Lima's Cathy Appleton: The art of massage - Lima Ohio

[massage]

Next year, Richard and Cathy Appleton will celebrate 50 years of marriage. Richard is retired from Apollo Career Center and continues to support Cathy in her business by doing the accounting.

Christina Ryan Claypool photos

For more than 25 years, the Stress Reduction Clinic has existed as a separate facility with a private entrance adjoining the Appletons’ home at 2100 N. Eastown Road, Lima. The office phone number is 419-331-3200.

Christina Ryan Claypool photos

Next year, Richard and Cathy Appleton will celebrate 50 years of marriage. Richard is retired from Apollo Career Center and continues to support Cathy in her business by doing the accounting.

Christina Ryan Claypool photos

Irma Ayers, who is employed at the front office of Lima Dental Associates, has been a long-time client of Cathy Appleton. Ayers is an Allen County resident who believes in the many benefits of therapeutic massage.

Christina Ryan Claypool photos

Irma Ayers, who is employed at the front office of Lima Dental Associates, has been a long-time client of Cathy Appleton. Ayers is an Allen County resident who believes in the many benefits of therapeutic massage.

Christina Ryan Claypool photos

Cathy Appleton L.M.T. has been a licensed massage therapist for 33 years. She says that people usually come to her office for an initial problem, but when they realize they feel better overall, they sometimes become regular clients.

Christina Ryan Claypool photos

Cathy Appleton L.M.T. has been a licensed massage therapist for 33 years. She says that people usually come to her office for an initial problem, but when they realize they feel better overall, they sometimes become regular clients.

Christina Ryan Claypool photos


Cathy Appleton has been a licensed massage therapist for 33 years. This spiritual lady believes that massage therapy is one way of assisting others in finding a better quality of life.

One of the reasons she originally began attending the Southwestern School of Massage where she graduated from in 1984 was because “I saw the stress levels on people,” she said. “They walked through things … and there was no help for them.”

Cathy was convinced that massage not only promoted stress reduction but actually assisted in healing, because she had experienced this firsthand. When she was a young mother of two employed as a dental assistant in Ada, “I was getting a file out of the file cabinet and something happened in my back,” said the 67-year-old massage therapist.

She tried muscle relaxers and a chiropractor but didn’t find any relief. Then a friend’s daughter who had just finished training as a massage therapist “worked on me, and boom, it was taken care of and I was okay,” she said.

Encouraged by that young practitioner to pursue her own career in massage therapy, Cathy did what she had been taught to do as a small child.

“I was in much prayer about going to school,” said the Lima resident. “It was more of a natural way of doing things, and I was bent in that direction.”

Her parents, the late Ned and Annabell Burden were “very strong in the church,” said Cathy. Her father was the Sunday school superintendent of their Nazarene church who led family devotional times.

“Not only did my dad have Bible study and prayer, but as a child, I would read my Bible and pray. I had a personal relationship, and I thought every kid did that,” she said.

Raised with five brothers, Cathy says that finances were stretched.

“My mom and dad, they always tried to eat healthy. We weren’t allowed to eat candy and pop. They looked for natural things. I got my shots — but we didn’t go to the doctor, unless we had to.”

During her school days, Cathy considered being a missionary, “but there was not much promotion for girls,” said the Wapakoneta native. Instead she met her husband Richard at youth camp, and their paths seemed to cross repeatedly. They dated for several years, then after Cathy graduated from Wapakoneta High School in 1968, they married.

Richard and Kathy have two grown children, Melissa and Mark, and three grandchildren. During the beginning of their marriage, she stayed at home. Later, she worked at Bluffton College, Wilson Football Factory, and finally for an Ada dentist who trained her to be a dental assistant. But when her children reached their tween years, Cathy decided to become a massage therapist by attending the year-long training.

Soon it will be 33 years since the massage therapist began her career — first in a Bluffton beauty shop, then onto Lima’s former Shampoo Inn, and eventually she provided massages at an Indian Lake beauty shop. In 1989, Cathy opened her own office on Elida Road.

“It wasn’t long after that we were able to put together a home and office together in 1991,” said the seasoned practitioner. Her husband has been supportive of her profession. “We put the office part here, he put the walls in and flooring, he still helps by doing accounting work,” she said.

Initially, Cathy was concerned that massage therapy might deviate from her own Christian beliefs. However, “My foundation was the Word,” said the Lima professional. “One day, the presence of God let me know that God created all things. If I keep myself in the Word, keep myself before God, when I lay hands on people, even though I am trained, He’s the one who is healing.”

Cathy is also seasoned in ministry, both as a speaker and within the church. For 16 years, she and Richard were part of Marion Christian Center. “I taught in their prayer school, and the school of the prophets and ministered prophetically,” said Cathy. When the drive became too much, the couple started attending Church of the Good Shepherd in Columbus Grove.

As for getting older, Cathy admits she’s cut back, but she’s not going to stop helping others through massage or prayer anytime soon. She said, “Caleb said, ‘Even though I am 80, I can still take that mountain.’ That’s what we need to grab a hold of.”

Next year, Richard and Cathy Appleton will celebrate 50 years of marriage. Richard is retired from Apollo Career Center and continues to support Cathy in her business by doing the accounting.

For more than 25 years, the Stress Reduction Clinic has existed as a separate facility with a private entrance adjoining the Appletons’ home at 2100 N. Eastown Road, Lima. The office phone number is 419-331-3200.

Next year, Richard and Cathy Appleton will celebrate 50 years of marriage. Richard is retired from Apollo Career Center and continues to support Cathy in her business by doing the accounting.

Irma Ayers, who is employed at the front office of Lima Dental Associates, has been a long-time client of Cathy Appleton. Ayers is an Allen County resident who believes in the many benefits of therapeutic massage.

Irma Ayers, who is employed at the front office of Lima Dental Associates, has been a long-time client of Cathy Appleton. Ayers is an Allen County resident who believes in the many benefits of therapeutic massage.

Cathy Appleton L.M.T. has been a licensed massage therapist for 33 years. She says that people usually come to her office for an initial problem, but when they realize they feel better overall, they sometimes become regular clients.

Cathy Appleton L.M.T. has been a licensed massage therapist for 33 years. She says that people usually come to her office for an initial problem, but when they realize they feel better overall, they sometimes become regular clients.

Christina Ryan Claypool is a freelance journalist and inspirational speaker. Contact her through her website at www.christinaryanclaypool.com.

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