Photo by Patrick L Myers - Amy Woodard massage therapist of Vitality Massage ready for business.
Vitality Massage has been in downtown Raymond since Brighton Rehab left Amy Woodard officially opened the clinic on December 1 of 2015. Woodard sat down with the Willapa Harbor Herald to discuss how she came to be a massage therapist: "I'm a massage therapist. I'm born and raised here," said Woodard, "I was 35 years old when I started to go back to college at Grays Harbor and I was going to be an ultrasound tech. I went to work over the summer for Cozy Little doing office work and she totally inspired me. Two months later I was starting massage school in Olympia," said Woodard.
Woodard listed that it was the helping quality of the work that drew her to pursue a career in massage. "I'm a helper and I like to help people that's why I like this job," said Woodard. Woodard has been a massage therapist for eight years. Woodard schooled at Body Mechanics in Olympia, then graduated in 2007, and was self employed and contracted until she worked at Brighton Rehab in Raymond. Woodard went on to explain that since she is self employed once again, she is able to give her time to her patients: "I give my clients every minute that I bill for. I want the customer to feel good when their walking out and at least in the next couple days feel better," said Woodard.
Woodard offers relaxation massage, but branches out into injury treatment, sports treatment, deep tissue therapy, intramuscular therapy, trigger point therapy as well as traditional Swedish massage and "Chinese cuppin" which is a massage method that uses cup-suction to release the muscles and get them to relax while getting the congestion out of the muscles. Woodard also offers intra-oral treatment for Temporal Mandibular Joint Disorder. New to the shop is an infrared body wrap, a machine that a subject sits inside while it thermally treats metabolism and burns calories while relieving pain and helping to contour and slim the subject's body.
Vitality Massage is open from Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm and on Saturdays from 8am to 4pm. Call 360-94207956 or email vitalitymassage15@gmail.com, and appointments can be made at schedulicity.com.