By Nisqually Valley News staff
Essie Hicks, a local massage therapist and educator, has served the community for over 25 years, and last year, she was honored with the silver medal in sports massage at the 2025 Pacific Northwest Massage Championship.
She has been a licensed massage therapist since 1999, and has dedicated her career to caring for clients — while teaching and mentoring the next generation of massage practitioners. Additionally, she’s taught classes in manual lymph drainage, myofascial release and trigger point therapy, along with sports massage, spa therapies and evidence-based practices.
Recently, Hicks was elected to the board of the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education and serves as an active member of the American Massage Therapy Association, the Association for Massage and Bodywork Professionals and the International Association of Structural Integrators. You can learn more about her work at essiehicksmassage.com.
She has her eyes set on expansion opportunities for massage and wellness in Yelm, and acted on it by extending her practice hours. Hours of business are 8 a.m. to 7p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hours are by appointment and available for online booking.
The addition of McClintock has allowed Hicks and her business to serve more clients and support an increased demand for therapeutic massages in the region.
McClintock, a licensed massage therapist and 2025 graduate of the Alexander School of Natural Therapeutics, brings a strong clinical foundation and a compassionate, client-centered approach to his care, with structural integration, myofascial release, geriatric massage, sports massage and oncology massage as his areas of focus.
His background includes decades of experience as a master personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist. His expertise has allowed him to integrate functional movement awareness and corrective strategies into his massage work.
McClintock and Hicks first connected in July of 2025 while he was enrolled in her business course at the Alexander School of Natural Therapeutics. According to a media release, his professionalism, curiosity and dedication to ethical care made him a natural fit to join her practice.
“Pat’s values align beautifully with this practice,” Hicks said. “He leads with integrity, humility, and a genuine dedication to learning. Those qualities are essential to providing safe, trauma-sensitive, and effective care. Pat asks thoughtful questions and remains committed to expanding his knowledge in service to our patients.”
Essie Hicks and Associates Massage and Wellness is located in the same building as Northwest Advanced Spinal Care, and can be found at 503 1st Street S. Massage appointments can be booked online at essiehicksmassage.com.
