Carey Smith, BTI Co-Director, is presenting an art show and sale entitled

Body, Earth & Imagination

This interactive event will be held at the classroom building at South Wind Farm on
Saturday, April 30 from 11:00am-5:00pm, and
Sunday, May 1 from 1:00-5:00pm.

The show will feature new original works that blend mixed media, archetypal themes, poetry and found objects from nature. The theme of this show is the healing and generative relationship between the human body and the natural world. In addition, there will be works displayed from Carey’s 2006-07 art show, Awakening Wisdom.

The event will also offer interactive art making, live piano music, and a Q&A session each day with Carey and her art teacher Sue Anderson. They will be discussing the transformative process of art and learning.

Many of Carey’s original pieces will be available for purchase, as well as archival Gicleé prints. [Click here to preview some of them.] Copies of her book, Awakening Wisdom: Exploring the confluence between Learning, Healing and Creativity will be available. This book, published in 2006, documents the developmental process that gave rise to this show.

The show will be at the Body Therapy Institute
300 Southwind Road, Siler City, NC 27344

Click here for driving directions to BTI

Rick Rosen, Founder and Co-director of the Body Therapy Institute, was recently selected as one of the Top 10 People in Integrative Medicine / Integrative Health Care by The Integrator Blog. Published and edited by John Weeks, Executive Director of ACCAHC – the Academic Consortium for Complementary and Alternative Health Care, the blog is one of the leading sources of news and information about the domain of integrative medicine. The “Top 10 People” list is complied from recommendations submitted by the editorial advisory board of The Integrator Blog.

Rosen was chosen for this honor because of the pivotal role he has played as the Executive Director of the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education, in launching and building the Alliance, and for what the organization represents to the field of massage therapy and integrative health care in general. In this annual feature in The Integrator Blog, Weeks wrote:

Rick Rosen, MA, LMBT: Developing an Organization
Dedicated to Advancing Massage Education

Rick Rosen is a North Carolina massage therapist and co-owner of the Body Therapy Institute. For the last 18 months, Rosen has diligently worked to fill an important institutional gap in the massage field; namely, creating an organization dedicated entirely to advancing massage education. Rosen’s Alliance for Massage Therapy Education, which he serves as executive director, aggregated its first members and held its founding conference in June 2010 where a governing board of respected massage educators was elected. In November, the Alliance announced results of a survey of over 300 educators which found strong support for investing in the teaching abilities of massage educators. Subsequently, the Alliance published a white paper through which it kicked off a National Teacher Education Standards Project. Rosen was inducted earlier this year into the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame, perhaps, in the spirit of the 2008 Obama peace prize, out of hope for what will come rather than services already accomplished. Happily, steps the Alliance has taken under Rosen’s direction suggest that he may fare better in his promise to massage educators than Obama has fared in peace-making.

Body Therapy Institute was recently granted eligibility by the United States Department of Education (ED) participate in Federal Student Aid programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. For a school to be eligible, it must be accredited by an agency recognized by the ED and demonstrate both financial responsibility and administrative stability. BTI has been accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation since 1999, and received another five-year renewal from COMTA in April 2010.

Achievement of eligibility for Federal Student Aid is a major milestone for BTI, as it means that students can now apply for a number of programs that will help them fund their career training in the Massage Therapy Diploma Program. These programs include: Pell Grants, Stafford (Direct) Loans and Parent Direct (PLUS) Loans. Financial aid is available for those who qualify.

The first step for a prospective student is to go online to the ED website and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid – better known as the FAFSA.

The second step is to go to the website of the BTI Virtual Financial Aid Office, or VFAO. This provides a student interview framework that gathers important information, and provides the exact amount of the amount of Federal Student Aid that a student will be eligible to receive. There is no cost for either of these two steps, and they can be done before or after a prospective student comes to BTI for the free campus tour and career exploration session with a member of the our Admissions staff.

The BTI Website has a new page that provides an overview of financial aid options for students, along with instructions on how and where to go to complete these application processes. If you have questions, email the BTI Admissions Department at enroll@bti.edu, or call 888-500-4500 toll-free.

BTI is happy to announce the return of its popular one-day Introductory Massage Workshop. This is a great opportunity to learn fun and effective massage techniques from our master teachers. You’ll also experience the optimal body mechanics and quality of touch exercises that allow BTI graduates to excel in their work.

Offered on a regular basis, this inspiring six-hour hands-on class will benefit those who are considering professional career training at BTI – as well as anyone who wants to gain new skills for relaxation and stress management. The Introductory Massage Workshop is highly recommended, but not required for admission into the Massage Therapy Diploma Program.

Pre-registration is required, and the cost is $35.00. Go to the REGISTER page on this website to sign up, or call BTI toll-free at 888-500-4500. The class runs from 10:00am–5:00pm with a lunch break. Upcoming workshops will be offered on:

• Sunday, September 26
• Sunday, November 7
• Saturday, December 11

BTI Co-director Rick Rosen was one of 12 people who were inducted into the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame at the 2010 World Massage Festival. This year’s event was held at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky on June 18-20. The World Massage Festival established the Hall of Fame in 2006 to honor those leaders and pioneers whose work and dedication have furthered the profession of massage therapy.

Rick receives his award from Vivian Madison, a 2008 Massage Therapy Hall of Fame inductee

Rick has been active in the massage therapy field for 32 years — as a therapist, teacher, school director, author and advocate. He has devoted countless hours to advancing the field through many different organizations and endeavors. He is a charter member and past president of the AMTA North Carolina Chapter, founding chairman of the NC Board of Massage & Bodywork Therapy, and a co-founder of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards.

A year ago, he brought together a six-member Leadership Team that created the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education. In addition to his ongoing role as Founder and Co-director of the Body Therapy Institute, Rick serves as the Executive Director of the Alliance.

The other 2010 inductees in the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame are: Ben Benjamin, Elliot Greene, Steven Halpern, Julia Hayes, Bob King, Sudevi Linda Kramer, Dr. Jacob Lieberman, Claire Marie Miller, Carole Osborne, Karen Reifinger and Howayo Takata.

At its recent Spring meeting, the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA) granted Body Therapy Institute a full five-year renewal of its accreditation status. The notification letter to BTI included the following statement: “The Commission would like to commend you on the quality of the program you provide to your students and the quality of the overall operation of your school.”

BTI is one of only 100 schools in the U.S. and Canada that are COMTA-accredited. BTI has been accredited by COMTA since 1999, and was the first massage school in the Carolinas to achieve this status.

The rigorous accreditation process requires a school to produce a Self-Study Report, which documents how the Standards of Accreditation are being met. These standards deal with every aspect of a school’s operations, including curriculum, student services, faculty, staff and business management. After the SSR is reviewed for thoroughness, COMTA sends a team of educational experts to the school to verify compliance in each area. Each school is also required to submit an Annual Report to the Commission to document ongoing compliance.

As an accrediting agency, COMTA is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and is the only agency devoted to accreditation of massage therapy programs. BTI is proud of its achievement, and will maintain its dedication to these operational standards.

Graduates of the Massage Therapy Diploma Program at the Body Therapy Institute earned a perfect 100% pass rate in 2009 on the Massage & Bodywork Therapy Licensing Examination (MBLEx). This contrasts with a national average pass rate of 74% for this exam. This test is given by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards, and qualifies our graduates for licensure in North Carolina and other states.

In addition, graduates who took the National Certification Examinations in the second half of 2009 also earned a 100% pass rate. This contrasts with a 61% national average pass rate. In the two years prior to that period, BTI grads had been averaging a 96% pass rate on both forms of that exam, which are given by NCBTMB.

We are extremely proud of our graduates for this outstanding level of achievement! We also want to acknowledge our dedicated faculty and staff members who do such a wonderful job of educating and supporting our students during their time at BTI.

Rick Rosen, BTI Founder and Co-director, has been chosen to serve as the first Executive Director of the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education. The Alliance is a new independent non-profit organization that has been established to serve as the voice, advocate and resource for the entire education sector – from entry-level training programs through post-graduate studies.

This endeavor follows earlier startup projects Rick has nurtured. He served as the first Chairman of the North Carolina Board of Massage & Bodywork Therapy, and was the first Executive Director of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards. In his current work with the Alliance, he has brought this organization into existence in just five months, with the participation of a Leadership Team of five other veteran massage therapy educators and school directors.

From Rick’s perspective, he says that: “It is both a rare opportunity and a privilege to be able to build an organization from the ground up. As educators, we know what our colleagues in the field need and want in order to be successful. First and foremost, the Alliance is a vital community where we can gather to share ideas and experiences. In addition, it will serve a crucial role in advocating for its members.”

“The work I’m doing to support the Alliance is a great compliment to my day-to-day responsibilities at BTI. What I’ve learned in running this school for 27 years contributes to my ability to direct the development of this new organization. At the same time, the new knowledge and skills I’m gaining in my role with the Alliance reflect well into my ongoing work at our school.”

A 3-part training with Ralph Stephens, LMT

In this comprehensive 100-hour program, therapist and author Ralph Stephens presents a powerful and highly effective clinical approach that will enable you to help your clients with a wide range of musculoskeletal problems.

Explanations of postural distortion, including common postural syndromes and conditions in each body region will be presented. Assessment techniques will be demonstrated, followed by specific massage and stretching techniques which will enable the therapist to address the abnormal and dysfunctional tissues. Learn why it is so important to work on the “other side of the pain” and the most efficient, yet gentle ways to do it.   More info »

Module 1 | April 30-May 2, 2010
Assessment & Treatment of the Cervical, Lumbar and Pelvic Regions

Module 2 | July 23-25, 2010
Assessment & Treatment of the Abdominal Wall, Shoulder Girdle and Upper Extremity

Module 3 | October 29-31, 2010
Assessment & Treatment of the Lower Extremity, plus Side-Lying Strategies

At the American Massage Therapy Association Convention in Orlando, Florida on September 25th, BTI Co-director Carey Smith received the 2009 Jerome Perlinski Teacher of the Year Award. Given by the AMTA Council of Schools, this honor is bestowed on the instructor who demonstrates exceptional teaching abilities and commitment to high standards of education in massage therapy.

Here are some of the descriptions of the contributions Carey has made, from fellow educators who offered testimony to the award committee:

• I have watched with great admiration as she has helped to shape the field of massage therapy education for students and teachers alike. Among her most significant contributions is the establishment of The Spirit of Learning, a teacher training program which has set a standard for our entire profession.
  George Kousaleos, LMT, Founder & Director, Core Institute
• Carey challenges students in a way that encourages exploration. She inspires her students to reach their highest potential. And her work helps hold instructors of this profession to a higher standard.
  Paula Jilanis, LMT, Director, Allegany College Massage Program
• Carey’s educational expertise is exceptional and her presence is life-changing.
  Margaret Montenyohl, PhD, LMBT

Carey received her award at the Convention’s annual Teacher’s Networking Lunch. In her acceptance speech, entitled The Three Rivers of Teaching, Carey put forth these essential questions: “What is my teaching lineage?” … “Where do I stand at this moment in my own evolution?” … “What are the teaching seeds that I am planting for future generations?”

Carey Smith (left) receives the 2009 National Teacher of the Year Award from AMTA President Judy Stahl

She spoke to these questions when she acknowledged, “We come from a vast, deep and long tradition. There is profound dignity in the teaching profession when it is understood as a living transmission. Teachers literally broadcast their knowledge, experience, passion, commitment and dedication to the next generation of learners so that these students can carry forward their own expression of what is meaningful to them.”

BTI’s staff and faculty are extremely proud of Carey for the achievement of this honor. A copy of Carey’s speech may be downloaded from the Articles section of the BTI Website.

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