, I was hit by a taxi cab on my way to work in 2007. This accident not only complicated my neck pain but also left me with low back pain. My symptoms kept worsening in the years to come. I was not only in chronic and acute pain, but I had no energy, frequent migraine headaches, sciatica, neuropathy, and sleepless nights. I was depressed and withdrawn , my relationships suffered, and I was angry. I didn't recognize the girl in the mirror.

The doctors I saw tried some minor out-patient or in-office surgical options, which only provided temporary relief at best. At one point, in my early thirty's, I found myself on 7 different medications; each with pages of undesired side effects. Chiropractic work gave me some relief, but I had to go to the office several times a week for adjustments. I got myself a great massage therapist whose work really helped give me moderate relief. Between massages, I enlisted my devoted husband to work on my soft tissue injuries. I had developed so many trigger point areas and they were nearly always acute. I wasn't sleeping well, my depression kept getting worse, my marriage nearly ended, my work suffered, and I was still in lots of pain all the time. I was completely miserable. My life was on a downward spiral.

After years of taking medications and never feeling myself, it was brought to my attention that I was caught in a horrible medication cycle. This course of "treatment" was leading me downhill, fast. Something finally clicked. I decided to take my treatment into my own hands. It really sank in that nobody would care for my wellness more than me, so my own efforts have to be the driving force that turns my life around. In 2010, I read "Skinny Bitch" and watched "Food Matters" and immediately I made some major lifestyle changes. I made the decision to put my health first and not just "put a band aid on it", but "fix it."

Sometimes you have to get sick and tired of being sick and tired for something to click. I'm grateful, every day, that I recognized the powerful gift of self love and self healing.

I read books and watched documentaries (and continue to do both) about self-healing and pit-fall lifestyle choices that were perpetuating my pain. I got off all the medications and made a lot of dietary changes - moving swiftly towards a whole foods plant based lifestyle. My dietary changes have resulted in major changes to my physical, mental, & emotional health. My husband and I both benefited from couples and individual counseling. We recognize that the communication and active listening skills we learned were (and continue to be) incredibly powerful tools in our relationship. Mental health counseling is a wonderful tool and nobody should ever feel ashamed to utilize this branch of professional help.

I started running. Running, for me, was always a challenge. I've had asthma since I was a kid, and although I always played sports and thought myself an "athlete," I certainly was never a "runner." The ways in which I have grown in confidence, physical & mental strength as well as physical & mental health are remarkable.

Between 2013-2016 my husband and I continued to eliminate the remaining animal products from our diet. We started by cutting all meats/flesh during the summer of 2013 after returning home from a 3 week trek in Nepal. We were primarily eating plant based with the occasional vegetarian baked good, candy bar, or cheese product here or there. In the fall of 2016, we shifted once again and removed all remaining animal products from our diets (and lifestyle). We have been vegan ever since and consume (mostly) a whole foods plant-based diet sprinkled with the occasional guilty-pleasure vegan junk food. My husband and I cook some of our meals together and we really enjoy the bond we've created in the kitchen. We have a new found connection to our food choices and recognize that lifestyle habits (dietary choices primarily) are the most powerful tool we have to promote optimal wellness for ourselves. My ongoing wellness goals include : to consuming at least 80% organics whole foods including lots of fruits, veggies, beans, grains, lentils, nuts, & seeds, more raw meals, to prepare the majority of my meals at home, and more soul feeding activities (yoga, trail running, getting creative, travel, meditation, gratitude).

I get professional massages, chiropractic adjustments, & self massage/stretch regularly. I set goals to listen to guided meditations, practice self-reiki, and focus on my breathing. I see or speak to a mental health professional when needed. I travel, I play, I rest, I enjoy life to the fullest. I participate in activities that feed my soul, promote my creativity, challenge me mentally, and provide me unlimited opportunities for growth. I practice daily gratitude and mindfulness.

I appreciate the little things.

All these changes have saved my quality of life. The more I learn, the more opportunities I have to improve my health and wellness and grow as an individual, which in turn, improves my quality of life.

I'm now doing things I never thought I'd be able to do without pain or the assistance of pain medication. I have accomplished goals I never dreamed I'd even have on my bucket list including completing 3 full marathons and a 50k ultra-marathon. I've become an ATHLETE again and in the process I found myself (and basically lost my asthma!)

In addition to running the trails as often as I can, I spend a lot of my time tending to the residents at All Friends Animal Sanctuary, a safe place for farmed animals, where I'm a board member. I also attend as many animal activist events as possible. I'm a member of the Las Vegas Animal Save as well as an organizer and demo cook for the Las Vegas Health Save. I feel an honor, joy, and responsibility to share the powerful information I've learned and help others empower themselves through basic, mindful daily habits.

Be Well Professional Therapy

I started this business in the fall of 2009 so that I can provide the residents of Las Vegas with therapeutic massage on a regular basis for an affordable price. It is my belief that bodywork and energywork therapies are fundamental modalities for optimal wellness. Touch is one of the oldest forms of healthcare. The physical body holds trauma in various forms. Touch therapy combined with energy balancing promotes holistic wellness and self healing both directly and through intention.

I've provided my specialty work (custom integrated massage) for over 10 years. Satisfied new clients often describe my work by stating "I've never experienced a massage like that before". I include some light energy work (reiki) at the conclusion of all my sessions in order to channel some positive healing energy into each client. Touch is so powerful. Energy work is so powerful. In our society both are under appreciated and under-utilized. Regular bodywork can vastly improve cardiovascular and immune function which are two key systems we often take for granted in our body. By choosing massage therapy, you may be able to avoid unnecessary surgeries, prescription or OTC medications and/or lessen the side effects that come along with medications you may already be taking. I've worked with several individuals who were able to reduce or eliminate medication(s) (and ease some side effects, especially constipation associated with pain medication) by adding regular massage to their health care regimen.

My practice switched over to an entirely out-call based business in August 2020. All recommended protocols for safety during this pandemic (sanitation & mask) are being upheld.

I am very confident in my work and ability to develop the perfect massage for you. I offer a quality service for a fair and reasonable price. It doesn't get any better than that. Every single client I see is a VIP. I value my clients and love my work. I am here to serve you and help guide you toward achieving and maintaining your optimum wellness goals. I offer a therapeutic grade massage with spa-like elements of bliss. No matter what your therapeutic needs are, I can provide you with your perfect massage.

By choosing Be Well, you are supporting a small business owner. Thank you! Your patronage is appreciated!

Proud to be a GREEN THERAPIST

Environmental issues are very important to me. I was taught the importance of the phrase "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" at an early age. I strive to incorporate these values into my business practices (as well as my life) on a daily basis.

What does this mean for you?

I also use food-grade organic olive oil & coconut oil; and mostly organic, always vegan, & cruelty-free skin care products, & cleaning supplies. I make it a mission to provide a healthy, refreshing treatment for my clients without the use of harsh chemicals and attempt to keep my environmental impact to a minimum by being a mindful consumer and wellness provider. I'm always looking for new & interesting ways to offer earth friendly services to my clients.

You Deserve to Feel Your BEST

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Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me and my philosophy of care. I look forward to being a part of your health care team. It's time to focus on you and take time to sculpt your personalized wellness plan.

Relax, Rejuvenate, Replenish.

Be Well