Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Lou (Louisa) Tomaio.
Hi Dr. Lou (Louisa), so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in New Jersey surrounded by animals — dogs, horses, and a neighborhood wildlife rehabilitator who let me help bottle-feed raccoons and care for injured wildlife. Healing always felt like home to me, and for most of my childhood I assumed I’d end up working with animals in some meaningful way.
Life took a few turns. I started college while working in restaurant kitchens to get by, and that eventually led me to culinary school. I spent about 15 years cooking — it was a career I was good at, but one that never fully aligned with who I was. Eventually I hit a point where I knew something had to change. In a funny twist, I went to a psychic/card reader to help me choose between two paths I was considering at the time: the healing arts or law enforcement. She pulled a few tarot cards, looked at me, and said, “It’s your hands.” That moment cracked something open.
Massage school was the most affordable way to step into the healing world, and from the very first week, everything clicked. That path eventually led me to acupuncture school and then into private practice, where I finally felt like I was doing the work I was wired for — helping people feel better, move better, and get real relief.
Deep Relief came later, after years of noticing the same gaps in the wellness world — inconsistent quality, lack of communication, and a real disconnect between what people needed and what most clinics were delivering. Those observations, combined with my background in therapeutic massage and acupuncture, eventually became the foundation for the business I run today in Austin.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not at all. Almost every chapter of my path involved pivoting, scraping by, or starting over. I went from imagining a future working with animals to spending years in kitchens trying to make ends meet, and eventually rebuilding my entire life around the healing arts.
When I went back to school for massage therapy and later acupuncture, I was older than most students. I was juggling work, family, tuition, and the very real challenge of starting a new career from scratch. I was also managing my own health issues during those years, which made me even more determined to understand the body from the inside out. That perspective shaped the way I practice today — with empathy, patience, and a commitment to real, lasting outcomes rather than band-aid solutions.
And when I finally opened my own clinic here in Austin — with the help of an investor and friend, because I didn’t have the money to do it myself — it happened just weeks before the pandemic shutdowns. Surviving that first year required grit, creativity, and an unwavering belief that helping people find relief was worth fighting for.
The road wasn’t smooth, but every twist made me a better practitioner and shaped how I show up for the people I serve today.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Deep Relief ?
Deep Relief is built around one promise: results-driven, clinical bodywork that genuinely changes how you feel and move. We’re known in Austin for taking a more advanced, therapeutic approach than traditional massage or spa chains, and every service we offer is centered on measurable improvement.
Our massage therapists specialize in advanced therapeutic modalities — deep tissue, trigger point, Ashiatsu, orthopedic and sports work, Thai massage, prenatal, and cupping — but we’re not a massage-only clinic. We integrate acupuncture, dry needling, traditional and gentler style of chiropractic care, kinesiology-based supplement testing, targeted cryotherapy, and Class IV ML7 cold laser treatments. It’s a truly integrated, clinician-led model designed to address pain, tension, and dysfunction from multiple angles — more like a collaborative care team working together in one space.
We’re also one of the few clinics in Austin that accepts insurance for massage when clients have coverage, which reflects our commitment to making clinical bodywork more accessible and recognized as true healthcare.
What sets us apart is that Deep Relief was created by a practitioner, not a corporation. Our focus isn’t fast turnover or cookie-cutter routines — it’s precision, communication, and real outcomes. Clients come to us because they want clinical massage, pain relief, and integrative care they can trust.
I’m especially proud of the community we’ve built despite the challenges of our location. We opened just weeks before COVID, in a plaza anchored by a Goodwill and a Dollar Store — not exactly aligned with the demographics we serve. On top of that, TxDOT has been constructing a massive flyover directly in front of our building for nearly three years, with at least another year or two to go. Between detours, noise, and traffic congestion, none of it has made operating a wellness clinic easy.
And yet, we grew anyway. We now have 400+ five-star reviews, a loyal client base, and more people than ever asking, “Where are your other locations?” The plaza itself is slowly transforming — a high-end salon suites concept opened above Wells Fargo, and a large pickleball facility is on the way — but our momentum started long before any of those upgrades.
That consistent demand is what inspired us to begin preparing to franchise. As we expand, we plan to partner with owner-operators — practitioners who want to be hands-on and uphold the quality, integrity, and clinical standards that define Deep Relief. At its core, the brand will always be driven by skilled healers working together to produce real results.
What makes you happy?
On a personal level, nothing makes me happier than animals. That part of me never changed from childhood. I still attract strays, lost pets, and the occasional injured wildlife as if they somehow know I’ll help. Whether I’m bottle-feeding a baby raccoon, rehabilitating a bird, or helping a neighborhood dog find its way home, caring for animals grounds me. It feels like the purest form of connection and purpose.
Professionally, what makes me happiest is seeing people transform — both the practitioners who work with us and the clients we serve. I love creating a work environment where massage therapists, acupuncturists, and chiropractors have room to grow, learn, and even work toward ownership. The wellness industry doesn’t always offer that kind of pathway, and building it feels meaningful.
On the client side, nothing compares to watching someone walk in with pain and walk out with relief, often in just one visit. In our Austin clinic, we focus on clinical massage and integrative care that creates immediate change — not long, drawn-out treatment plans or “you need 20 sessions” scripts. Of course, some conditions do require ongoing care, but our goal is always individualized, realistic results, not one-size-fits-all routines.
Helping living beings — whether they’re furry, feathered, or human — find relief, safety, or comfort is what makes me happiest. At the end of the day, it’s the same instinct expressed in two different ways.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://DeepRelief.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deeprelief_oakhill/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deepreliefoaklhill
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@deeprelieffranchise
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/deep-relief-austin-3?osq=deep+relief
