Canadian Massage Conference 2018
Judy Hooten, LMT, MMT, BCTMB
Edmond, Oklahoma
“Erik Dalton has been a big part of my massage career from the very beginning. When discussing with my chiropractor that I was considering becoming a LMT he told me about Erik Dalton and it was because of that conversation I enrolled in massage school.
I am so grateful that I started with the Freedom From Pain Institute instead of wasting time wading through all the courses and info available online, searching for reputable information. The investment I made in my education propelled my career in a way that years of experience alone could not have done. Erik has stretched and challenged me with each course. My favorite is “Treating Trapped Nerves”, although Costa Rica was an inspiring week with successful LMTs from around the world modeling for me the possibilities the field has to offer. Now that I’ve completed the MMT program, I’m ready to start cycling back through the courses and continuing to learn from them.
Currently, I practice privately in Edmond, OK at Optimal Living Orthopedic & Sports Therapy and also work part time for the chiropractor who first introduced me to Erik Dalton.
Thank you, Erik, for sharing your expertise and knowledge with us!!! You, and your staff, have blessed my life.”
judyhooten@yahoo.com • 405-355-8397 • IWantOptimal.com
Aubrey Gowing, MMT
Swords, County Dublin, Ireland
“Despite having gained 40+ qualifications and certifications in my 29 years of practice, the one that has without a doubt meant the most to me personally and professionally is the Master Myoskeletal Therapist certification.”
Here is the feedback on what MAT has done for me and my students:
“The study of Myoskeletal Therapy has revolutionized both my practice and my teaching. The results I see on a daily basis are nothing short of astounding. Our students regularly come to class telling of the dramatic effects their MAT studies have had on a client’s condition. This quickly builds confidence and helps them realize the positive effect they have in getting people out of pain, improving posture and getting them back to doing the activities and sports that they love. Even when clients present with complex conditions.
The steps to achieving MMT certification are one of the most enjoyable and rewarding journeys I’ve taken in my life. I have no hesitation in recommending this program to anyone interested in providing the best possible care for their clients. Even excellent therapists who’ve not yet incorporated Myoskeletal techniques into their practice may be unnecessarily limiting themselves from reaching their full potential. Don’t wait, pick any module that appeals to you and jump right in. You will not regret it, and your clients will undoubtedly thank you!”
aubrey@hcd.ie 253-1-895-6337 • Website www.hcd.ie
Charlie Peebles, MMT
Terre Haute, Indiana
“Going back from the time I was a kid I always played sports and coming from Indiana I loved basketball. However, being only 5’ 11” not that fast, and couldn’t jump that high, I only had the chance to play some high school basketball. The sport that I really excelled at was golf and my golfing career carried me places I would have never dreamed of. But “Massage Therapy”… who would have thunk it? Yet, my wife, and I ended up owning a salon and spa in Florida that transported me into massage therapy.
Actually, I have made my living in Information Technology (IT) for 30+ years and when I left IBM and purchased a salon and spa, I had to figure out what I was going to do in that industry to make some money, right? So because of my sports back ground and my interest in massage, I ended up in a school a few blocks from my business…the rest is history!
Because of my sports back ground, my interest focused more on corrective manual therapy. I always thought that the spine was the one of the “keys” to proper functional movement and although learning Swedish massage was great, I needed more input that would help me better understand functional movement.
Voila, enter Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques! For me, this training separated the spa from the sports. Suddenly, I began hearing concepts like upper & lower crossed syndromes, motor dominant patterns, functional and structural scoliosis, and many more pattern-related dysfunctional conditions. Yes, and the idea that we as humans develop dysfunctional movement patterns that we hold subconsciously until a trained therapist brings them to our attention was groundbreaking for me. All of this information really got me excited about what I could do next as a massage/manual therapist.
Kudos to Erik Dalton for taking our profession from a relaxation to a posture, pain performance model. God blessed our community when Erik developed Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques!
I also have to say something about Mr. Paul Kelly. He is another person that I am thankful to have in our manual therapy community as a teacher of MAT. Paul definitely has the gift for teaching and I have enjoyed his views and ideas. I know I have thanked these two industry leaders before, but because of these two guys, our minor degree at Indiana State University stands out as a leading massage therapy program in the country. Thank you both and God Bless!!!”
peebles@massagehelps.us • 765-505-3552 • http://www.massagehelps.org
John Sanderford, LMT, MMT
Midlothian, Texas
“I have felt very blessed to be raised in a family environment where hugs and human touch were welcomed and understood to be a healing power in so many different situations. This has led to my openness and willingness to not judge anyone, but to want to help comfort them. Thankfully there have been many opportunities to do volunteer work thru churches, the red cross, etc.
As I neared retirement from over 3 decades of TV broadcast engineering, I really wanted to focus on helping people in a more direct manor. Having experienced the healing power of massage myself in dealing with pain management, I chose to go back to school and get my massage license, which I completed in 2014.
Fortunately, while waiting for the school semester to start I ran across Erik Dalton’s teachings on U-Tube. I realized that his approach was the type of therapy that had helped me so much. I spent hours upon hours of watching his videos and taking notes.
The first workshop I attended in OKC in 2015, changed everything about my approach to pain management, and therapy. I can never thank Erik enough for his and Paul Kelly’s help in becoming the therapist I am today.
It’s been awesome to help Freedom From Pain Institute as a TA at multiple workshops. After many courses I recently completed the requirements to become a Master Myoskeletal Therapist.”
timesmassage@gmail.com • 214-301-2586
Tammy McCue, LMT,MMT
Palm Coast, Florida
“I have always had a profound interest in helping others. I began my career working as a Physical Therapist Assistant. Shortly afterwards, I went back to school to become a Licensed Massage Therapist in order to expand my knowledge and ability. While practicing as a PTA LMT I came across an Erik Dalton video which sparked my interest. I quickly learned, through the foundational courses, that this was a technique that could truly benefit my clients and help me to stand out as a therapist. Following the incredible MAT workshop in Costa Rica I knew that this was a style that I wanted to build my practice around. I continued my education through the online courses supplemented by multiple hands on workshops. I then decided to expand my knowledge even further by completing a 2- day mentor ship with Paul Kelly in Tennessee that was extremely educational.
Most recently, I have been honored to assist both Erik Dalton and Paul Kelly in Palm Beach and Las Vegas at there training workshops.
MAT has helped me look at my clients differently. By looking for patterns and not simply following pain I can better assess where the pain is coming from. I can then educate my clients on how they can help themselves.
I currently practice as an MMT LMT at Hammock Beach Resort where I specialize in the techniques I have learned through MAT and I am passionate about ensuring that my clients remain active, healthy and happy!”
tamimc@aol.com • 716-481-7088
Joel Kouyoumjian, LMT, MMT
Manchester, New Hampshire
Joel is a New Hampshire and New York State Licensed Massage Therapist. He is a graduate of the Finger Lakes School of Massage near Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Mr. Kouyoumjian also holds certificates for orthopedic massage through the Benjamin Institute for Advanced Studies in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Bodywork is a second career for Joel. His interest in massage stems from his worldwide travels over the span of forty years as a US Merchant Marine ship captain.
He came to learn the Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques in part because he recognized his penchant for troubleshooting and MAT lets practitioners apply that skill to bodywork. Joel also recognized how so many people in the New England area would benefit from Erik Dalton’s Myoskeletal Therapy and there simply wasn’t anyone doing it. After earning his advanced certification in MAT, he opened his Manchester-Bedford Myoskeletal LLC clinic to do just that — help people through ways that simply made sense to him.
Joel is originally from Massachusetts. His sea-going career moved him around the country, living on the US east and west coasts, Scotland, and the British Virgin Islands before finally setting down roots here in New Hampshire in 2009.
Away from manual therapy, the Captain rock climbs at indoor gyms in the Manchester area when he can. Joel started learning Aikido in the early 1970’s before a knee injury put an end to his martial arts ambitions. Recently, he’s taken an interest in the American Eagle Cane Style of self-defense. His long-standing connection to the Far East continues as a caretaker of bonsai.
admin@iseecrookedpeople.com • 603-935-8422 • Website: iseecrookedpeople.com
Michelle Mokracek, LMT, MMT
Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey
“I have been practicing massage and manual therapies for over 18 years. I started with Neuro Muscular Therapy as my core curriculum in 2000 and from there continued to grow my perspective and experience training in Shiatsu and Thai/Yoga modalities. Despite having a thriving massage therapy practice, I wanted to better understand how to work with client’s presenting with posture and pain issue
In 2007 I started studying orthopedic massage and later became a certified practitioner. Then in 2008 I attended Erik Dalton’s weeklong Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques live certification course in Costa Rica and I realized that this was just what I had been looking for. I was hooked! MAT is an amazing integrative method that combines some of the best techniques from osteopathy, fascial therapy, pain management, and developmental movement sciences. I knew that this was going to be years of study and I was so excited!! After developing my skills and integrating this information I feel confident that I can help almost anyone who walks through my door. Proud to be a Master Myoskeletal Therapist.”
mimimoe97@me.com • 732-773-8683
Mark Senzig, CMT, MMT, BCTMB
Santa Rosa, California
“I sought out alternative medicine after being severely injured as a landscape laborer in 1979. After several years of relying on pain medication, my primary doctor referred me to a doctor specializing in alternative modality referrals instead of pills. Within two weeks of treatment in Cathy Amber’s physical therapy program, I walked away without pain. This treatment planted the seeds within me that there is hope for a person that suffers with pain.
Those seeds germinated in 1985 when I was asked to be an on-going patient model for Rolfing classes at Meadowood Resort Hotel and Conference Center, St. Helena, CA. I experienced firsthand the powerful healing relationship between emotional release and physical bodywork, inspiring me to take a Deep Tissue class. My next formal venture into the healing arts was 2003 to 2005, when I attended the Acupressure Institute’s program in Berkeley, CA. Opening my eyes to other possibilities, I did volunteer acupressure sessions for pain management clients, through Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. Next stop on my quest to unravel the mysteries of pain, I pursued certification at the National Holistic Institute’s Professional Massage and Health Education Program, finishing up in 2007.
I worked at Massage Envy for almost three years, winning a regional Northern California Massage Award of the Year. I honed my skills through continued study: Deep Tissue videos by Art Riggs, Certified Rolfer, and classes taught by James Waslaski, Orthopedic Massage Therapist specializing in chronic pain. I soon found Erik Dalton through James and we became fast friends. I started to take MAT online courses in 2011 and went to my first MAT workshop in April 2012 San Diego CA. My second and third hands on workshop were in 2012 and 2014 Costa Rica and fourth workshop was in 2016 Oklahoma. I finished the 210 hour program on Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques (a form of massage derived from Rolfing and Osteopathy) in 2018. These have all been invaluable in assessment of chronic pain patterns.
I now have more than 1500 hours of educational training, and in the past year earned board certification from the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. Seeing my clients’ improvements continues to be my inspiration.”
mark@marksenzig.com • 707-480-1226 • Website: www.marksenzig.com
Gary Jones, MMT
Little Rock, Arkansas
“In 1997 I graduated from massage school in Houston, TX. Currently, I hold a license in Texas with Instructor level ranking. I moved to Arkansas in 2000 and attained a therapist license and eventually achieved Master Level rating. I am self-employed and owner of Arkansas Medial clinic in Little Rock. The focus of the clinic is on alleviating pain and treating injuries. The clinic does not offer spa-type, relaxation massage.
I thought I knew about bodywork therapy until I walked into Erik Dalton’s classroom. That event caused me to reexamine everything I thought I knew. To learn from Erik (or Paul Kelly) is such an honor. Everything they teach is pure gold. No one is even remotely close to them.
Things I learned from the Myoskeletal Alignment system have allowed me to bring people out of pain who had previously given up because nothing else was working.
I am honored to receive this Master Myoskeletal Therapist graduation certificate.”
Gary D Jones • chisoote@aol.com • 501-952-5267
Kim Miller, LMT, MMT
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
“I am a 1982 graduate of Boulder College of Massage Therapy. In 1985 I moved to Oklahoma City to be close to family. I was hired as the lead therapist for a 6-month-old massage therapy program in a fitness center in a new hotel, the first of it’s kind for Oklahoma City. Being the new “in” place to stay I got to work on a lot of celebrities, professional athletes and club members. I was also responsible for hiring other therapists, developing advertising and overseeing the program. That was the beginning of my involvement in the administrative side of the business.
Two years later I was asked to develop curriculum and teach for a massage school opening in Oklahoma City. I developed the course for Swedish, Deep Tissue and Sports Massage. I also worked with the owners in developing guidelines for a student clinic. Around that same time, I was asked to develop massage therapy programs for a wellness center at one of the state parks and for Presbyterian Center for Healthy Living.
As well as developing programs I was also seeing clients at these facilities. Traveling was time consuming and in 1994 an esthetician who had trained extensively in London and I decided to open a clinic. I focused on that practice and was there until 2011 when I moved my treatment room to my home.
My association with Erik Dalton began in 1992 when I met him at a workshop. I had been looking for a Rolfer and been given his name by the Rolf Institute, but had been unable to connect with him because he was living in California and his number in Oklahoma had been disconnected. I heard about him throughout the years and began to think he was a phantom and then, there he was! Fortunately, he was taking new clients. It was also fortunate that Erik had studied with the legendary Ida Rolf and taken extensive post graduate courses with Philip Greenman, Professor and Associate Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Michigan State University. Erik was looking for a way to marry this information with additional concepts he had researched into a body of knowledge and techniques appropriate for massage therapists. Since I had some experience teaching and developing course curriculum we often spoke about his ideas. In 1994, he decided to start conducting small workshops in his garage, while writing his first book and producing a DVD set to accompany it, which he presented at a conference in Oklahoma City in 1998. I had the honor of assisting him. I assisted him over the next 12 years presenting an average of 10 workshops a year and in 2016 became the Director of Education.
Prior to meeting Erik, I had taken many continuing education courses and became nationally certified in a couple modalities. As Erik developed Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques I began using them on my clients. I had noticed patterns of pain with my clients and the techniques were exactly what I needed to develop a skill set that addressed those issues. As Erik continued to tweak the Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques and grow so did I.
I have now had a full-time practice in Oklahoma City for 33 years. I feel I have helped countless people feel comfortable in their bodies and move with greater ease because of Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques.”
kimlmiller@cox.net • 405-919-3685
Gina Stravedes, LMT, MMT
Naples, Florida
“When I became a Licensed Massage Therapist in 1998, I dedicated myself to giving the best possible care to my clients. Through the teachings and guidance of Erik Dalton and the ‘Dalton Team’ it has changed my entire practice.
Myoskeletal manual therapy and corrective exercise have taught me how to better assess and treat common imbalance patterns, chronic pain and overuse injuries….creating positive results and happy clients one day at a time.
I’m grateful to be a Master Myoskeletal Therapist and part of this astute group of bodyworkers.”
gina@massage-naples.com • 239-777-2652
Website: www.ginastavredes.massagetherapy.com
Jean Williams, LMT, MMT
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
“When I was 5 I started massaging my dad’s back and feet. I didn’t realize I was suppose to be a massage therapist until I was 49. I had only thought about it briefly once before but didn’t have the time to go to school. I never really wanted to go back to school, but massage school changed all of that.
I was a therapist for 2 years when I was looking for some CEU’s and saw the Paul Kelly workshop in Murfreesboro, Tn. I was in the room 10 minutes and knew that this was what I wanted to do. I saw that the techniques worked much better than the ones I was using and when I started using them on my clients, they got better faster and had more immediate relief. Because of my own pain and problems I wanted more than anything to help people. So, I started my business inside a chiropractors office–more of a wellness business than a spa setting.
I have been able to help more people go back to work and be pain free than I ever thought possible. If also has offered me a greater earning capability.
Working through all of Erik’s courses has taken me to a higher level than I could have imagined and inspired me to complete a personal training course so I can bring corrective exercise to my clients. It has also allowed me to work with athletes at a local high school and with other local gyms.
I owe this all to Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques…it has motivated me to be the best I can be. I can’t thank Erik and Paul enough for all I have learned and for the motivation to never stop learning. I admire Erik for his vision, hard work, contribution to the massage profession and his continued education. Thank you for being my mentors and changing my life. Look forward to the years to come.”
williams1771@att.net • 615-584-1771 • totalbodyalive.com
Clinton Merrifield, LMT, MMT
San Antonio, Texas
“At the onset of my massage therapist career, I realized I had a passion for the craft. Accordingly, I set high goals for enhancing and enriching my therapist credentials. My initial interests focused on muscle energy techniques and stretching, but I wanted to broaden my core knowledge base.
At the suggestion of a colleague, I explored the Erik Dalton “Freedom From Pain Institute” course offerings and was instantly attracted to the Myoskeletal Therapy Training program. The course focused on the human body structure, posture, pain management, and professional ethics. It was exactly what I wanted to pursue as a foundation to my new vocation. From the initial series of lessons and workshops, I was hooked. Achieving Master Myoskeletal Therapist certification turned into a personal top priority. The more I learned from the MMT program, the more confident and capable I became.
Every step of working with a client’s musculoskeletal system advanced my academic understandings and hands-on application techniques, which benefited my growing clientele.
With many thanks to Erik, I have complete confidence in myself in helping my clients with their physiological and neurological issues that arise from bad posture, gait and movement patterns. Becoming a certified Master Myoskeletal Therapist was the right decision for me. I’m a better qualified massage and bodywork therapist who provides quality service to every client.
For massage therapists who wish to advance their knowledge and application skills and to stand out as confident and professional specialists, I strongly recommend the Erik Dalton Myoskeletal Therapy Training program and the Master Myoskeletal Therapist (MMT) certification.”
massagedynaimcsllc@gmail.com • (210) 901-0497 • Website: www.massagedynamicsllc.net
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