Our team

Specializations: Injury Treatment, Myofascial Release, Sports Massage, Pregnancy massage, Craniosacral Therapy, Lymphatic Drainage

Currently, Essie is out of the office on medical leave and expects to return part-time in early December.

Massage Licence #: MA00012579

Essie Hicks, MPA, LMT, owner/founder

 

  • Essie Hicks is a Licensed Massage Therapist and seasoned educator who has spent over three decades weaving together the art and science of therapeutic touch. Her credentials span a wide spectrum of healing modalities, including Craniosacral Therapy, Lymphatic Drainage, Aromapoint Therapy®, Pregnancy Massage, Deep Swedish and Sports Massage, Hydrotherapy, Zen Triggerpoint Anatomy®, and ZenBodytherapy® — a Structural Integration technique rooted in mindful, holistic bodywork.

    Essie is a proud member of the American Massage Therapy Association and the International Association of Structural Integrators. Since launching her practice in 1999, she has cultivated a reputation for excellence not only in treatment but also in mentorship. She currently teaches continuing education at Bodymechanics School of Massage, Port Townsend School of Massage, and The Alexandar School of Natural Therapeutics, where her passion for sharing knowledge continues to inspire both new and seasoned practitioners.

    Away from the studio, Essie is an artist and homesteader at heart — living in Tumwater, WA with her husband, two of her five beloved sons, a gentle lab named Stormy, and a quirky cat named Nibbler. She finds joy in nurturing fruit trees, spinning hand-dyed yarn, painting landscapes, and photographing the quiet beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Visitors to her massage studio may even spot a few of her original artworks on the walls.

  • Essie’s massage journey began in 1992 in Yreka, California, where she apprenticed under master bodyworkers and herbologists at Mount Shasta Herbal Company. There, she studied energy work, body mechanics, and traditional Swedish and sports massage, while also learning the alchemy of crafting natural body products from herbs and essential oils.

    She formalized her training at The Alexandar School of Natural Therapeutics in 1999 and immediately stepped into an educator's role — blending her passion for teaching with her expanding therapeutic skill set. During this time, she also earned a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do, studied Zen philosophy and Aikido, and taught spa modalities, medical massage, and aromatherapy until 2007.

    Essie launched Absolute Relaxation Therapeutic Massage in the South Sound, where her earliest clients included professional rodeo athletes, Elders of the Nisqually Tribe, and military personnel. Her approach is deeply informed by years of experience treating PTSD, chronic pain, geriatric needs, and post-traumatic injury. She also served as a consultant for spas and massage clinics across the region, helping other practitioners elevate their client experience and operational flow.

    In 2007, Essie transitioned from full-time practice to pursue degrees in Social Science and Public Administration. She graduated with honors from South Puget Sound Community College, Washington State University, and Seattle University. These academic experiences deepened her systems thinking and broadened her approach to integrative health care.

    Her return to hands-on practice was paired with fresh energy. After further training in Craniosacral Therapy at Bastyr University, she stepped into leadership as the Spa Director at The Lodge at St. Edward in Kenmore, WA — shaping an experience-driven wellness program from the ground up.

     

  • Essie believes that healing should be felt in body and spirit: grounded in safety, rooted in listening, and expressed through intuitive, restorative touch. Her sessions are known for relieving pain, restoring mobility, and offering a profound sense of calm.

    Her passion for learning remains as vibrant as ever — she is currently deepening her studies in advanced Lymphatic Drainage, Forest Therapy, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and completing a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Certification to bring even more integrative tools to her clients.

Massage Licence #MA70042986

Specializations: Injury Treatment, Myofascial Release, Sports Massage, Coaching

  • My name is Pat McClintock, and I am absolutely passionate about Massage Therapy and its capacity to impact our quality of life. While pain can be both protector and teacher, it can also close us off to life’s opportunities and its beauty.

    Walking with my father one day, I asked if he noticed some flowers as we passed. He replied, “Patrick, my hip is barking so hard I want to throw up. What flowers, Son?”
    That moment revealed where I most want to be of service — helping people reclaim life’s beauty through relief, movement, and compassionate touch. It also shaped why I do what I do, giving insight into my lifelong obsession with healing through touch and competent care.

  • My father was a Tool and Die designer, a child of the Great Depression, and a WWII veteran born in 1921. He married shortly after the war, had a daughter named Denise, and passed in 2006.
    My mother, born in 1935, came from a home fractured by alcoholism. She was a passionate learner, an executive secretary, a real estate agent, and a survivor of domestic violence. Together, in their second marriage, they raised me — a child born in 1968 in Long Beach, California — surrounded by love, complexity, and resilience.

    Alzheimer’s eventually took my father’s great mind, and lymphoma returned to claim my mother at age 80. She was a remarkable woman, filled with compassion, a sharp wit, and a zest for life. She buried two sons and her husband but continued to volunteer and inspire hundreds through her love of literature and teaching others to read. She passed in 2015.

    During those years, while I pursued corporate ambitions with Costco Wholesale, tracking basis points, bodybuilding, Strongman training, and studying Hapkido, my parents were fighting their battles with pain, aging, and illness.
    That contrast — between my physical pursuits and their physical suffering — deepened my awareness of how profoundly the body’s capacity affects the human spirit.

    Today, I am a Master Personal Trainer with certifications in Corrective Exercise, Nutrition, Lifespan, Strength and Conditioning, and Bodybuilding. My background in collegiate football, wrestling, and track, combined with Massage Therapy, allows me to approach every client holistically — seeing the whole person, not just the symptoms.

    As a father, stepfather, and partner, I know time is precious and that intervention matters now. I cannot go back to help my parents as I wish I could, but I can help others — and that drives everything I do.

  • I live by the principles of Bushido — Honor, Loyalty, and Self-Control.
    In my work, I strive for every client to feel heard, respected, understood, autonomous, and safe in their recovery journey. Through my own reconstructions, injuries, recoveries, and struggles with addiction, I understand the vulnerability that comes with pain — how daunting movement can feel, how hopelessness creeps in, and how loss manifests in the body.

    My therapeutic styles include Trigger Point Therapy, Myofascial Release, Bodywork, Swedish, Sports, Geriatric, Lymphatic Drainage, Spa Techniques, Cupping, Hot Stones, and the use of Essential Oils.

    Outside of massage, my passions include scuba diving, mountaineering, woodworking, building, and most importantly, being present for my family.

    If I am not able to help you, I will work with you to find someone who can.
    You are not alone.

Pat McClintock, LMT

Pat’s clinic hours are Thus. - Friday 12 noon-7:00pm

Saturday 9am to 2:00pm