Exclusive Interview with Dr. Ocean, Somatic Bodywork Practitioner

In our mission to find the world’s very best somatic and massage practices and share them with everyone, we are delighted to bring you the following interview that we were fortunate enough to get with Dr. Ocean, an internationally acclaimed therapist.  Please enjoy the transcript of our discussion: OLSON: My guest today is Dr. [...]

By |August 14th, 2023|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Exclusive Interview with Dr. Ocean, Somatic Bodywork Practitioner

Which states need CPR, First Aid, and background checks to get a massage therapy license?

Which states need CPR, First Aid, and background checks to get a massage therapy license? Read each of the sections below to see which states require CPR, First Aid, and background checks to get a massage therapy license.   Go to our Ultimate Guide for Getting a Massage Therapy License to learn more. Which [...]

By |May 25th, 2023|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Which states need CPR, First Aid, and background checks to get a massage therapy license?

How to Become a Touch Therapist

As the current director of a massage therapy school in Hawaii and the former director of a massage therapy school in Oregon, I am intimately familiar with the ins and outs of this process.  My students come from all over the country, and so I’ve had to become familiar with the requirements in all [...]

By |April 8th, 2023|Uncategorized|Comments Off on How to Become a Touch Therapist

The Best Towns in the US for Massage Therapy

Bodywork and massage therapy are becoming increasingly popular forms of holistic health and wellness, and there are many great towns and cities throughout the United States where practitioners can thrive. Here are the top towns and cities in the USA to practice bodywork and massage therapy. These towns and cities offer a range of [...]

By |February 19th, 2023|Uncategorized|Comments Off on The Best Towns in the US for Massage Therapy

Massage Therapy Boards for all 50 States

Here are the URLs for the massage licensing board for all 50 states: Alabama - https://www.almtbd.alabama.gov/ Alaska - https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/MassageTherapists.aspx Arizona - https://massagetherapy.az.gov/ Arkansas - https://www.arkansasmassagetherapy.com/ California - https://www.camtc.org/ Colorado - https://dpo.colorado.gov/massage-therapy Connecticut - https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Practitioner-Licensing--Investigations/Massage-Therapist Delaware - https://dpr.delaware.gov/boards/massagetherapy/ Florida - https://floridasmassagetherapy.gov/ Georgia - https://sos.ga.gov/index.php/licensing/plb/46 Hawaii - https://cca.hawaii.gov/pvl/boards/massage/ Idaho - https://ibol.idaho.gov/IBOL/BoardPage.aspx?Bureau=MAS Illinois - https://www.idfpr.com/profs/masstherapy.asp Indiana - [...]

By |February 19th, 2023|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Massage Therapy Boards for all 50 States

Connection and Trauma-informed Massage Education

As humans, and even as mammals, wanting connection with others is central to who we are.  To be seen, understood, accepted, heard, and touched…all of these are part of a core set of wishes that we are born to pursue without hesitation—our very survival depends on it.   But at some point, this gleeful [...]

By |February 18th, 2023|Trauma-informed massage|Comments Off on Connection and Trauma-informed Massage Education

Why do massage clients often have emotions arise during massage?

Many massage clients and therapists have noticed that strong emotions can come up during a massage therapy session. In this article, we’ll briefly explore why this happens. One common idea is that massage is “releasing emotions” or “releasing trauma”. This idea is incorrect because it assumes that emotions or trauma are stored in the [...]

By |February 13th, 2023|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Why do massage clients often have emotions arise during massage?

In Pursuit of Feeling Good: Posture and Interoception

How is posture relevant to health and wellbeing?    Most massage therapists, and most people in general, have opinions about this.  In fact, most have been taught specific answers to this question.  And if asked “What do we need to discuss to properly address this topic?” most people would say words like muscles, fascia, [...]

By |February 12th, 2023|Uncategorized|Comments Off on In Pursuit of Feeling Good: Posture and Interoception

Can A Bodywork Practice Be Trauma-Informed While Staying Within Scope Of Practice?

The term “trauma-informed” or “trauma-sensitive” is a recent term in our culture that has been rapidly growing in popularity.  This rapid growth reflects how our culture as a whole is becoming more aware of phenomena such as PTSD, complex PTSD, developmental trauma, and how Adverse Childhood Events (ACE) affect physical and psychological health as [...]

By |December 10th, 2021|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Can A Bodywork Practice Be Trauma-Informed While Staying Within Scope Of Practice?

Transforming Trauma podcast

In this episode of the Transforming Trauma podcast, I discuss what it means (and why it's so important) for bodywork and bodywork education to be trauma-informed.

By |February 24th, 2021|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Transforming Trauma podcast