As a professional, licensed massage therapist, I enjoy helping my clients recover from injuries and illnesses, prepare for and recover from sporting events, reduce the effects of stress, learn healthier mental and physical habits, and find a quiet and safe space to relax and unwind.
Nancy Goodpasture, Licensed Massage Therapist since 1998
Although I was born in Illinois, I spent my "formative years" living in Mexico City. After that, my family moved to the Chicago suburbs in 1963. Then, in the early 70s, I discovered wild and wonderful West Virginia. This is where I've chosen to stay.
My earliest "real jobs" were secretarial, and by the mid-70s, they developed into my first career as a civil litigation paralegal. A curious sequence of events led me to attend massage school at Pittsburgh School of Massage Therapy in 1997. The following year, I stepped into my second career as a professional massage therapist. I enjoyed having a successful private practice for the next 14 years.
In the early days of my massage career, I helped pass a bill regarding the licensure of massage therapists in West Virginia, passed an exam for national certification, established a state-wide organization for professional massage therapists, and attended a month-long advanced massage program at Esalen Insitute in Big Sur, California.
Eventually, the arthritis I had seen in my parents' hands started to affect my hands, so I decided to retire from massage in 2012. However, with the help of a few supplements and taking better care of myself, I am now pain-free!
I have developed an occasionally noticeable, slight tremor, primarily in my hands called "Essential Tremor" (a/k/a "Familial Tremor"). ET is far more common than but often incorrectly confused with Parkinson's disease. It adds a unique quality to my touch at times, and otherwise has no effect on my work or life.
In 2018 I resumed my career as a professional, licensed massage therapist. My office was located at HealthPlus Fitness Center until its doors closed as a part of Fairmont Regional Medical Center's shut-down in March 2020. It was then that I moved to my current office in the beautiful, newly renovated Innovation Center at Technology Park.
In addition to maintaining my private practice, I have attended workshops and continuing education classes (well over 1,000 hours of training), the most recent being a month-long certification class in Esalen-style massage held in Bali (click here for pictures). I've also developed and taught seminars for laypeople and professionals, spoken to numerous groups (civic, service, support, educational, etc.), and written articles for publication in magazines and newspapers.
My constant canine companion who often slept in the corner of my office while I saw clients (the exceptional Ms Be Haven) crossed the rainbow bridge on March 14, 2023. The dog couch and water bowl remain in place as it is still a dog-friendly office. Let me know if you have a canine companion you would like to bring along. Generally speaking, they will be welcome as long as they are fully housebroken and well-behaved.