Massage therapist opens in Libby

Julie MacDonald was a food service manager at the hospital in Libby for 16 years. She left that job due to the stresses of her occupation. Now she is helping people with their stress at the Clip Art Studio.

“I worked at the hospital in food services as the food service manager for the last 16 years,” MacDonald said. “The stress of that job was getting to me. I quit that job last November and went to massage therapy school. I opened my massage room in the salon and graduated at the end of May. I started June 15, and have been off and running since.”

MacDonald went to school in Kalispell where she learned a variety of techniques to bring back to help the people of Libby.

“I went to school in Kalispell at the Massage Training Institute,” she said. “I also got trained in neuromuscular therapy. With that you can help people with carpal tunnel and sciatic nerve pain, among other things. I was trained in over 60 different techniques with that.”

MacDonald said the first two months have been busy.

“I have been fully booked since I started,” she said. “It’s been awesome to be fully booked and busy.”

MacDonald has lived in Libby since she was in eighth grade and said she enjoys helping out at community events.

“I was out at the Kootenai Valley Triathlon giving free massages,” she said. “They needed volunteers and I was giving free massages. I go to church out there. I’ve been going there since I was 19 years old. I was just trying to help out and do something fun. I was handing out business cards.”

MacDonald’s first love as a massage therapist was the Swedish massage. She said that’s changed since she’s started.

“The Swedish massage was my first joy,” she said. “But, now it’s more of the neuromuscular techniques. I enjoy helping people beat their pain. I just helped a guy that was in a motor vehicle accident. He could barely walk when he came in and he left feeling good. That makes me feel really good. Just knowing that I’m helping people makes me feel good.”

MacDonald enjoys helping people. She said that’s a big reason why she became a massage therapist.

“I really enjoy helping people,” she said. “If they have something wrong I love being able to help them with that. The reason why I’m doing what I do is to help people. I’ve always enjoyed helping others. I really care for people.