We have added five new workshops to the Fall CE schedule with BTI’s Co-directors Rick Rosen and Carey Smith. Take this opportunity to study with these highly-respected teachers and leaders in the profession. Many of your favorite workshops are returning to BTI this year, along with some new offerings. Remember that this is the FINAL year for CE at BTI.

Kelly Berry, a graduate of Class 66 in the Massage Therapy Diploma Program at the Body Therapy Institute, was recently named as one of eight winners of the national Successful Hands Grant Program. This competition was sponsored by industry leaders Biofreeze, Massage Envy and Bon Vital, and conveys a $1000 grant to each winner, as well as a $1000 grant to the schools they attended.

Students were asked to complete a 200-word essay on:
What success as a massage therapist means to me

Here is Kelly’s winning response:

“My answer to the question of what success as a massage therapist means to me now, two weeks away from graduation day, is different than the response I would have given if the same question were prompted a year ago. I entered into my massage therapy curriculum thinking that professional success meant making a living through the utilization of developed techniques designed to reduce tension, pain, and stress in clients’ bodies. My desire was to work in a helping realm and enable others to enjoy the somatic benefits of bodywork that I had previously enjoyed as a massage therapy client. I have learned along the journey that success is not only measured by that piece, but so much more. I now realize that real success in this field also involves cultivated self-awareness, an intention for the work we do, immense gratitude for that work, and the ability to hold unconditional positive regard for both ourselves and the unique individuals we touch. Success begins with self-care, and is fully achieved when we can work with our clients in an effort to support optimal balance and alignment in their lives as well as our own.”

Kelly let us know that she just passed her MBLEx exam and is on track to get her NC license. She said, “I have spoken with several employers in the Raleigh area and would like to work in an upscale, spa-type environment. I’m looking forward to getting lots of hands-on experience and an opportunity to network with other local therapists. My intention is to go into this work with an open mind and heart in regard to my future career goals in the field, which may shift later. I know that I will learn so much more along the way and I am so happy and grateful right now for all of this. I also miss BTI and the staff very much as I move forward. My education at BTI was one of the best learning experiences I have ever had and it will serve as an important and essential piece for the life I have discovered I want to build for myself. I will be returning for continuing education in the near future.”

We’re extremely proud of Kelly and her accomplishments to date, and will look forward to hearing about her success as her new career unfolds.

Get a great massage at a reasonable price from our talented students in the Massage Therapy Diploma Program. These are one-hour sessions that can be used for stress reduction and general well-being, or can be focused on specific regions of muscular tension in the body. By appointment only – go to our Clinic page for complete information.

Featuring FREE SEATED MASSAGE and Refreshments! Visit our beautiful campus, learn more about the Massage Therapy Diploma Program, and how it can make a powerful difference in your life. Meet faculty, staff and students. No signup needed for the Open House – we look forward to seeing you here. Attendees will receive free registration for a BTI Intro Massage Workshop.

Developing Mastery for the Classroom and Beyond

O

Designed and led by Carey Smith, Somatic Educational Leadership is a six-day course for graduates of The Spirit of Learning® or those at a similar level of professional development. Here is a description from Carey of the three primary components of the course:

Somatics is the study of the fundamental wholeness and unity of being human; a three-dimensional body with thoughts, feelings, sensations, impulses, intuitions, inspirations, ethics, values, ancestral lineages, longings, imagination, future vision – all held within the context of a dynamic, mysterious and evolutionary process called living. It is present-centered felt experience.

Somatic practice is the act of bringing attention, awareness, and dedication to repeatable actions designed to reveal and generate: 1) meaning; 2) a commitment to what matters; and 3) the capacity to bring what matters into form. Somatic practices build the capacity to make clear decisions, create community, open to divine inspiration, change habits, set a new course, and take meaningful action in the world.

Education, from the Latin educare, means to “lead out from within”. In its origin, education is the expression of an immense inner wisdom that can take in, sort, refine and direct information in order to use it for the enrichment and advancement of the self and others. As educators, therapists, healthcare providers, leaders… what kind of learning opportunities do we want to create so that our students and clients develop the capacity to be self-educating, self-healing and self-generating? In other words, what happens if our students and clients begin to trust themselves, begin to know their value, and live from a place of dignity in community with others on this beautiful planet?

Leadership is how we partner with ourselves and others to produce a particular outcome, fulfill commitments, translate ideas into actions, and manifest mission as an expression of identity and integrity. It is the path of guiding and directing attention, awareness and action toward an agreed upon goal or destination. This sincere pursuit serves as a catalyst to motivate and mobilize both internal and external resources and other people. In order to be an effective somatic educational leader, we must first and foremost learn how to educate ourselves to lead a congruent inner and outer life.

Click here for the course description page  |  Click here to register

Movement and Massage – What’s Your Movement Quotient?
by Kathleen Gramzay, LMT and founder of Kinessage®

Do you serve clients with sedentary jobs or lifestyles? If so, you are probably familiar with the toll inactivity or long hours of repetitive tasks takes on their bodies. Or, maybe you work with athletes contending with chronic injury from repetitive use. After you have cleared their pain and restrictions, perhaps you recommend they add movement or stretching into their day to help mitigate the side effects of their daily patterns.

Movement is inherent in massage and a fundamental aspect of how it effects change in the body. For example, rocking sedates the nervous system and eases a nervous first-time client, effleurage increases venous and lymphatic circulation, percussion stimulates or sedates muscle tone or the nervous system.

In focusing upon what is most beneficial for a client’s body, it can be easy to forget about the other body in the room. Like your client’s sedentary postures or repetitive use, static massage postures can lead not only to congestion and pain in your own tissue, but to a weary mental perspective at the end of a long day or week. It is not news that stationary standing or sitting, or working in odd positions is as detrimental to you as your client’s habitual patterns are to them.

Test your own “movement quotient” by answering the following:

• When standing during a session, what percentage do you estimate you are standing still, neither moving from your feet or hips?
• When sitting, what percentage do you estimate you are sitting still, only moving from your arms or hands?

Are you surprised by your answers? Could you use less idleness and more movement?

Try these tips to create more energy, improve your circulation, and make your work easier and more fun:

• Re-ignite your massage “dance” groove. When standing, consciously move more from your feet allowing the fluidity to translate through your body and through your client.
• Do seated work on an exercise ball. This will add a whole new dimension of movement to your work. Rolling on a height-appropriate and correctly inflated ball, and translating that energy from your feet, through you and your client, creates greater ease for you and a soothing, effective treatment for them. (Stretching out your low back on it is an added bonus.)

If it is time to shake up your massage, learning how to use movement effectively can add fun, energy and a whole new skill level to your practice. That’s why I developed Kinessage®.

It’s a kind and effective method designed to be easier on you while being more kind and effective for your clients. I invite you to register today for the upcoming Kinessage® workshop at BTI on October 22-23. You’ll learn essential self-care techniques using movement, and you’ll get an introduction to the use of physics, the kinetic chain and myofascial release to save your body and energy while becoming a more successful therapist.

Kathleen Gramzay, LMT is the founder of Kinessage® Massage Through Movement and Kinessage® Self Care for Therapists. She’s based in Scottsdale, Arizona and teaches throughout the country.

We extend our hearty congratulations to the graduates of BTI Class 65! This group of wonderful students completed the Massage Therapy Diploma Program on August 16, 2015, and are ready to take the next step in pursuit of their career goals and dreams.

FRONT ROW (left to right): Julie Anderson, Maggie Iandola, Agustina Pablo Baldwin, Sarah Galfano, Jessica Fife, Marisol Legaria, Paty Kelly, Hayley Booterbaugh.
MIDDLE ROW: Alex Barbato, Gabriele Gambill, Christy Porter, Gabi Laurent, Chantee Antar-Joyner, Regina Letonek, Jillian Diffenbaugh, Kate Dallas, Kathleen Wyatt.
BACK ROW: Jenni Seale Reiff, Morgana Moore, Bill Wright, Cadie DuPaul, Ryan Prather, Melinda Hunt, Paula Wald, Jill Peden.

BTI is excited to again collaborate with leading clinicians and researchers from Duke Integrative Medicine to help members of the massage therapy community gain the knowledge and skills to participate in research and to collaborate with other health care providers in interdisciplinary settings.

On Friday, July 24, you’ll have the opportunity to join Adam Perlman, MD, MPH, Teresa Keever, RN and Kim Turk, LMBT for a one-day intensive introduction to the world of research as it applies to the field of massage therapy. Learn how a world-class integrative medicine center is organized, and how massage therapy has been incorporated into their holistic model of patient care.

Dr. Perlman is a strong advocate of massage therapy, and is the recipient of a grant funded by the National Institute of Health to continue his research on massage therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee. This NIH study, the largest one of its kind being funded the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, is entitled EMBARK: Exploring Massage Benefits in Arthritis of the Knee. It seeks to assess the value of Swedish massage in decreasing pain and improving function for adults with osteoarthritis of the knee.

This workshop will give you:

• Awareness of the role Integrative Medicine is playing in our evolving healthcare system
• An understanding of the structure, purpose and basic terminology of a research study
• Protocols for how to work within a research team to ensure consistent methodology and usable results
• Strategies for collaborating with doctors and other health care providers in a wide range of treatment environments

NOTE: This workshop meets the research education requirement for renewal of the NCBTMB Board Certification credential.

Click here for the complete workshop description and presenter bios.

Click here to register!

We extend our congratulations to the latest graduates of The Spirit of Learning® Teacher Certification Program, offered at BTI by the Center for Embodied Teacher Education.

On May 17, this dedicated group of students completed a rigorous 100-hour training in the theory and methodology of education for the whole person. They now take this learning back to their classrooms and treatment settings! Here they are:

Front Row (left-to-right): Chutikan Thapnoo Hoover, Rebecca Grossfeld, Catherine Whitt, Robin McLawhorn, Carol Verner (faculty). Middle Row: Maryska Bigos, Michelle McLaughlin, Rosemary Hill, Karen Wellish, Brandi Miss, Carey Smith (faculty and director). Back Row: Kerry Mason, Deb Wood, Vinny Marra, Charles Lee, Karen Delahunty (faculty). Not pictured: Allyson Murray (faculty assistant).

The next cycle of The Spirit of Learning® begins September 18, 2015. Visit the page on the BTI website for complete information, program catalog and application form.

At its recent meeting on April 9, the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA) voted to grant Body Therapy Institute a renewal of its accreditation for a term of seven years. That is the maximum length of time the Commission can award a term of accreditation.

Accreditation is a voluntary process that requires a school to demonstrate its compliance with a comprehensive set of standards that represent a high level of accountability. BTI’s ongoing compliance with these standards assures that students receive quality education and the public receives quality services.

In the acknowledgment letter, COMTA Executive Director Kate Zulaski said, “The Commission appreciates the diligence, patience and grace that you and your staff have demonstrated.”

BTI was originally accredited by COMTA in 1999, and was the first massage school in the Carolinas to achieve this status. This is BTI’s fourth time through the accreditation protocol.

In the first stage of the accreditation process, the school had to document every aspect of its operations in a Self Study Report (SSR) – to demonstrate exactly how the school met the COMTA Standards of Accreditation. It included both the educational and administrative aspects of the institution. Once the SSR was submitted, reviewed and approved, COMTA sent a team of experts to perform an on-site visit at the BTI campus to verify that the standards were being met as described in the SSR.

It all went extremely well, and we’re grateful for the hard work by BTI staff and faculty members that led to a successful completion of this project!