RELEASED: Thursday, February 25, 2016
For almost a decade, Amanda Bolen has been working her way to the top of her field in massage therapy and all its modalities.
As a young and driven female entrepreneur, she has always dreamed of owning and operating her own clinic, and when her client base began to outgrow the space she had, she took it as a sign to follow her dreams.
She invested time and consideration into deciding on a new location and finally stumbled upon what has become Discover Wellness with Amanda Bolen Massage Therapy, located at 190 Memorial Avenue, in the heart of Orillia. “It’s a perfect location,” she said of her new 1,000 square foot space in the commercial plaza across from Dollarama.
Discover Wellness offers a variety of treatments for clients ranging in age from children to those in palliative care. Two other registered massage therapists – Gillian MacDonald and Marguerite Van Schie – have joined Bolen’s team and, together, they offer services including traditional Swedish massage, deep tissue work, sports massage, structural integration, pregnancy massage, Reiki, reflexology, hot Thai stem massage and other holistic modalities. The clinic also offers yoga, stretch, meditation and circuit-training classes.
“I am really excited by what we have created here,” said Bolen, a former professional hockey player who graduated with honours from the Massage Therapy program at the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy in 2004. “It’s a very relaxed environment, there’s free parking, we’re wheelchair friendly, we have someone at the front desk to greet both our clients and walk-in customers and we can direct-bill through clients’ insurance plans, which is rare in massage therapy.”
While an expert in massage therapy, Bolen said she felt a bit out of her depth when it came to setting up shop. She said the experience, expert support and advice from Orillia and Area Community Development Corporation (CDC) staff was crucial.
“I couldn’t have done this without the CDC,” said Bolen, praising the organization’s “super incredible support.” She said they helped her find the property, refine her business plan, consider revenue streams and supported her with funds.
“It was emotional for me to leave Back to Function but this is now my happy space,” she said of her new enterprise. “To get here, I really had to go outside my comfort zone and rely on the CDC for their assistance and experience. There are some angels at the CDC “¦ they are a huge blessing that we have in the community.”
Bolen is inviting the community to check out her new facility and to learn about its services. With that in mind, Discover Wellness will host an official ribbon cutting and open house March 11. If you would like a tour of the clinic, try a hot towel wrap demonstration, see the spacious massage therapy rooms and other amenities, you are welcome to drop by between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
For more information, call 705-955-3997, drop into the clinic at 190 Memorial Ave. or visit amandabolenmassagetherapy.com.
The mission of the CDC is to enrich the local economy through coaching, training and financing businesses, and fostering community economic development projects. For more information, please call us at 705-325-4903 or visit www.orilliacdc.com.
Source: Packet & Times