This year’s voters in the Best of the Valley contest have voted Heather Ryan, owner of Healing Garden Day Spa in North Bend, as the best Licensed Massage Therapist in the Valley. Ryan, who has lived in the Valley for 19 years, started the Healing Garden Day Spa in 2012 and has been working as a massage therapist for 10 years.

After suffering an injury in a car accident, Ryan was inspired to pursue massage therapy as a career by her physical therapist, Nancy Coltom. She attended the Brian Utting School of Massage in Seattleand graduated in 2006.

Since then, Ryan has worked as a massage therapist at various businesses outside of the Valley before starting her own business right in North Bend.

“When I started my practice I stayed in the Valley, didn’t go down to Issaquah. I started the Healing Garden a little over five years ago and wanted to create a beautiful place to go to relax, to receive quality massage,” she said. “I love small towns. People take care of one another. I had cancer seven years ago and didn’t have insurance and I was hurting financially. The community got together and had a benefit. They basically rescued me and I was able to pay my rent and buy necessities. It’s the sense of community and that we all take care of one another.”

She started out as an independent massage therapist and shared a location with other massage therapists until her business picked up enough to the point that she needed her own location and employees. She moved into a spot on West North Bend Way in downtown North Bend.

“It was growth of the business, it was time to expand, the massage was doing so well. I have a small retail space as well, I sell bath and body products, facial products, jewelry and accessories,” she said.

Ryan’s outlook on massage therapy begins and ends with the well-being of the customer, she said. From establishing the look and atmosphere of the office space to the quality of the service itself, Ryan said she puts in all of her effort for her clients.

“I make sure that when I have a client come in, I give them 100 percent and they are well taken care of when they come into the office, its more than a massage, it’s making sure that their health is being taken care of,” she said. “It feels like I’m growing with the city and the Valley. It seems like there is an awful lot of growth… For such a small town it’s amazing how many good resources we have for natural healing.”

Over the five years of operation, Ryan has seen her business grow along with the Valley. She is thankful that so many of her clients wanted to show their support by voting her into the top spot this year.

“I would not be where I am today without my very loyal and supportive clients and friends,” she said.

“That’s what community is all about, people helping people, so much gratitude.”

For more information on Heather Ryan and the Healing Garden, visit thehealinggardenmassage.com.

For the full results in the Best of the Valley voting, visit http://valleyrecord.secondstreetapp.com/l/Best-of-the-Valley-2017.