Meet Kristine Hansen, RMT and owner of the Keystone Massage Therapy and Healing Centre in Prince George BC.

Kristine was a member of our first class, a three-year program graduating in 1997.  Her decision to join the Okanagan Valley College of Massage Therapy was two-fold; lifestyle/location and  her impression of the college after completing her Intro Workshop.  Read more about Kristine’s experience both during and her 25+ year career since.

Why did you choose OVCMT to launch your RMT career?

OVCMT was my choice in colleges mostly because of its location.  Being in the Okanagan was a much better option for being my home for 2 years of intense study, and I thought it would be healthier due to the outdoor life it offered with hiking, swimming, fishing, skiing all very close to where I would live. I knew that I would not have thrived as well in a big city.  Being that I was in the first graduating class of OVCMT it didn’t have any history to offer on its reputation, but after meeting Doug (our Founder) and going through the weekend class, I was confident I was making the right decision, and I was not disappointed!

What did you like about OVCMT, what made your experience here unique?

I was really happy with the size of the college, not too big to be intimidating and not too small that there was enough students and teachers to really dive into the curriculum and have a lot of good interaction discussing the content.  The staff was always so open to any concerns any of us had and did well to ease all of our nerves that came up through the term and before the Boards.  They prepared us well for not only the boards but becoming active and valuable RMT’s after graduation.

What has your career as an RMT has been like?

So rewarding!  I’ve learned so much with each patient that comes in.  I love the challenge of the tough cases and I enjoy seeing regular patients for maintenance and prevention.  Several have been seeing me for over 20 years.  Massage Therapy helps so many people and with the new courses we will always have such a large toolbox of options to use on our patients, it never gets boring.  It’s also been so enjoyable having new grads join the clinic and watching them grow as therapists and being a part of their support group.

What was it was like to find a job after you graduated ?

I had decided early in school that I would open my own clinic, so I didn’t have the opportunity of working or looking for a job.  But I’ve enjoyed everyday of having my own clinic and its been such a pleasure having other RMT’s join me and provide service to our patients.  I had decided to look for a location within another business such as a gym and I settled into the Northern BC YMCA in 1997 and have stayed with them since.  They offered me a 2-room clinic in a quieter part of the gym that has worked just fine. 

Where is your practice located and how can we reach out to you?

Keystone Massage Therapy and Healing Centre

2020 Massey Dr., Prince George, BC 250-562-9341