About Melissa Strautman, LMT

After having attended Martin Methodist College and Austin Peay State University in Tennessee, Melissa graduated from The New York College for Holistic Health Education and Research (now called the New York College of Health Professions) in Syosset, New York in 1999.   She holds licenses in  New York, and Kentucky, attends between 24-72 continuing education hours every year.

Melissa co-owned and operated Ouchback Massage Therapy of Smithtown, NY and also gained experience at Smithtown Sports Rehab/Chiropractic Center, Naturopathica of East Hampton, NY and San Tropez of Port Jefferson, NY.  She has owned and operated her own private practice in Bowling Green, KY since 2003 (formerly: New York Massage Company).

Melissa has volunteered at many events, but especially enjoyed working at the Hamlet Men’s Professional Tennis Tournament and the Smithtown Parkinson Therapy Center.  She has been published three times in the AMTA’s Massage Therapy Journal (2007-2008, Q&A) and twice in the local SOKYhappenings magazine. Melissa also is a guest blogger for Cherie Sohnen-Moe's Business Mastery Website, and other blogs in the Massage Therapy space. Melissa was a Massage Therapy Instructor for two years at the Natural Health Institute (now Genesis Career College) here in Bowling Green and in Nashville, TN.

As an educator, Melissa has experience teaching Anatomy/Physiology, Pathology, Ethics, Eastern Anatomy/Physiology, Stone Massage, Aromatherapy and Fundamentals of Massage Technique. In August of 2011 Melissa moved to Tampa, FL for 16 months to work with Swiss Spirit Massage, a U.S. based Therapeutic Massage Center from Switzerland. Melissa opened MassageFIX, a new massage office in Bowling Green, KY in November of 2012.

In 2022, Melissa entered the American Massage Championship (at the World Massage Festival) and was awarded the Gold Medal in the Swedish Massage category. In addition to seeing clients regularly, she is now the National Coordinator for the United States Association of Massage Championships, State Coordinator for the Kentucky Massage Championship, and Melissa will be inducted into the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame in July 2023.