Massage therapist kneads a comeback

Published 1:30 am Friday, May 8, 2026

A Freeland massage therapist is returning to work on the island with a business model that sounds almost radical in today’s economy: pay what you can.

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday through Oct. 18, visitors at South Whidbey Tilth Market can now stop by Marc Juneau’s booth for a massage and pay by donation, even if that means just a few dollars.

“If somebody has $5 and that’s all they have to get a massage, I’ll give them $5 massage for 5 minutes, whatever,” he said. “I would rather them continue with less pain instead of have more.”

Juneau recently reopened his office at Whidbey Massage Therapy in Freeland after recovering from a motorcycle accident last November. The crash, he said, left him hospitalized for two weeks and confined to a hospital bed in his living room for another 12 weeks.

“Never in my life did I think I’d be disabled,” he said.

For someone who describes himself as a workaholic, the forced stillness was one of the hardest parts.

“Sitting still for 12 weeks drove me nuts,” Juneau said.

Doctors initially expected his recovery to last into the summer. Instead, by March, he was back on his feet and able to resume massage work. Like many independent practitioners, he lost clients during his absence and has been rebuilding his schedule since reopening in mid-March.

Part of that rebuilding effort happens outside the clinic walls. Last weekend marked his return to the Tilth Market, where he offers short massages ranging from 5 to 20 minutes.

The donation model is unusual even for the market itself.

“When I first went to the Tilth, I walked up with a massage table and a bunch of love signs,” he recalled. “The general manager was like, ‘Where are you setting up?’”

Back in the clinic, his philosophy around massage therapy remains deeply tied to accessibility and pain relief rather than luxury.

“Massage is not a luxury,” Juneau said. “It should be regular self-care. And it should be affordable.”

Juneau keeps his booking availability open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., particularly to accommodate service industry workers who may need appointments outside traditional business hours, he said. Working directly alongside a chiropractor also allows him to coordinate treatment plans for clients dealing with chronic pain, mobility issues and injuries.

Still, what seems to motivate Juneau most is the emotional payoff of the work itself.

“I love doing massage therapy,” he said. “It genuinely brings me joy to see a client walk out of the room with a glow in their face, that they’re like, ‘Oh my god, my shoulders are lowered.’”

After months spent relearning how to stand and move comfortably again, helping other people feel better now carries added meaning for Juneau.