Instructors at Self Care Fair 2020
RUTH WERNER, LMT, BCTMB
Ruth Werner, BCTMB is an educator, writer, and retired massage therapist with a passion for massage therapy research and the role of bodywork for people with health challenges. Her groundbreaking textbook, A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology was first published in 1998, and is now in its 6th edition; a 7th edition will appear in late 2019. Ruth’s other books include Disease Handbook for Massage Therapists, and her revision of the beloved Scheumann’s The Balanced Body.
Ruth is a columnist for Massage and Bodywork magazine and Massage New Zealand. She serves on several national and international volunteer committees, and teaches continuing education workshops in research and pathology all over the world. Ruth was honored with the AMTA Council of Schools Teacher of the Year Award for 2005. She was proud to serve the Massage Therapy Foundation as a Trustee from 2007 to 2017, and as President of the Foundation from 2010-2014.
VERONICA HILDEBRAND, LMT, ONCOLOGY SPECIALTY NCBTMB, S4OM
Veronica began her massage therapy career in 2010 after graduating from the Cortiva Institute- Seattle 1000 hour program. She is in private practice in West Seattle and offers massage to a broad spectrum of clientele, including complex conditions, those in active treatment, pregnancy, injury/ rehabilitative treatment and wellness massage. She also offers direct insurance billing for her clients.
Veronica’s training in Oncology Massage began in her introductory education. To supplement her knowledge, she has focused her continuing education in Foundational Oncology courses along with other related education. She is a Preferred Provider with the Society for Oncology Massage, and earned her Oncology Speciality Certificate with NCBTMB. Life Experience - parent of a leukemia survivor (30 months of active treatment and 15 years of long term survivor support).
TERESA M. MATTHEWS, LMT, CPT, BCTMB
Teresa is a board certified, licensed massage therapist with a BS in Health Sciences, certified personal fitness trainer, National CE provider, world champion athlete, and 3rd degree black belt. For the past 18 years, she has owned and operated a successful massage school in Jacksonville, Florida. Today she continues to teach advanced massage training as a national approved provider for continuing Education, and also teaching her Personal Training Certification Program. Her new massage school, Massage Therapy Academy, will open in the fall of 2019 in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
With over 30 years of experience in the fitness and bodywork industry, Teresa has taken healthcare to a new level by organizing Health, Wellness, and Fitness Professionals, Inc. Her practice brings optimal therapy to her clients by combining tissue, sports massage, strength training, stretching and flexility, self-care, and self-defense. Teresa has volunteered since 2019 serving her professions on a national level. She is a 2018 Boston Marathon Finisher, who also ran with the Team Massage Therapy Foundation, where she raised $15,000 for massage therapy research. Teresa has been inducted into the 2019 World Massage Therapy Hall of Fame.
TAYA COUNTRYMAN, LMT
As an active massage practitioner since 1977 and CE instructor since 1985, Taya's "outside the box" thinking and perspectives make her presentations fresh and practical. Come prepared to share and laugh.
DIANA L. THOMPSON, LMT
A licensed massage therapist for over 30 years, Diana has a private practice in Seattle where she focuses on treating acute and chronic pain disorders. She authored Hands Heal: Communication, Documentation and Insurance Billing for Manual Therapists, now in its fourth edition, and has a new book called Integrative Pain Management: Massage, Movement, and Mindfulness Based Approaches. The proud recipient of four National awards in 2013, Diana has been recognized for her leadership, volunteerism, and clinical expertise. Her awards include: Massage Therapist of the Year, One Concept; and Humanitarian of the Year, Performance Health. Her newest endeavor, Hands Heal Electronic Health Record, is an intuitive cloud-based EHR that turns bland treatment notes into expressive graphs that chart meaningful results.
JOSHUA MORTON, LMT, MAISS, MMLT
Joshua is a 1994 graduate of Seattle Massage School. In 2002 he began working with Aaron Mattes, the developer of Active Isolated Stretching (AIS), accumulating over 2400 hours of intensive training under Aaron’s supervision. For the past ten years, Joshua has been an international educator, and has authored two books, including a guide to assisted stretching and a guide to self stretching. His years of teaching, hands-on experience and devotion to AIS place him among the nation’s top AIS therapists and teachers.
KAY RYNERSON, LMT, RTT (REGISTERED THAI THERAPIST)
After graduating from massage school in 1988, Kay began studying Thai Massage from Michael Eisenberg of the Institute of Thai Massage (ITM), eventually taking her teaching certification course and receiving her credentials at ITM in Thailand in 1997.
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Since then, Kay has developed the Thai Massage Workbook and DVD, and is a passionate instructor who integrates Swedish, deep tissue, and Hawaiian Lomi Lomi techniques into her classes and massage approaches.
SHEILA ALEXANDER, LMBT
Ms. Alexander is a 1993 graduate of The SunCoast School of Massage in Tampa, Fl. She is licensed by the state of NC (#3536), an approved provider for continuing education by the NCBTMB #200, a contributor for Massage Magazine and a member of the American Massage Therapy Association. Because of her expertise in seated massage, she has been featured in The Charlotte Observer and on NBC-TV. In 2002 she returned to her native NC to home care her father with Alzheimer's then provided care for her mother's terminal cancer. In 2004 she created a specialized massage practice for a continuing care retirement community in Davidson, NC, for their residents in all levels of care and continues to expand spa therapies. In 2012, Sheila was approved as a provider for continuing education to teach this profound work to the massage & healthcare communities.
HEIDI DeANDRADE, LMT
Heidi DeAndrade came from a family of bodyworkers and grew up realizing the benefits of massage, diet and exercise. After receiving her training in massage therapy at Ashmead College in 2005, she has been practicing as a Licensed Massage Therapist ever since.
In addition to her core training, she has also studied spa services, herbal remedies, and wild crafting native plants; she has practiced yoga for decades, including yoga “tune up ball therapy,” and uses stretches in her massages as well as homework for her clients. Her focus and interest in natural/plant medicine over pharmaceuticals led her to work with the Washington State Department of Health to legalize using cannabis products in massage.
Heidi offers both treatment and relaxation massage at her private practice in Madrona, via a mobile massage service, and at Seattle Central College, providing chair massage to the faculty, staff, and students.
TIANNE CURTISS, LMT
Tianne is a graduate of Seattle Massage School 1999, The International School of Reflexology and Meridian Therapy 2004, Seattle Life Coach Training 2015 and The Essential Oil Institute 2018. She is currently the President of Washington's PAC, WAMAH.ORG, and has been an active AMTA-WA volunteer for over 15 years, serving in many positions including 5 years as Chapter President. When she’s not teaching, coaching, playing with essential oils, or creating new classes, Tianne enjoys travel, photography and glamping with her husband Randy and their cat Apollo.
HEATHER KEW, RMT
Heather is a Registered Massage Therapist and Certified Medical Esthetician with over 13 years of experience. She graduated from massage school in 2005 and has continued her learning by concentrating in myofascial cupping, orthopaedic and therapeutic massage. Heather currently practices in a multi-disciplinary clinic based out of Sherwood Park, Alberta, where she works with a wide range of clientele, from professional athletes to geriatric patients.
LOLA MICHELIN, LMT, LAMP, SAMP
Lola Michelin is the Director of Education at the Northwest School of Animal Massage. She is also a founding member of the National Board of Certification for Animal Acupressure and Massage (NBCAAM) and co-chair of the Legislative Committee for that organization. An internationally recognized animal massage practitioner for over 25 years specializing in equine and exotic animals, she also owns and operates Paxhia Farm, an equine retirement and rehabilitation facility on Vashon Island, Washington.
JUDI CALVERT, LMT, NCBTMB
Judi Calvert has been practicing massage therapy for 30 years and has devoted her life to educating the public and the profession about the benefits of massage and bodywork. She is currently the President of the Hands On Trade Association, created in 2000.
JASON ERICKSON, BCTMB, CPT, BBA, BA
Jason Erickson co-owns and practices at Eagan Massage Center. A former chronic pain patient, Jason has presented for the International Massage Therapy Research Conference, the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education, many AMTA state chapters, massage schools, both here and abroad.
JOANN KOVALY, LMT, NPCP
JoAnn Kovaly changed careers in 1999, opening her business Body Shoppe Therapies to follow her passion: helping people achieve their fitness and health goals utilizing the classical Pilates method.
JoAnn is one of the original certified trainers with the Pilates Method Alliance. While working with Pilates clients, she realized that it is necessary to integrate bodywork with Pilates for good compensation free and pain free movement patterns.
Learning and using many manual therapy techniques and research into the fascial tensegrity of the body has helped her to develop The L.I.F.T. Method: Ligament Influenced Fascial Technique.
LIFT, a ligament stimulation technique, combines neuromuscular function testing, fascial length testing, ligament stimulation treatment and neuromuscular movement reeducation. The testing protocols allow the practitioner to locate the source of the pathology and treat quickly, effectively and painlessly with exact recordable results.
JoAnn loves teaching and sharing the LIFT approach to muscular and fascial function with clients and other practitioners. Watching therapists realize how effective this system is is like taking a child to the beach for the first time—exhilarating!
NANCY HALLER, MA, GCFP, BCMTB, LMTC
Nancy has been a Massage Practitioner as well as a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner for over 20 years. She recently began developing her “NeuroMuscular Connections” seminars that bridge Feldenkrais teachings with Massage, in order to offer practitioners a method of connecting the whole dynamic human system. Nancy's seminars provide a platform for practitioners to work with their clients on specific target areas in order to enhance posture, balance, and movement. Nancy has also co-authored the section titled “Interactive Movement Practices: The Feldenkrais Method” in the new “Integrative Pain Management” textbook. All of Nancy's classes are NCBTMB Board Approved.
BRIAN KANE
Brian Kane is a 28 year veteran in the fire service. Working for the Renton Regional Fire Authority, he is assigned to C-shift at station 17 in Fairwood. He enjoys teaching classes on first aid/CPR, CERT, and firefighter burn injury prevention. He is active as an advisor for the Fire Explorer program and volunteers with the Washington State Council of Firefighters Burn Foundation.
JOY BIRD WILSON, LMT, BP, BF
Joy Bird Wilson got her training at the Brian Utting School of Massage 19 years ago. Since then, health and healing of mind, body and spirit with nature at the helm, are the foundations of Joy's work. She loves providing her clients, family and friends with a transformative modality called Access Bars Therapy. This simple, yet profound therapy can be used to change all areas of your life. With the tools of Access Consciousness and the Bars Therapy, it allows for more ease and flow and clears limiting beliefs that create blockages to receiving your heart's desires.
JEFFREY FORMAN, PhD
Jeffrey Forman Ph.D. BCTMB, CMT, retired from De Anza College in Cupertino, California after 36 years as a professor of Physical Education. He founded the Massage Therapy Program at De Anza, created the first AA degree program at a community college in California and spent 23 years as massage therapy program coordinator. He continues his career as a speaker, author, consultant and researcher. He is vice chair of the California Massage Therapy Council board of directors and on Chair of the school advisory committee.
KIMBERLY REAVES, CNHP, CHHC, LMT
Kimberly Reaves is a Licensed Massage Therapist with certifications in The Bodytalk System,™ Pranic Healing,™ Quantum Touch,™ Medical Intuition, Holistic Manual Lymphatic Drainage, and Holistic Health Coaching. She uses these tools as well as her understanding of the nervous system to educate the massage industry about the signs and symptoms of stress, PTSD trauma, and pain, including methods of eliminating the neurological holding patterns associated with them. Growing up with Epilepsy from 18 months of age taught her the power of the neurological system and her mind. Understanding that stress often triggered seizures and that managing it allowed her to proactively reduce them considerably with only 2 seizures in more than 25+ years! Her career has included in Clinical Laboratory Science in human biochemistry, and more than 25 years in alternative therapies focused on the mind/body connection. The common denominator in all of these experiences has been keen interest in the autonomic nervous system's response to stress and trauma.
STACEY THOMAS, LMT, SFMA, FMS, NKT, ART
Stacey has specialized in human movement since 1997, and licensed as a Sports Massage Therapist since 2005 and she is credentialed by the most respected educational organizations regarding human movement, performance training, and soft tissue treatment. She is a featured author in massage publications as well as a guest speaker at various conferences pertaining to movement and therapeutic interventions.
MICHELLE FUSMAN, LOACC, CMCC, BF
PNW Bars Facilitator, Shamanic Reiki Master, Certified Success Coach, Ho'oponopono Practitioner, Quantum Energy Master, Entrepreneur and Public Speaker, Michelle Fusman is committed to well being and joy on this planet. After running a successful multi-location organic salon and spa for over 10 years, she now teaches, coaches, and consults with individuals and holistic businesses.