About Ashley

Fresh out of high school I had one goal—to find a career I loved and build a happy life for myself. As fortune had it, I found everything I wanted and more in massage therapy.

I completed the two year program at Grant MacEwan University with certification as a Registered Massage therapist in the spring of 2013. I stepped off that graduation stage with my cap in one hand and good advice in the other. "Set yourself apart from massage therapists who do a little bit of everything. Find a niche, one thing you love, and specialize as soon as possible." And so I did. I wasn't six months free of those university halls before I plunged into my next leg of education: Craniosacral Therapy.

I knew I wanted a long career (massage has a horribly high burn out rate) so I quickly steered clear of deep tissue styles and sought out gentler techniques. I had interest in Manual Lymph Drainage and myofascial release throughout massage school, but everything changed in my last semester when I was in a car accident and landed myself with a textbook case of whiplash. As fate would have it, I had a TA who specialized in Craniosacral Therapy and took me under her wing. I had no idea what cranio was, but I was open to trying anything that would make my neck pain bearable through final exams. It only took one treatment to enchant me. I marveled at how she flowed from spot to spot on my body, somehow knowing without words and with the gentlest touch what needed care next. It seemed like magic, and I instantly knew I found my niche.

After graduation, I got my first job as an RMT at a chiropractic clinic on the West side of Edmonton. After nine months of working at that office, I discovered Back Be Nimble—the clinic that would become my home for the next twelve years. In that time, I completed four levels of certification in Craniosacral Therapy and SomatoEmotional Release, as well as four levels of Visceral Manipulation. Each of these techniques I chose with the goal of finding gentler approaches that go beyond treating symptoms.

Between my CST and VM courses I discovered Osteopathy—a practice of realigning the body more popular in Europe—and I briefly considered a career change. I loved the idea of a gentle chiropractor that didn't force the body to shift, but instead helped it unwind in its own time. I loved how effective the treatment was and wondered if this was the next step in my healthcare journey. My osteopath steered me a different direction though. He said that with my exisiting training in massage and cranio, I was already 90% on my way to being an osteopath. Instead of wasting money on school to change my credentials, he suggested I stay an RMT with an osteo's style and to pursue visceral courses next. While I would be able to charge more per appointment as an osteopath, not everyone has coverage for that type of care. As a massage therapist, I would be able to help even more people without the red tape Osteopaths faced.

Once I completed my VM courses, I wasn't sure where to go next, but fate wasn't done with me. Back Be Nimble hired a new osteopath, and after a splendid coffee date where we bonded over treatment styles, she gave me the next piece of the puzzle. Now, my intention is to start Neuromeningeal Manipulation courses in the fall of 2027, a modality that will deepen my knowledge soothing nervous system conditions such as whiplash, headaches, migraines, sciatica, and carpal tunnel syndrome, and will help round off my intuitive practice.

That brings us to today. In the spring of 2026, after a decade of building a spectacular clientele, I finally decided it was time for a different type of step in my massage career: opening my own practice. I returned to my home town of Stony Plain and started UNWIND WITH ASHLEY, operating out of Treestone Massage Therapy and Wellness. While it was a hard choice knowing very few of my existing clients would commute to the new space, I am honored to bring my hard-earned skills back to the community that raised me.