Instructors

Arthur Munyer

Arthur Munyer "(Shambho)" is an Esalen® Certified Bodywork Therapist, Certified Sivananda® Yoga Instructor and Trigger Point Specialist with over 30 years of experience as a practitioner and teacher of various bodywork, spiritual and emotional release disciplines at Esalen® Institute in Big Sur, CA and around in the world. In addition he teaches workshops in Europe, South America, United States and a private practice in Carmel, California.
"I maintain a very active private practice on the Monterey Peninsula. Over the years I have developed an enormous respect for the wisdom of the four energy bodies (physical/mind/spirit/emotional) and approach somatic work as a process of unfoldment, not pushing for change but allowing it to happen, much as a rose unfolds when it's ready. There are many levels to this work because there are many levels of experience that healing touch makes available. The physical body is a vehicle for spirit, and it is also a storehouse of information about how I feel, where I carry my pain, and how I protect and defend myself from the stresses of daily life. In my work I invite and allow the body itself to communicate its state of being, to reveal to the conscious mind the unspoken truth it carries in order to promote a deeper state of awareness and well being. I begin with the surface, but my journey is really an inward one toward the core of the tensions that manifest in the body."
"The truth about my childhood is stored up in my body, and although I can repress it, I can never alter it. My intellect can be deceived, my feelings manipulated, my perceptions confused, and my body tricked with medication. And now, my body is presenting its bill, for it is incorruptible as a child who, still whole in spirit, will accept no compromises or excuses, and will not stop tormenting me until I stop evading the truth."
-- Alice Miller / Arthur Munyer (Shambho)

www.themunyermethod.com

www.themunyermethod.com

Brian O'Dea

Brian O'Dea has 30 years of Martial Arts, meditation, and health care involvement and practice. He graduated from the Acupressure Institute and the Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences. He continues his Jin Shin Jyutsu studies with Mary Burmeister and Chi Kung with Simu Ou Yang Min. Brian also has studied Yang style Tai Chi Chuan with Prof. Chung Man Ching and Lou Kleinsmith. In his own practice he integrates Chinese Tui Na Massage, Jin Shin Jyutsu, herbs, and acupuncture.

Bridget Scadeng, CMT

Bridget Scadeng, CMT, began her career in 1976 as a founding member of Birthways, a non-profit resource center for expectant and new families, along with acting as a Childbirth Educator with several groups and medical practices. Her experience includes training San Francisco Nordstrom's massage therapists in prenatal massage, an instructor for 5 years with the McKinnon Institute, and 4 years as teaching assistant for the Pre and Perinatal Massage Training Certification Workshop, held nationwide. Most recently, she has developed and now teaches a basic massage training for educators, midwives, and doulas with the emphasis on the needs of pregnant and laboring women.

Carl Johns, CMT

Carl is a graduate of the McKinnon Institute. He made the transition from financial district work to a successful career as a massage therapist and teacher. His practice includes Swedish massage, shiatsu, reflexology, and craniosacral therapy. He is part of the wellness program at the Cerebral Palsy Center in Oakland, and is very passionate about working with chronically ill and disabled clients and the benefits that touch work can provide. Carl has a strong background in the arts. He is a graduate of the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, is a life-long jazz musician, and is a great believer in the creative process of intuition and improvisation in bodywork. As current co-owner of McKinnon Body Therapy Center, his goal is to continue to bring touch into as many lives as possible, and to continue to provide the best education for future bodyworkers.

Carol Fitzgerald

Carol Fitzgerald has been affiliated with Body Therapy Center for over 20 years and has had a private massage practice for 24 years. She is on faculty in the Fundamentals of Massage certification program. She also teaches numerous community classes. In her teaching, Carol draws on her practices of mindfulness meditation, kindness, and Non-Violent Communication. She is an ordained ceremonialist, who also leads women's sacred circles.

Char Pias

Char Pias is an Esalen Massage instructor and practitioner with 25 years of professional experience. Her areas of expertise are the energetic, emotional, and spiritual aspects of Bodywork. She is a Reiki Master/Teacher, a licensed graduate of The Center for Spiritual Healing, a certified Hypnotherapist and a Movement and Expressive Arts facilitator. Char draws from such disciplines as yoga, meditation, Tai Ji, journaling and Gestalt. Char teaches workshops and certifications nationally, as well as in Greece and Japan.

Dawn Marie Shepard

Dawn Marie Shepard is a former California schoolteacher who enjoys sharing her interests in health, self-care, and the joy of service to others. Dawn graduated from massage school in 1994. During the next several years she furthered her education through several hundred hours of continuing education in bodywork and practical experience in private practice, personal training, and in health food stores. In 1997, Dawn became a certified Qi Gong instructor and began using many aspects of Qi Gong in bodywork. In 2000, she assisted, and then taught, Dharma Stone Hot Stone Massage workshops.

Diana Maxwell

Diana Maxwell has been practicing Jin Shin Do®, Bodymind Acupressure, Massage Therapy, Reflexology, and Reiki since 1986. Over the years Diana has taught Jin Shin Do Bodymind Acupressure self help and facial classes. She also teaches Reflexology, Couples Massage, and does Reiki attunements.

Doug Blanc, CMT

Doug has been a massage therapist since 2003. He is trained in Acupressure, Craniosacral, Swedish, Reflexology, Chair Massage and Deep Tissue. He has worked at the Center for AIDS Resources, Bodywork Central and Transcendentist where he performed foot massage for patients receiving dental work. Doug has worked at McKinnon since 2003, in the front office, doing graphic design, teacher scheduling and most recently in McKinnon’s Professional Massage Clinic. He now teaches in our Acupressure, Swedish and Reflexology programs.

www.zendoug.com

Geffen Amber Sagee, MA, LMT

Geffen's diverse training includes a Master's degree in Somatic Psychology (1997), a certificate from the Swedish Institute Medical Massage Program (1993) and a New York State License in Massage Therapy (1994), as well as years of experience practicing and instructing Kripalu Yoga (1993). Friends, colleagues and clients describe Geffen as a deeply committed and passionate bodywork practitioner and instructor. As an instructor, Geffen demands a high level of commitment to detailed study combined with a willingness to play and to explore one's own inner landscape while learning. Geffen's personal style interweaves movement of the body with movement within the heart and mind of each student and client, meeting them at the level where they are willing to open to their deepest growth and healing. Geffen is dedicated to living by example. Her style is honest, direct, playful, professional and deeply human. With the support of her teacher, Cheri Huber, Geffen's continuing practice of Zen Buddhist meditation reinforces her belief that compassionate awareness is the key to ending suffering, regardless of what is the cause of the pain. Currently, Geffen is in an on-going program deepening her study and practice of Hendrickson Orthopedic Massage¨, at the Institute of Orthopedic Massage, Berkeley. This form of bodywork is providing a vehicle for Geffen to integrate her diverse background of over a decade of professional bodywork with movement, meditation, introspection, deep touch and gentleness. In January, 2004, Geffen completed her first level of training with the Milne Institute in Visionary Craniosacral training. She is delighted to have found another amazing form of hands on work that is powerfully in line with her deepest values personally and professionally.

Grace Wu, MBA

Grace is a graduate of the 500-hr Traditional Asian Bodywork program at Body Therapy Center and is nationally certified in Asian Bodywork Therapy by, the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, (NCCAOM). She is also a certified practitioner of Ortho-bionomy. Grace has over 1500 hours of training in eastern/western bodywork modalities including acupressure, tui na, Jin Shin Jyutsu, Ortho-bionomy, Hendrickson Method Orthopedic Massage, somatic/trauma resolution work, Rosen Method and Quantum Touch. She has moved from her career in hi-tech to now practicing and teaching bodywork. Her interest are in modalities that go deep, are effective, yet gentle.

Holly Edson

Holly teaches craniosacral therapy at McKinnon and has special interest in anatomy and physiology. She works as a nurse in San Francisco at UCSF and St Mary’s Hospital integrating western medicine with a holistic approach. Holly has over 1000 hours of training in massage modalities including Thai, Shiatsu, myofascial release, and therapeutic touch. Her skilled touch has deepened with Upledger Institute seminars and an apprenticeship with an osteopath. She is a volunteer for Zen Hospice Project, a student of permaculture, and a life long lover of the environment.

www.iahp.com/Holly--Edson/

Irene Smith

Irene Smith introduced massage into hospice care in 1982. Since that time she has worked with hundreds of people in home and facility care settings. She is founder and director of an educational outreach program called Everflowing, teaching touch as an integral component to end of life care. Irene has been acknowledged by the media the health care community and by the ABMP for outstanding contributions to the somatic community. As a west coast assistant for over 10 years to Dr. Elisabeth Kubler Ross, the foremost authority in the field of death and dying, Irene brings extraordinary depth and wisdom to her field. She is an internationally acclaimed author, educator, and healer having taught in Europe, New Zealand and Australia. Irene's classes are intimate in nature, personal in approach, and spiritual in essence.

Janet Oliver

Janet Oliver has maintained a full-time Asian bodywork practice for
over 25 years. She has aught Acupressure and Traditional Chinese
Medicine at State-approved schools since 1982. She completed the
acupressure program at the Acupressure Institute, and is a Licensed
Acupuncturist, having graduated from the Academy of Chinese Culture &
Health Sciences in 1988. She is a member of the faculty of Jin Shin
Jyutsu, and teaches both nationally and internationally. Janet has
studied Qi Gong with Simu Ou Yang Min, Jin Shin Juyutsu with Mary
Burmeister, and Acupressure and Acupuncture with Dr. Alex Feng.

Fundamentals of Acupressure
Advanced 5 Elements Acupressure
Advanced 8 Parameters Acupressure
Post-Advanced Clinical Acupressure

Jason Garcia

I am certified as a massage therapist and health for Swedish, shiatsu, deep tissue and sports massage and have been in practice for the past nine years. I am also licensed by the Bureau for Private and Post-secondary Education as an instructor of massage therapy, as well as nearing the end of my second year in training as a Feldenkrais practitioner. My Feldenkrais training has influenced my approach to teaching deep tissue, trigger point therapy, sports and Swedish massage at the McKinnon Institute of Massage and the World School of Massage. The latter of which I had the pleasure of designing the deep tissue I and II course and curriculum.

Jeff Schroeder

Jeff Schroeder is a Certified Massage Therapist, practicing in San Mateo, Palo Alto and Belmont since 2001. He maintains an onsite chair massage practice with events at a number of Bay Area corporations, and does volunteer chair massage for the Red Cross and College of San Mateo. In addition, Jeff provides chair massage at The Birches, a residential care facility in Palo Alto. Jeff is a valuable contributor in Body Therapy Center's Living Anatomy and Advanced Massage and Bodywork courses.

Joel Klein

Joel is nationally certified in therapeutic massage and bodywork. He studied massage at Body Therapy Center with a specialization in Sports Massage. He practices at nearby personal training facilities, where he works with not only athletic clients, but also helps office workers deal with postural and repetitive stress related issues, as well as assisting clients who are rehabbing from injuries and surgeries.

Joel first became specifically interested in sports massage when he was in training for the California AIDS Ride, a seven-day, 580-mile bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, which gave him a great appreciation for the power of massage both while in training and during the event itself. Joel is also certified in Active Release Techniques (A.R.T.) and Orthopedic Massage, and is a professional member of the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) national organization.

John Norikane

Linda Aldridge

Linda has been practicing massage since 1981 and teaching in the field since 1983. She is licensed by Arkansas and has studied a wide range of modalities. She holds a BA in English and an MA in Holistic Health Education. As an instructor in the Swedish certificate program at McKinnon she brings enthusiasm for caring through touch and commitment to student's personal growth through bodywork education.

www.lindaaldridge.com

Linda Odum, CIMI

Linda Odum, CIMI, has been a Certified Infant Massage Instructor Parent Educator since 1996, following completion of Infant Massage Training with Kalena Babeshoff. She has been teaching Infant Massage in a variety of settings since that time, and has completed additional training through the Foundation for Healthy Family Living with Ms. Babeshoff, Danni Verona and Michelle Daly.

Louis Stelter

Maeve Jordan

Maeve Jordan tiene mas de siete anos trabajando con los artes terapeuticos. Recibio su primera certificacion en el Masaje Terapeutico en el ano 2000 en Body Therapy Center, y hasta la fecha ha recibido certificaciones en el Masaje Avanzado, la Terapia CranioSacral, y Acupresion. En el 2001 ella encontro Pilates, un metodo de exercicio que le cambio el cuerpo y el trabajo profundamente, y se hizo Instructora Certificada de Pilates en el 2002. Maeve tambien estudio aromaterapia y el cuidado natural de la piel y el cuerpo. Desarrollo y hizo productos y servicios especializados y 100% naturales para About Face and Body Salon and Spa en Berkeley, donde tambien trabajo de terapista del masaje y como Gerente de Operaciones. Maeve ha sido asistente al instructor en programas de la certificacion profesional del masaje, y hoy en dia ofrece clases del masaje en espanol. Su pasion y su trabajo se base en reconocer profundamente a la inteligencia maravillosa del cuerpo, y esta muy orgullosa de la versatilidad de su trabajo, lo cual se ha desarrollado a traves de experiencia extensiva con una gran variedad de gente, incluso atletas, mujeres embarazadas, gente con disabilidades, y los ancianos. Maeve tiene planes de empezar estudios en la salud de la mujer y la parteria profesional en el futuro cercano.


Maeve Jordan has been involved in the healing arts for over seven years, beginning with Certification in Clarity Breathwork. She received her first certification in Therapeutic Massage in 2000 from Body Therapy Center, and has since received certifications in Advanced Massage and Bodywork, CranioSacral Therapy, and Acupressure. In 2001 she discovered Pilates, which deeply transformed her body and her work, and she became a Certified Pilates Mat Instructor in 2002. Maeve also studied aromatherapy and natural skin and body care, eventually going on to develop and create 100% natural custom spa products and services for About Face and Body Salon and Spa in Berkeley, where she also practiced massage and worked as the Operations Manager. Maeve has worked as a teaching assistant for professional certification programs in massage, and currently teaches Spanish language beginning massage classes. Her work is centered in deep honoring and recognition of the astounding intelligence of the body. Maeve is proud of the versatility of her work, which has developed through her extensive hands on experience with a great variety of people, including athletes, pregnant and postpartum women, people with disabilities, and the elderly. Maeve plans to begin studies in women’s health and Midwifery in the near future.

Mark Bauman

Exposed to the work of Milton Trager while in massage school in 1977, and consequently studied with Dr. Trager for many years. During this time he was also intensively studying aikido, which synchronistically taught him a great deal about working with movement and energy. He has been a Trager Practitioner since 1980, and has led workshops since Dr. Trager selected him to do so in 1984. He has been teaching Chi Nei Tsang since 1992, having studied extensively with Gilles Marin of the Chi Nei Tsang Institute. Mark was also given certification by Taoist Master Mantak Chia.

Mary Ann Furda

Mary Ann Furda is not only a chiropractor, but an experienced bodyworker as well. Mary Ann's education includes work with the Trager & Upledger Institutes, Fritz Smith, Bob King and Vladimir Yanda. She has taught anatomy & soft tissue techniques at Body Ease Therapy, Harbin Hot Springs, and A Sante.

Michael Curnett

Michael Curnett is the founder and director of SciatiCare®—a breakthrough in rehabilitative science for healing of spinal disc and nerve impingement conditions. He has 25 years experience in bodywork and the healing arts, and has studied and worked with many notables including Dr. Arthur Pauls, Bob Rasmussen, Joseph Heller, and Anat Baniel. He is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner cm, and has an extensive background in movement and somatic studies, neuromuscular re-education modalities, energy medicine and martial arts.

Michael developed SciatiCare in response to his personal struggle with and recovery from severe sciatica and disc injury. In 14 years of specialization with these conditions he has helped hundreds of people to avoid surgery and return to active lives. His articles on SciatiCare are published in leading professional journals. Michael’s teaching is infused with heart, humor, and passion for this work. He leads SciatiCare Professional Training® in conference, clinical and educational settings nationwide and maintains a private practice in Santa Cruz, CA.

Michael Murphy

Michael Murphy has a B.A. in Psychology and has been practicing massage since 1969. He studied Rolfing ¨ work at the Rolf Institute in Boulder, Colorado, where he also teaches Anatomy. Michael is one of our most popular teachers.

Michaela Boldy

Michaela Boldy qualified as a registered nurse from Oxford Brookes University, England in January 1991. Aromatherapy was introduced to her as part of her nurse training and she became increasingly interested in the clinical aromatherapy studies she experienced during working in hospitals. Her experience includes critical care work and nurse education for a pharmaceutical company.
Since moving to California in 1997, Michaela qualified as a certified aromatherapy practitioner. She has since taught aromatherapy at colleges and chiropractor offices in the Bay Area. Michaela is also a certified infant massage instructor.

Peter Rothe

Peter Rothe was born into a family of artists. He brings this creative sensibility into his massage practice and teaching style. Peter began his practice in 1989 with the Amma School of Shiatsu Massage. He went on to study with Tom Hendrickson, the founder of Hendrickson Orthopedic Massage¨ (HOM), at the Institute of Orthopedic Massage, Berkeley. During the course of 14 years and over 800 hours of advanced training, Peter became a senior instructor of this powerfully effective therapeutic technique. He assisted Tom Hendrickson to refine the teaching manual for the HOM 200 hour professional certification course into the textbook, Massage for Orthopedic Conditions, that Tom Hendrickson authored and published in 2003. Peter maintains a busy massage practice in and is a longtime practitioner of martial arts, Japanese Tea Ceremony, and Zen meditation. His philosophy is that the planet is healed by bodywork - one body at a time. His work draws upon ancient traditions that can be scientifically verified in the physical body and felt, quite clearly, in the energetic.

Rachel Johnson

Rachel Johnson has been a practitioner of Asian healing arts since 1983. Principles of Tai Chi, Yoga, spiritual healing, Shiatsu, and traditional Chinese Medicine form the background to her practice of Thai massage and Shiatsu. She teaches at several Bay Area massage schools and maintains a practice specializing in women's health issues.

Richard Rossiter

Richard Rossiter is a former chronic pain sufferer who created The Rossiter System's powerful two-person stretches to help other people out of pain quickly and effectively. He is an advanced certified Rolfer and accomplished author of two books on stretching.

Since the mid 1980s, Rossiter has been CEO of Rossiter & Associates, a training/consulting firm specializing in repetitive motion injuries in the U.S. workplace. In 2003, he branched out and began offering Rossiter System workshops to the health-care, bodyworker, massage therapy and lay communities to help people prevent and relieve common overuse conditions, including arm and wrist pain, elbow pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck/shoulder pain and low back/lower-body pain.

Selena Lee, MA

Selena’s passion for integrated health and an understanding of the importance of healing has been at the core of her work at the McKinnon Institute. Her work ethic, strong communication skills and dedication led her to her current position as the backbone of the McKinnon Institute. Her undergraduate degree in Cross-Cultural Healing Systems and Communication provided the foundation for her Masters Degree in Holistic Health Education. Her education and her life experience allow Selena to thrive in a role that creates, serves and participates in the community. She teaches the Advanced Business & Ethics course at McKinnon. In addition to her roles at McKinnon, Selena is the Director of Touch Health Association, a non-profit that offers services to pregnant and parenting teens in Alameda County.

Susan Kirk

Susan Kirk is a certified massage therapist with 22 years of experience in the medical field, the past ten of those in the field of oncology. For the last seven years she has been working with cancer patients and survivors in the hospital and hospice setting. In addition to teaching oncology massage and related courses, Susan has been involved with organizing massage therapy for Relay for Life and I Can Cope with the American Cancer Society. She is credentialed through Sutter Health Clinic Integrative Therapies for Breast Cancer Survivors and maintains a private practice in Santa Rosa, California.

Susi Fluer

Susi has been practicing massage since 2001. A native of Austria, her interest in and passion for health brought her to the Bay Area to study Holistic Health Education. During a summer class at McKinnon, she fell in love with bodywork. Since then she has worked with chiropractors, in spas, and has built up a successful private practice. Her modalities include Swedish, Thai Massage, On-Site Chair Massage, and Hot Stone Therapy. In her sessions, she aims to provide bodywork that is both therapeutic and relaxing. She teaches Swedish at McKinnon as well as Back, Neck and Shoulder at Body Therapy Center.

Tim Custis

Practitioner, Teacher and Founder

Spiral Release Bodywork®

www.spiralrelease.com

Tim Custis is founder of Spiral Release Bodywork® (SRB). He has been practicing since 1987 and has over 1200 hours of training as a Certified Master BioSync® Practitioner and Teacher. Tim is also certified in Reconnective Healing® and Quantum Touch® energy therapies.

Tom Fitzgerald

Tom is a spiritual teacher and a healer who has an ability to tune into a person’s energy field and bring into awareness the beliefs and feelings that are preventing them from being in the now. This awakened state of present being awareness enables a person to access the ultimate truth of their being.

For the past seventeen years Tom has been on a spiritual journey where it is the foundation of his life. There are no set rules on how to become a spiritual teacher, it comes from your dedication to the spiritual journey. There are many paths, practices and religions available to choose from. However, Tom did not become attached to one particular philosophy or group as he wished to honor his own true path.

When he decided to dedicate himself to this path he became aware of an overall process that was unfolding in his life. This process was similar to the process experienced by many of the spiritual teachers and is a well-documented path of growth and spiritual enlightenment, the path of direct knowing.

Prior to committing to his spiritual journey Tom traveled the world extensively working in a variety of industries and management positions. Business qualifications: Harvard Business School, M.B.A. and Chartered Management Accountant.

Wolfgang Luckmann

Wolfgang Luckmann is a graduate of the Florida College of Natural Health
and Southeastern Institute of Oriental Health in Miami where he studied
clinical massage therapy and Chinese Medicine. He became apprenticed in Lomi
Lomi - Hawaiian Therapeutic massage in England and Germany. He started
teaching anatomy and physiology and Eastern body modalities in South
Carolina and Florida. Now he teaches Holistic bodywork therapies to Massage
therapists and Acupuncture Physicians all over the United States. He has
an accumulative teaching experience of 20 years and specializes in Shiatsu,