Massage therapist opens studio in Cathlamet

For anyone looking for a little bodywork, Liz Workman has opened Cascade Massage on Main Street in Cathlamet.

Workman grew up on Germany Creek and attended school in Longview. After she graduated from Mark Morris High School, she decided to do some exploring and left the area for a decade. Eventually she ended up at the Ashland Institute of Massage when a friend suggested she give it a try.

"I really didn't think about it," Workman said. "I just went. I ended up somewhere great. Bodywork requires me to stay healthy, grounded, and fairly fit. It worked out really well, and I seem to have a knack for it. And I have time to be with my family. I feel like I got lucky."

After she completed her studies, she worked in a spa for five years and generally enjoyed her time in Ashland.

"It's beautiful there, and it's 24 percent humidity," Workman said. "But all the graduates from the massage school stick around, so there are starving massage therapists on the corner."

She returned to the area three years ago, and she brought back a husband, Lucas, and a child, Raven. Like the prodigal daughter, she said. She wanted to spend time with her father.

"My studio here is like a dream come true," Workman said. "There's a beaten path to my door for massage already. Everybody is so nice. The community is great. There are things happening all the time, like tree lightings and dog races."

She might never have found this particular dream come true if it weren't for a friend she made on Facebook. It was that friend who asked Workman if they could meet at the Puget Island Farmer's Market, and drew her west.

"That was a little piece of heaven," Workman said. "They let me set up my massage chair and I started meeting in the community. And then I saw this empty space here."

Workman offers relaxation massages, deep tissue massages, pregnancy massages, and massage for elders. She charges $1 per minute, up to two hours.

"One of the benefits of massage is ease of movement," she said. "We start losing touch with parts of our body until someone touches them. We are wound by connective tissue in our muscles down to the fibers which are wound by connective tissues. It gets twisted. So we are literally all wound up. A lot of the bodywork I do is unwinding people."

Workman is available for appointments most Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Cascadia Massage is located at 94 Main Street in Cathlamet. She can be contacted via her Facebook page or at (541) 613-7795.