Why I Became a Massage Therapist

My path into massage therapy began with my own experience of pain—and a woman who changed my life.

In my early 20s, I was injured in an automobile accident. Working as a high school custodian was physically demanding, and I struggled with pain. A coworker recommended her massage therapist, Dixie Bove of Advanced Muscular Therapy. That recommendation changed everything.

Dixie’s care helped me recover and continue working. I remained her client for years, experiencing firsthand the difference thoughtful, skilled massage could make.

When Dixie told me she would be teaching at Victoria’s Academy, I knew I wanted to learn from her. I enrolled in her second massage therapy class, graduated in December 2012, and later had the privilege of working alongside her until she retired.

After a short break from massage therapy, I realized how much I missed helping people. In March 2025, I opened Kneaded Muscular Therapy.

Dixie passed away on March 23, 2024. I miss her dearly and often wish she could see the practice I’ve built. I hope she would be proud of the care I strive to provide every day.

I chose the name Kneaded Muscular Therapy in honor of her business, Advanced Muscular Therapy—a way to carry a small part of her legacy into my own practice.

Thank you, Dixie, for believing in me and inspiring the therapist I am today.