WORTHINGTON -- After an eight-year career in banking, Allison Furby decided to pursue an entirely different vocation -- therapeutic massage. It was a field that had interested her for a number of years.
"Since my first massage in high school," she recalled. "I can remember leaving the therapist's office and thinking, 'I wish I could do that for people.'"
Furby and her husband, Devin, moved to Worthington from Loveland, Colo., two years ago, and it was at that time, with her husband's support, that she decided the time was right to pursue education in therapeutic massage. She enrolled in the South Dakota School of Massage Therapy in Sioux Falls, S.D., and completed a 550-hour program there.
Although Minnesota doesn't currently have any educational requirements for massage therapists, Furby became nationally certified, giving her the right to add NCTMB -- National Certification for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork -- after her name. It's important, she stressed, that clients know that their therapist has completed the proper training and is qualified to do massage therapy.
"In my own life, I've experienced a lot of relief from pain and stress, and I'm excited to be able to do the same thing for someone else," Furby said. "It's a humbling experience to serve people in that way. Somebody who hasn't had a massage before can be very vulnerable and not know what to expect, so I want to make it a positive experience for them."
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In July, Furby opened her own business, Three Stones Therapeutic Massage, in the former Heartsong Christian Bookstore location in downtown Worthington. With the help of her husband, friends and local contractors, she was able to renovate a former storage area into a small reception area and separate treatment room. Furby utilized a tranquil, but gender-neutral palette of light browns and blue to create the appropriate environment for her clients.
A new enterprise, BenLee's Café, recently opened for business in the same building, which has also drawn more interest to Furby's services.
"I'm very grateful to my current clients. They've been fabulous with word of mouth," she said. "Since BenLee's opened, there's been more traffic, and it's great having them in the building."
Furby chose the name of her business to reflect both her business and personal philosophy.
"Three Stones represents the three fundamentals my practice is based on: faith in God; hope in the future and also hope to clients who are experiencing pain and stress; and love for the people I serve," she explained. "I thought about: where is this going to go, what are the things that are important to me?"
Three Stones currently offers 30- and 60-minute massage options, including a hot stone massage and foot spa treatment.
"I'm working on finding my niche," said Furby about her massage techniques. "I use integrative massage using different modalities depending on the client's needs. ... I'm really interested in continuing education and training in additional modalities. I've already taken trigger-point therapy training."
Personally, Furby recommends the 60-minute massage, because it gives her the opportunity to give the client the full relaxation treatment, but she realizes that option doesn't always fit into her client's schedule.
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"The biggest think I want people to know is that when they walk through these doors, they can check their stress at the door and focus on their health and well-being," she said. "My mission is to serve people with respect and dignity and give them a safe, professional experience of touch."
Three Stones Therapeutic Massage, located at 212 10th St., is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. For an appointment, phone (507) 360-3694. Gift certificates are available.
