Celebrity massage therapist Andrea Johnson executing vision for Pure Serenity
Published:Sunday | March 22, 2026 | 12:08 AM
Long-serving massage therapist Andrea Johnson says her career path was greatly influenced by a desire “to create a safe and nurturing space for clients to relax, explore their thoughts, and process their emotions”.
Johnson reinforced her purpose and capacity for improved treatments when she launched her Pure Serenity Spa at Southdale Plaza off South Avenue in St Andrew.
A mother of two, teen son Khaleel Bartlett and daughter Kamaria Burrell, the manager of Pure Serenity Spa, Johnson opened her doors at Southdale in September 2025. Her journey was largely shaped and strengthened by the iconic Marley matriarch, reggae singer Rita Marley, with whom she worked for 15 years as a personal therapist and chaperone.
Her clientele includes musicians George Nooks, Tarrus Riley, Sharon Marley, master saxophonist Dean Fraser, and George Weah, former FIFA World Footballer of the Year and Liberian president from 2018 to 2024.
“Dean Fraser was the person who introduced me to Mrs Marley, and then she came to a spa where I was at the time,” said Johnson. “Working with the legendary Rita Marley for 15 years was an incredible experience. As her personal therapist and chaperone, I had the opportunity to travel the world with her, even at the White House, meeting and working with various celebrities and visiting new places almost every week,” she shared.
“It was humbling to work with someone as dedicated and passionate as Mrs Marley, who was always on the go, especially during performances. She was a lovely person to be around, and I learned a lot from her.”
Johnson also developed her craft through experience and formal training at several institutions, namely The Face Place, City and Guilds, and Dudley Cosmetology University.
In her ongoing quest for excellence, she combines years of experience, formal training, research, and investment in technology to enhance Pure Serenity’s offerings. Treatments consist of the sinus cleanse, shirodhara, mud wrap, Vichy scrub, wood therapy and red light therapy, plus an extensive selection of massages for every need. “This is a luxury boutique spa … we have lymphatic drainage massage, we have Swedish massage, and we also offer a deep tissue massage,” she said. “The deep tissue massage caters to people who are part of strong physical activities, like athletes, people who are heavy in the gym.
“For the Swedish massage, that’s a little more gentle. Not everybody can appreciate the deep tissue massage. Some people may find it a bit painful, depending on whatever issues you’re having. So the Swedish massage is a little more gentle, and we offer that for weekly maintenance.
“We also have the lymphatic drainage massage, usually for people who would have gone through some type of surgery,” Burrell explained.
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange, who attended a dedication of the spa just days before the global International Women’s Day, noted Johnson’s drive for excellence. “I am very impressed with the arrangements that I see here. Andrea started in a very small way. She has been doing my massage since 1997, and I could say she literally was training when she started with me. And now I’m happy to see that she has set up her own establishment, offering a wide range of services,” said Grange.
“Spa treatments are important, particularly for athletes, but also for everyone. It is important because it reduces stress, it relaxes you … it is perfect for recovery, and it is a tool for health and well-being,” she shared.
Anderson, who revealed initiating treatments with former Jamaica Olympic Association Vice-President Don Anderson, dating to 1998, related heading at least 10 Jamaican contingents to the Olympics and the importance of spas to athletes.
“When I see the top performers, the Bolts and the Asafa Powells and the Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and so on, one of the most important things for them is to get a massage after their workout. So from that perspective, I understand very well what it is like, the importance of massage therapy to sports. And we can’t underwrite, we can’t underscore how very important it is what Andrea is doing,” said Grange.