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affects it," she explains, adding that "most people would be amazed if they knew all the health issues that massage therapy can treat." She has a passion for sharing that knowledge with her clients and giving them an alternative method for treating pain and dysfunction. eresa's faith and family are her epicenters. "My faith carries over into my work because it shapes every aspect of my life," she explains. "Being true to my faith and living it is my goal, and that enables me to be the best I can be." When she has time off, she loves spending it with family, including her many nieces and nephews. She can also be found enjoying Montana's wide-open spaces. "Riding, hunting, hiking…just make a list of things to do outside, and I'll tell you what's missing," she laughs. eresa Koch, L.M.T is located at 205 9th Avenue South. Call 406-750-5455 to book an appointment. URBAN AFFAIRS INTRODUCING TEXT BY HOLLY MATKIN PHOTOGRAPHER JENNY MATTHEWS A Faith, Family and the Power of Massage S MT s a lile girl growing up in rural Missouri, eresa Koch never dreamed she'd end up living in Montana, helping people in need through her God-given gi of massage. Having made regular trips to the Treasure State, it became her dream to live here close to family. "I've always loved the American West," eresa says, "not only for its beauty, but because of what it represents historically, and the fact that many old-fashioned values are still to be found, especially here in Montana." Despite her great desire to move to the big sky country, only aer a decade of training and working in Ohio was she finally able to relocate to Great Falls, bringing her ten years of experience as a massage therapist with her. She now owns her own massage therapy practice, which opened in June. "I'm blessed to have a job I really love," she says with gratitude emanating from her voice. "Career-wise, there's nothing else I'd rather be doing." eresa didn't initially set out to become a massage therapist. She intended to become a chiropractor but knew she needed to choose an undergraduate program before proceeding to the next phase of her plan. "I had never had any kind of massage therapy in my life," she recalls. "Several friends of mine who are chiropractors suggested looking into it. I was being very lackadaisical about it, but once the program began, everything just fell into place. I absolutely loved it." eresa went on to earn an associate of science degree in massage therapy – an accomplishment that is rare to find anywhere in the nation – and graduated summa cum laude in 2012. She spent much of the past decade working with chiropractic and functional medicine doctors, which led her to focus primarily on medical massage. "e corrective potential of massage therapy, when it is applied with a true understanding of human physiology, is astounding," eresa says. "I'm not just looking at the muscle when I'm treating someone, I'm looking at the whole-body system and everything that Theresa Koch uses her gift of medical and therapeutic massage to help her clients on their journey to healing and wellness. 18 | SIGNATURE MONTANA

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