We offer our congratulations to the graduates of the 2015-16 Spirit of Learning® Teacher Certification Program. This 100-hour training has been offered at BTI since 1998 by Carey Smith and the Center for Embodied Teacher Education. These dedicated learners will take their new skills, knowledge and awareness into many areas of teaching and clinical practice.

Another cycle of The Spirit of Learning® will begin at BTI this September, and applications are being accepted now. Click here to receive your FREE CATALOG and application form.

FRONT ROW: Jill Peden, Angie Dix, Roxanne Cherpeske, Deanne DiGirolamo, Michele Casey, Carol Verner (Faculty). MIDDLE ROW: Jillian Diffenbaugh, Kelly Hankey, Diana Latendresse, Carey Smith (Faculty). BACK ROW: Megan Jones, Michael J. Savino, Margery Nelson Price, Matt Adams, Melinda Hunt, Debbie Blake-Knox, Karen Delahunty (Faculty).

Sara J. Clawson, a 2009 BTI graduate, was recently awarded a Hayes Fellowship from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. This $22,000 award will support Sara in her pursuit of a Doctoral degree in Kinesiology. She previously earned a Masters of Science in Sports Medicine from the School of Health and Human Performance at UNCG.

The Hayes Fellowship is one of the largest and most prestigious graduate awards given at UNCG, and is based on the student’s prior academic performance as well as recommendations from references.

Sara has focused her professional practice on Sports and Performance Massage. She is also an adjunct instructor of biomechanics at Greensboro College, and a continuing education presenter at BTI. She says, “When I’m not treating clients in my office or teaching, I’m out on the road traveling with TWENTY16 RideBiker Pro Cycling, a women’s UCI World Tour professional road cycling team based out of California. I serve as the team’s head soigneur, which is a position specific to cycling teams — it is essentially a combination of massage therapist, trainer, medic, nutritionist, chef, psychotherapist, chauffeur, and generally benevolent caretaker. Race horses have grooms; cyclists have soigneurs.”

We’re extremely proud of Sara’s achievements, and wish her continued success in her academic and clinical pursuits! Here’s an interview with her in a post from the UNCG Department of Kinesiology: http://kin.wp.uncg.edu/incoming-edd-student-sara-clawson-awarded-hayes-graduate-fellowship/

Join us in congratulating the dedicated professionals who recently completed BTI’s 100-hour Advanced Myofascial Therapy Certification Program, led by John McKelvey, MS, LMBT:
Seated, left to right: Jenn Browning, Brenda Howell, Jeanette Stephenson.
Standing: Jeffrey Beadle, Kindal McFayden Marshall, David Hamilton, Matt Steere (Teaching Assistant), John McKelvey, Keyu Kulla, Sara Spiker O’Quinn.

The gift of a Winter’s Rainbow…
This afternoon, at the end of a cold and rainy day at BTI, the sun broke through the clouds and illumined the meadow and tree line in stunning contrast. Slowly, a rainbow appeared and grew in intensity, with gossamer sheets of rain dancing around it. Awe-struck we were, watching this beauty unfold!

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Along with her role as BTI’s Co-director, Carey Smith is a Master Somatic Coach and Director of the Center for Embodied Teacher Education. On December 14-16, she led a three-day training at BTI for the staff of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), entitled The Embodied Psychotherapist: Using Somatics in Everyday Counseling.

CAPS provides mental health services and support for all students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Their staff includes psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, social workers and psychology interns.

Carey designed and delivered this groundbreaking program with Allen O’Barr, MD, Psychiatrist and Director of CAPS, and Maureen Windle, PsyD, Psychologist and Clinical Director of CAPS.

The training drew upon the current interface between neuroscience and somatics that bridge the fields of mental health and body-oriented disciplines.

Over the three days, the participants explored somatic theory and practices that created greater experience of an embodied self. This allowed them to generate and incorporate new strategies to build greater confidence, capacity and satisfaction as a team in their work with students.

Carey reflected, “It was a great honor to be in the presence of professionals with such open minds and hearts. Their capacity to show up fully, work hard and laugh often created a learning environment filled with wholeness and vitality.”

Assisting in this training were Carol Verner, LMBT, Master Somatic Coach and Trainer for the Center for Embodied Teacher Education, and Emily O’Barr, LMBT, graduate of The Spirit of Learning® and former BTI faculty member.

(In the photo, from left to right: Carol Verner, Emily O’Barr, Carey Smith, Allen O’Barr, Maureen Windle.)

BTI has another great year of workshops and advanced trainings in 2016 with some of the leading presenters in our field, including Tom Myers, Tracy Walton, Michael Shea, Claire Marie Miller and Ralph Stephens.

Many of our most popular courses will be offered again, along with nine new courses for your professional development. Expand your skills and knowledge while you get inspired and renewed by your time at our beautiful country campus.

As always, you can browse Workshops by MONTH, or Workshops by CATEGORY. Each course has its own page with complete description, learning objectives and presenter bio.

Get a 10% DISCOUNT on the cost of ALL 2016 continuing education workshops and advanced trainings at BTI. You must register and pay the FULL FEE by February 1, 2016. Click here for the details.

Ready to register? You can call the BTI Office at 919-663-3111, or use our secure ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM.

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.

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.

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.