About the Practitioner

Lloyd (Rusty) Owen MA60625873

I was introduced to body work after a car accident shortly out of high school. My mom and I were rear-ended at a stop and my back hurt intensely for a long time. I remember cracking my neck several times a day to relieve the tension. We went to a chiropractor and a massage therapist multiple times during our rehabilitation, and found it helped.

In the years that followed, I worked on friends, family and co-workers when I could see they were in pain and needed help, but my career started with nursery work. My love of plants led into landscape construction, and I stayed in the field for 17 years. Landscapers are no strangers to back and neck pain. There were days my coworkers and I needed to push our hands against our backs just to be able to stand up straight after laying pavers or pulling weeds all day.

I first thought about becoming a massage therapist when a friend of the family (a Massage Therapist and Naturopathic Doctor) asked me for help one day with her neck (she has had multiple motor-vehicle accidents in her life) and she told me that for untrained hands I was very good and should consider professional training. I liked helping people, and wanted to expand my horizons.

A sudden job change gifted me the time and opportunity to go to school and become a massage Therapist, and I was eager to begin. I learned so much from an amazing array of teachers and bright future practitioners. It helped to discover I was fascinated by studying the interconnected workings of the human body.

Once out of school, I took a position as an independent contractor at Ludlow Bay Massage & Wellness Spa. There is no comparison to learning by doing, and my time working with that team was invaluable. During this time, I also furthered my education. While focusing on pain management and relaxation was rewarding, I wanted to improve my skills as a practitioner- so I took an advanced course in Orthopedic Massage. The continuing education enhanced my toolkit, showing me new techniques to help clients increase their range of motion and recover from injury or surgery more quickly.

While working at the spa was a great experience, I have always wanted to be part of a collaborative group of professionals with a shared goal of holistic wellness for our clients/patients. To grow this dream, Olympic Roots Wellness was founded in November of 2019. No matter what shape this practice takes, being able to help someone overcome their pain or regain movement is a true joy. The relief I see on someone’s face when they can feel real progress and change makes this a rewarding profession to be in. I am grateful to serve my community and support my clients’ journey towards wellness.

Schooling:

Graduated Port Townsend School of Massage 12/2015
Orthopedic Massage 6/11/2017
Myofascial Release 12/13/2019