Daniel (Dan) Frankel (He/Him) – Manual Therapy Practitioner
Dan Frankel is a dedicated and highly skilled manual therapy practitioner with over 15 years of experience and nearly 15,000 hours of hands-on practice. Known for his compassionate approach, Dan specializes in creating client-centered, process-oriented sessions that promote healing, self-discovery, and personal growth.
Dan’s journey into bodywork began in 2004 when he studied Zen Shiatsu at the Australian Shiatsu College (ASC) in Collingwood. After a brief hiatus working in aged and disability care, he rediscovered his passion for bodywork through holistic embodiment practices. In 2008, Dan began the intensive two-year Diploma at ASC, which he completed in 2010, laying the foundation for his professional practice.
Professional Development and Expertise
Dan’s commitment to lifelong learning has led him to study a range of modalities and techniques, including:
Dr. Manaka Protocols (2011) with Paul Movsessian.
Trauma Studies with The Science of Touch and Jessica Maguire's Vagus Nerve Intensive Program.
Lomilomi Practitioner Training (2019) with Kumu Charlie Snow from The Institute of Living Aloha, becoming one of Australia's senior practitioners and certified teachers of this lineage.
Urban Tantra (2020) with Barbara Carrellas.
Wheel of Consent Professional Training (2022), refining his approach to communication and client-led care.
Pranayama Teacher Training (2023) with Uma of Breath of the Heart ((BOTH) yoga.
Dynamic Myofascial Manipulation (2024) with Brad from LionsBreath Wellness.
Certification as a nervous system coach 2025 with The Nervous System School
Interactive Erotic Education (IEE) 2025
Clinical Practice and Philosophy
Dan launched his clinical career in 2010, practicing at the Japanese Bath House while managing his private clinic, "Shiatsu Dan," at the Abbotsford Convent and Four Sessions Wellness Centre. In 2013, he founded Melbourne Shiatsu in Fitzroy (Ngargo, Naarm), where he continues as owner, manager, and lead therapist. From 2018 to 2022, Dan also managed and practiced at Acufitz, a community acupuncture and meridian massage clinic.
Dan’s approach is rooted in finding each client’s unique emotional language, holding a non-judgmental space, and fostering deep connection. His sessions focus on releasing old patterns, completing unresolved internal sequences, and addressing the root causes of concerns. By integrating his training in Consent and a Trauma informed approach, Dan clear communication and a loving, intuitive presence, helping clients explore their authentic needs without shame or stigma.
Core Beliefs and Impact
At the heart of Dan’s practice is the belief that healing begins when people are seen for who they truly are. Whether facilitating cathartic emotional releases, guiding clients through embodied sensory expressions, or simply co-regulating in a shared space, Dan brings a deep sense of empathy and care to every session.
Dan welcomes clients from any and all walks of life, tailoring his work to support their individual paths toward well-being, resilience, and personal transformation.
In the Australian Shiatsu College Dan was trained in various therapeutic techniques, Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory and acupoint theory (Tsubo). In practice Dan employs his knowledge of acupoints throughout the body and uses different techniques to restore a more balanced state of being. After many years of practice Dan finds that bodywork is beneficial in so many ways, for example: circulation and mobility issues, myo-facial release, finding a sense of grounding and physical/emotional re-calibration and most importantly when bodywork is used as a regular health maintenance tool it can assist in preventing health issues from arising through nervous system regulation, Neuroplasticity, being held and seen regularly, just to name a few reasons.
Sessions maybe a different experience for each person depending on their needs. They can be very active and involve client participation for stretches or tension release, classical style, Zen style, and then a treatment could also be just intuitive flow, following the bodies tension and instruction using a whole range of techniques from holding, stretching, meridian manipulating and sometimes some gentle breathing guidance. It really all depends on what the goal of the client is.
Dan is a member of the Shiatsu Therapists Association of Australia http://www.staa.org.au/ whose function is to ensure high standards of practice in this field, including compliance with high standards of client focused professional and ethical behavior. One requirement is to perform 20 hours per year of professional development which assures constant growth from the practitioner which only ads more value to the treatment quality.