Whitney Smith, LMT, Chair
(Appointed: 09/08/23, Expiration: 09/07/27)
Q: Did you have a job/career before becoming an LMT? And why massage therapy, do you think?
A: Yes, I was a farm hand and worked on a farm growing up. But I also had a natural touch for massage. My high school senior project was called, “Why Insurance Companies Don’t Cover Alternative Medicines” [such as massage]. My mother had a friend who was a massage therapist, and my mother tried to use as much herbal medicine as she could in our family. So it was an interesting research question for me. It ended up being a harder project than I thought, because I had to call insurance companies for information, then pretend to be someone looking for care, and then try to get answers. What I found, at least back in 2008, was that if a treatment wasn’t deemed “medically necessary,” and the company didn’t think it was necessary, then they weren’t going to pay for it. More “proof” was needed. And if I didn’t have a paid plan with them, they often wouldn’t give me answers at all. One thing I love about our state, is that we now do cover stuff like that [massage] now.
Q: What caused you to seek board service?
A: I wanted to help uphold the standards of massage therapy in our state—to make our career better for us and other therapists. I want people to remember we are healthcare professionals and deserve to be treated with respect. I am accountable and want to be held accountable in the health care world.
Q: What would you like to accomplish in your time on the board?
A: I hope to continue to help the massage industry to advance and to continue to help keep the public safe.
Q: What is your favorite type of massage to give? To receive?
A: Definitely deep tissue treatment massage. For both.
Q: Do you have a specialty?
A: My neck work, especially for migraines. My husband has severe chronic migraines, so I’ve gotten a knack. I would love to learn more about cranial sacral work as well.
Q: What are some things in your life that give you joy and that you are passionate about? A: I love being outside, hiking, being in nature, and spending time with my extended family. My husband and I love hiking at Mount Rainier. I’m very lucky to be able to see the mountain from my home.
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Esther Sanders, LMT, Vice Chair
(Appointed: 01/13/25, Expiration: 09/07/26)
Q: Did you have a job/career before becoming an LMT? And why massage therapy?
A: I explored a few paths before finding massage therapy. My first job was with a youth group, organizing safe and healthy activities for kids after school and on weekends. Later, I was mentored by attorneys through a mock trial program, which led me to consider trial law. I spent four years working in accounting at a law firm to stay close to that field and learn. I loved connecting with people and finding ways to help, but being around law also made me realize how much stress people carry—and how important it is to have healthy ways to release it.
That understanding took shape in my career path after I was rear-ended by a semi-truck and left in severe pain, unable to turn my head or lift my arm. I went to our family chiropractor and my dad’s acupuncturists and for the first time added massage therapy. It was nurturing, grounding, and life-changing—it gave me back movement, independence, and confidence. That experience opened my eyes to how powerful touch can be—not just physically, but emotionally and that healing isn’t just about the physical tissues of the body—it’s about restoring someone’s ability to live, to participate, to feel whole again. I knew then I wanted to help others in that same way. Being raised around alternative therapies, this really was a natural path for me.
During massage school, I was drawn to sports and high-impact injuries because I understood what it meant to fight for recovery. Around that same time, my mother was also in a serious collision, and I helped her regain the use of her arms. Seeing her progress deepened my commitment to this work. Helping people reclaim their strength and quality of life has become more than a career—it’s something I feel profoundly connected to and blessed to be a part of.
Q: What caused you to seek board service?
A: Over the past three decades, I’ve observed a wide spectrum in the quality of education available to massage therapists, along with fluctuating levels of respect and expectations for those in our profession. I'm driven to have a meaningful role in safeguarding integrity and raising the standards of our field and ensuring that therapists are equipped with the tools, knowledge, and support they need for growth and success.
Q: What would you like to accomplish in your time on the board?
A: I want to increase awareness among therapists of the resources available here in Washington State and across the nation. Too often, therapists rely on social media or informal sources for guidance, which can be incomplete or unreliable. Making our professional codes clearer, more thorough, and easier to understand is a key part of that.
I hope to keep Washington at the forefront of high standards of care and education, and effective regulation- this is crucial not only to achieve the potential of our field but for public safety and preventing our profession from being misused as a conduit for human trafficking.
More broadly, I want to strengthen massage therapy’s role within healthcare, fostering recognition, respect, and sustainability. The foundation of this is effective, reliable, evidence-based education. Washington is my focus, however, to protect therapists and public safety it can't stop at state borders. By fostering state to state collaboration, we can protect and support therapists, serve the public, and help the field grow to its fullest potential.
Q: What is your favorite type of massage to give?
A: Lymphatic drainage. Bodywork is a form of communication with the nervous system—it’s like putting in a request for change. But if the system isn’t ready to listen or respond, the work won't be as effective or lasting. Lymphatic drainage is one of the most powerful ways to help the body enter that receptive state. It gently activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the part responsible for rest, recovery, and healing.
When the body reaches that calm, balanced place, everything begins to shift. Muscles release, tension fades, and deeper patterns of stress start to unravel paving the way to change in the direction the therapist requests. It’s not just a physical reset—it’s emotional and energetic as well. I often see patients surprised by how deeply it affects them—how light and peaceful they feel afterward. Even those for whom sleep has long abandoned due to trauma often find a rare moment of safety, and with it, sleep. That’s what I love most about it—the quiet, restorative power of helping the body find its own way back to balance.
Q: Do you have a specialty?
A: The areas I began working in right away—and have continued to grow within—are oncology, sports and osteopathic techniques, pediatrics, and eastern integration. I’ve completed more than twelve hundred hours of advanced continuing education in these specialties. I’m a Certified Lymphedema Therapist, Sports and Injury Specialist, Cervical and Sacral Iliac Specialist, and Infant Massage Therapist. I’m also endorsed by the Department of Health in intra-oral massage.
Q: What are some things in your life that give you joy and that you are passionate about?
A: God and family -having fun and explorative time with both. I have been married for 26 years and have 5 kids all of which present me with different perspectives to explore, enrich and enjoy. My favorite two ways of doing this are taking long nature walks ruminating about subjects that are funny or profound and writing speculative literary science fiction woven with threads of history. I love taking a blank page and creating an immersive world that challenges thought, imagination and the way we see ourselves.
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Francisca Rath, LMT
(Appointed: 08/01/25, Expiration: 09/07/28)
Q: Why did you decide to become a massage therapist?
A: I was working in healthcare administration, struggling with trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I knew I couldn’t go back to a traditional university for more schooling (sitting in rooms being lectured to has never been easy for me), but I wanted to do more than be stuck at a desk for the rest of my life. A very dear friend sent me a link to a video about a man in New York talking about his career. I thought, “I could check out a massage school.” I had a tour two weeks later, immediately felt a sense of purpose, signed up that day, and never looked back. Happily, I now have a career that balances my love of directly helping others and my affinity for science.
Q: What are you looking forward to most as a member of the board?
A: Doing all I can to improve the life/careers of therapists as well as any patients that they have the opportunity to treat.
Q: What is the most rewarding thing about massage therapy for you?
A: There is a certain sense of wonder, that deep gratification when you can see a patient progress from the pain and restriction they initially experience to being able to truly enjoy their lives again.
Q: What is the most challenging thing about massage therapy for you?
A: It can be incredibly disheartening to have to tell patients that there is nothing within my skillset that I can do to help them. It is a necessary conversation on occasion, but I hate that I cannot help them.
Q: What do you like to do during your off time?
A: I spend as much time as I can learning. Whether it is new to me, massage techniques or language, I have always had a deep love of learning new things. I also love to hang out with my animals and pursue creative projects.
Q: What do you want to the public to know about you?
A: There is never a moment that I do not feel blessed to have found my passion within massage therapy. My wish is that everyone can find something that leaves them feeling so fulfilled.
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Shari Aldrich, LMT
(Appointed: 01/16/26, Expiration: 09/07/29)
Q: Why did you decide to become a massage therapist?
A: I became a massage therapist in 2006 after training for my first marathon. I was a very stressed-out IT Director and found that massage therapy changed my life. I wanted to help others find relief the way I had. Massage therapy gave me my purpose.
Q: What are you looking forward to most as a member of the board?
A: I am truly looking forward to being part of the conversation regarding regulations for massage therapy.
Q: What is the most rewarding thing about massage therapy for you?
A: The most rewarding thing about massage therapy for me is actually in owning a massage school and training the next generation of massage therapists. I love their journey and their curiosity. I love helping them find their direction.
Q: What is the most challenging thing about massage therapy for you?
A: The most challenging thing about massage therapy is defending our profession against the illicit businesses that have hijacked our profession.
Q: What do you like to do during your off time?
A: During my time off I like to write, read, exercise and play with my Golden Retriever.
Q: What do you want the public to know about you?
A: I wrote a book in 2024 called The Cosmic Alarm Clock: Wake Up To Your Extraordinary Life. It earned recognition in the NY City Big Book Club as the most motivational. This book tells my story of overcoming a lot of challenges (including a finger amputation and deaths in my family) and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. I’ve done stand-up comedy many times, including 3 times at Carolines on Broadway in NY, and 1 time in Seattle.
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Dominic Buckley, LMT (Appointed: 01/16/26, Expiration: 09/07/29)
Q: Why did you decide to become a massage therapist?
A: I'd lived a life of undiagnosed systemic pain from the age of seventeen, and only clinical massage and chiropractic techniques moved the needle at which point I became intrigued by the jigsaw puzzle of the body and how we can affect our daily experience without medication or surgery. The team I worked with were actually the ones to plant the idea in my head and about a year after I decided to train for my license.
Q: What are you looking forward to most as a member of the board?
A: Working with other professionals towards a common goal of maintaining the integrity of massage for Washingtonians - and contributing to policies that will help strengthen our profession and protect the public.
Q: What is the most rewarding thing about massage therapy for you?
A: Being told you have changed people’s lives has been a huge and humbling experience. Being an LMT has really helped me feel more integrated into my community and I truly value the relationships I’ve developed over my time treating the public, which I think has provided a deep sense of meaning.
Q: What is the most challenging thing about massage therapy for you?
A: Probably managing the economies of both time and energy for myself. Despite being lucky enough to have a career in what you might label a ’calling’, I have to be careful to make sure I have enough space to refuel myself mentally and physically. Remember to put your own mask on before you help others!
Q: What do you like to do during your off time?
A: I love cooking for my friends, writing and playing music, watching off-beat movies, and learning about philosophy, cognitive science and the human experience.
Q: What do you want the public to know about you?
A: At the heart of my work is service - and I believe my personal experience with pain has given me insight and perspective. I’m a true believer in massage therapy as healthcare and have seen in myself and others the dramatic effect it can have on people and those around them. When we all do better - we all do better.
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Sarah Strohmeyer, LMT (Appointed: 01/16/26, Expiration: 09/07/29)
Q: Why did you decide to become a massage therapist?
A: I was stuck in an incredibly stressful job with no future, and I got an opportunity to go to massage school. It was not on my radar until it was, and now I can't imagine doing anything else. I've been an LMT for more than 20 years, and I am so grateful that I get to do this work every day.
Q: What are you looking forward to most as a member of the board?
A: Giving back to the massage community and helping shape the future of the industry. I know there is a lot of work to be done, and I'm excited to be part of the team moving us forward.
Q: What is the most rewarding thing about massage therapy for you?
A: Helping people feel better! I specialize in pain management and treatment work, so I often see people when they are hurting. Getting them to a place where they can move and live without pain is my favorite part of what I do. I often joke that being a massage therapist is the best job in the world. I get to help people, and they're always happy to see me.
Q: What is the most challenging thing about massage therapy for you?
A: Well, truly it's a bad problem to have, but I'm so busy that I've had to limit taking any new clients. My schedule tends to fill about two months in advance. I hate turning people away when I know they need work, but I also have to make sure I'm taking care of myself and not overdoing the workload. It's a hard thing to balance because I want to help everyone feel good again.
Q: What do you like to do during your off time?
A: I like to brew beer and mead, and I'm a judge for beer competitions. I also enjoy most crafty pursuits, especially fabric and fiber things. And I'm always planning my next travel adventure.
Q: What do you want the public to know about you?
A: I'm a native of the PNW, I'm working on visiting all 50 states, and I share my home with my husband and 4 spoiled felines.
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The Board of Massage Establishes 3 Subcommittees
During the March 13, 2026, business meeting, the Board established three subcommittees. Subcommittees can be established for board members to focus on single issues such as rule making or quality improvement projects.
To catch up on the four currently open rules, the board decided to establish two subcommittees to focus on WAC 246-830-035 Licensing by Endorsement and WAC 246-830-430 Education and Training. These subcommittees will review initial board concerns, current and past public comments, and other relevant context to revise each WACs’ language. Once the subcommittees have revised the language, it will be reviewed by the full Board of Massage for discussion and decision. Board members participating in the WAC 246-830-035 subcommittee are Esther Sanders, LMT, and Sarah Strohmeyer, LMT. Board members participating in the WAC 246-830-430 subcommittee are Francisca Rath, LMT, and Shari Aldrich, LMT.
The third subcommittee is focusing on improving the massage therapy education and training program application process. The current process is cumbersome and needs to be streamlined. The subcommittee members are excited to review the process and relevant documents and resources to identify gaps and create improvement strategies. Strategies developed will help schools interested in starting or renewing their programs have smoother applying experiences. Board members participating in this work are Esther Sanders, LMT, Francisca Rath, LMT, and Shari Aldrich, LMT.
Don't forget to renew your license!
It is against the law to practice on an expired license. It is your responsibility to maintain an active credential to practice massage therapy. Although WAC 246-12-030 states courtesy renewal notices are emailed, we recommend that you mark your calendar. Failure to receive a courtesy renewal notice does not relieve or exempt the credential renewal requirement. To avoid a late fee and the risk of practicing with an expired license, you must renew on time. You can renew your license as early as 90 days before it expires. You can do renew it either online, by mail, or by phone. A credential status will automatically go into an expired status if the practitioner does not renew on or before the expiration date. Find more information on the Department of Health’s License Renewal webpage.
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Healthcare Enforcement and Licensing Management System (HELMS) Project Updates
The Department of Health (DOH) new regulatory system for all licensed healthcare professionals and facilities or HELMS, brings applications and credentialing online with a modern, self-service user portal. This custom tool improves processing and provides a more secure, transparent experience for internal, and external end-users.
Health Systems Quality Assurance (HSQA) Division, Office of Health Professions (OHP) is pleased to announce a new “self-service portal”, where licenses, certificates, and renewal notices are now fully digital. Paper certificates and renewals will no longer be mailed; instead, renewal notices will be emailed so long as licensees have a registered email with DOH. Please note, the former DOH Online Renewal and Online Application Portal have been discontinued.
Licensees can start a HELMS account by creating a Secure Access Washington (SAW) account (or logging into SAW if you already have an account). Once logged in, add the “Health Professional and Facility Licensing (HELMS)” service to your account. You will be prompted to verify your contact information. Once verified, users will be able to check the status of their application or renewal at any time.
More information is available on DOH’s HELMS information webpage.
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