Meet the Therapists

Here's a little background information about our therapists and apprentices...

Licensed Massage Therapists

Aran Nakano, LMT (MAT-7539)

Principle Massage Therapist, Co-owner

Hi! I'm Aran, the founder and co-owner of Ka Hale Ola Massage Therapy. Born and raised on Oahu, I graduated as a Son of Iolani in 1995. With a desire to help others and an interest in science, I continued onto Oregon State University and majored in Exercise and Sports Science with an option in pre-Physical Therapy, graduating in 2000. With my academics and schooling geared toward Physical Therapy, I decided to follow down that career path and attended Idaho State University. Despite enjoying my time in Idaho working with patients and learning, the situation there was not ideal and after almost 7 years in the mainland, I returned to Hawaii to reassess my future, not wanting to pursue Physical Therapy as a career anymore...

Many of the patients that I worked with during my time in Physical Therapy school complimented me on my skills massaging them. Despite their kind words and compliments, I knew that I had so much more to learn about massage, and wanted to attend a massage school when I got back home. One day while surfing the web, I found a massage school on the Windward side of Oahu, the American Institute of Massage Therapy (AIMT). I greatly enjoyed my time there learning massage and becoming a more well-rounded, open-minded person, but it also provided me something else, the "itch" to open my own business...

I never envisioned myself as a business owner, or an entrepreneur, but upon graduation from AIMT in 2003, I began writing the business plan for a massage clinic. Through many revisions, blood, sweat, tears, sleepless nights, and a LOT of hard work, I opened up Ka Hale Ola Massage Therapy in 2004. Thanks to all of my schooling and experiences, I not only have extensive knowledge in human anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology, great technical skills with massage, but also care and empathy for every person that comes in to see me, and an understanding that there's more out there for me to learn. I enjoy specifically working on individuals with neck and/or upper back problems and helping people to return to their active lives pain free!

Outside of massage, I enjoy all types of sports, especially basketball, baseball, and football, listen to a wide variety of music, watch a lof ot movies, and play with my pup, Kiyo.

Educational Background and Certifications:

Bachelor of Science (BS)- Exercise and Sport Science, Oregon State University (1995-99)
Certification in Massage Therapy (LMT)- American Institute of Massage Therapy, Kailua, HI (2003)
ABMP Professional Level Massage Therapist (2004-current)
Graduate coursework in anatomy, exercise physiology, etc- Idaho State University (2000-02)

Rolando Dongon, LMT (MAT-9324)

On-Site Event Coordinator, Co-owner

Rolando is an artist, actor, devoted father, musician, and now you can add massage therapist to his list of life experiences. Rolando was born in the Philippines before moving to Hawaii at age 5, to the windward side, in Kahalu'u, where he grew up. After graduating from Castle High School in 1992, he attended Windward Community College and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, receiving an associate's and bachelor of arts degree in graphic design. Following college, he travelled around the United States, spending significant time in Michigan, New York, and California, before moving back to Hawaii in recent years, all the while pursuing his other passions, acting and music.

Massage played a significant role in Rolando's childhood. At a young age, he saw firsthand how massage could calm and soothe his loved ones, and came to the realization early on that massage had the power to uplift people's spirits and change their moods for the better. It was only after befriending co-worker, Joy Hunter, PhD., LMT (author of "Integrity Dialogues: An Ethics Guidebook for Body Workers"), was he inspired to pursue massage therapy as a profession.

Rolando began his massage education at the Hawaii School for Professional Massage in Aiea in 2005, before coming to Ka Hale Ola Massage Therapy to complete his education as an apprentice, which he completed in early 2006, despite a wide variety of delays, mishaps, and miscommunications of his apprenticeship (and now even his LMT licensure) paperwork!. Rolando is an intuitive massage therapist that expresses himself through is massage, incorporating style and substance into his bodywork.

Rolando has the heart of artist, who is quite active in life, in and out of the office. He currently is playing roles in a few movies and televison series on location in Hawaii; he continues to be involved in the underground art/rock scene, in a few different rock groups; he is also a part -time DJ at the University of Hawaii at Manoa's radio station, KTUH; and most importantly, he tries to spend as much time as he can with his daughter, Hi'iaka i ka waiola.

Educational Background and Certifications:

Level One Training Completion- Hawaii School of Professional Massage, Aiea, HI (2005)
Associate's Degree (AS)- Windward Community College (1993-95)
Bachelor of Arts (BA)- Graphic Design, University of Hawaii at Manoa(1995-98)

Sommer Tyau, LMT (MAT- 9263)

Sommer is a local girl from Pearl City who loves the creative and performing arts, animals, and health & fitness. When she graduated from high school, Sommer knew she wanted to pursue something creative, but also incorporate her other loves as well. She started out at the University of Hawaii as an Art major, spending her spare time volunteering at the Waikiki Aquarium as a Monk Seal trainer. Nearing graduation, she was forced to choose a “more conventional, marketable, and practical” major. Unable to deny her artistic and creative soul, she chose to pursue Theatre as her major. She was still able to spend time with animals as a veterinary technician, but she immersed herself in theatre, making costumes and puppets for Ohia Productions; Sommer had found a job that she could channel her creative energies, but she still felt something was missing…

In late 2004, Sommer took stock in her career in search of what was missing. She needed to find her “calling”- that one thing which would incorporate her ideals of creativity, altruism, and health & fitness. While looking back, she remembered two vivid memories: The first, as a child massaging her loved ones and remembering how appreciative they were from receiving the massage. The second, as an adult- the first time she received a massage, how she remembered that day to be the most relaxing and soothing day ever, easing all her emotional and physical tensions away-in just one hour! This was her calling… Massage!!! Soon after, she enrolled at AIMT and became licensed in early 2006. Sommer is a creative and empathetic individual that gives a great therapeutic massage. She is available Monday through Saturday, by appointment. In 2007, she gave birth to a baby boy, Gabriel!

Educational Background and Certifications:

Certification in Massage Therapy (LMT)- American Institute of Massage Therapy, Kailua, HI (2005)
Bachelor of Arts- Theater, University of Hawaii at Manoa (1995-2000)

Cybil Rawlins, LMT (MAT-9176)

Cybil has been giving massages to her family members every since she can remember with her dad being a frequent recipient of her work. Her father had an incredibly demanding job, so after a long and difficult day at work, he appreciated coming home and getting a neck or back rub by his daughter. She remembers vividly how one day her dad threw out his back at work and was in intolerable pain. Afraid to massage him, fearing that she would make it worse, she believed that if she had only knew more about anatomy and physiology, she help to could alleviate some of his pain. And so, the idea of going to massage school began to take shape…

Years later, Cybil chose to go to a massage therapist to get rid of some aches and pains resulting from a car accident. Her first massage experience was nothing short of fantastic- she was calmed, relaxed and felt fantastic. From this experience, Cybil wanted to give others that same feeling she was given through massage. She attended AIMT in 2005 and became licensed in early 2006. Cybil loves her career in the travel industry, but she is equally as passionate with massage. Massage is her respite from the every day- a quiet time for her brain; a place where she can forget her troubles and help others through massage. Cybil is a tireless worker, but still has time to cheer for all UH sports teams especially FOOTBALL, belly dance, and spend time with friends! Cybil is available on weekends and on some weekday evenings by appointment. In 2007, Cybil completed her Master's program in Human Resources Management!

Educational Background and Certifications:

Certification in Massage Therapy (LMT)- American Institute of Massage Therapy, Kailua, HI (2005)
Bachelor of Science (BS)- Travel Industry Management, University of Hawaii at Manoa (1997-2001)
Master's Degree- Human Resources Management, University of Hawaii at Manoa (2006-2007)

Cynthia (Cindy) Wong, LMT (MAT-7389)

Throughout her adult life, Cindy has travelled and lived all over the United States working for large international business corporations, serving in a wide variety of sales and customer service positions. She was born and raised in Hawaii, but lived away on the mainland for many years because of her life and job, before returning in recent years. In the summer of 2002, while back in Hawaii, the company which she worked for closed its doors, and she was required to find a new occupation.

Committed to turn this difficult situation into a positive, she chose to enroll at AIMT, feeling massage would be a "fun" skill to have! She graduated from AIMT in 2003 and has practiced ever since. Since getting her massage license, she's found another full time job, which she loves, but still does massage on the weekends and other events with us at Ka Hale Ola Massage Therapy. Cindy is a conscientious and detail-oriented individual, who is great with working with clients, and does a great soothing, therapeutic massage. She is also the voice of the Ka Hale Ola Massage Therapy voicemail!

Educational Background and Certifications:

Certification in Massage Therapy (LMT)- American Institute of Massage Therapy, Kailua, HI (2003)

Katie Bradley, LMT (MAT-9756)

Katie was born and raised in Michigan. While at Michigan State University earning her degree in Business, she began to to massages for her friends and hockey players. She did it because she enjoyed making others feel better. So while in Michigan, she decided to pursue her interest in massage and enroll in a school there. However, because of her husband being in the military, her plans were put on hold until they figured out where they were going to be reassigned.

In 2005, they found out they would be moving to Hawaii. So after some research on the internet, Katie found a school to her liking; she enrolled at AIMT in 2006 and completed her course work later that year. Early in 2008, Katie and her husband moved again, this time out of the country to Turkey, where she will be staying there for about two years. Even though she's not doing massages with us any more, she is still a part of the Ka Hale Ola Massage family!