Tennessee School of Therapeutic Massage

JULIE

I am a graduate of TSTM, passed the MBLEx with flying colors (841 out of 900) and received an award for "most outstanding student". 
I would like to let you know about my experience at TSTM.

After a rocky beginning in January, I was able to return to TSTM in March. You will never know how much I appreciate you for making it possible for me to come back to school.

I attended the 6 month day class with Lorie and Erica, who are both awesome teachers! Lorie came up with so many different ways to teach us anatomy, such as:

• "Montessori Method" where everyone touched and verbally identified each bone
• Games that actively involved everyone in learning the movements of the body
• We each got to know the skeleton quite well as we learned all the bones in the body
• Being able to hold the bones and feel where the bony landmarks are located was much more beneficial than looking at a drawing
• Working with clay models was very helpful as we learned the origins and insertions of muscles as well as their directions
• The Acland DVDs added another dimension to learning anatomy
• The songs and anachronisms will remain in my memory forever

Lorie is an incredible teacher who shows so much enthusiasm when teaching anatomy that she makes it exciting to learn. She also truly cares for each student and will go the extra mile to make sure everyone learns what the need to know about anatomy to be a better massage therapist. We also learned bodywork with Lorie, and she took the time to make sure we know exactly what strokes to perform and the proper positioning of our bodies in order to prevent injuries. I truly appreciate the time she spent with me, making sure I knew how to do particular movements so I would not hurt myself or the client.

Erica love physiology and we benefited a lot from her excitement about how the body system works. Whenever we had questions about things that were not well explained well in the book, Erica
would research it and have the answers for us, usually within the hour. She always welcomed our involvement in discussions.

One thing we talked about in our group was how great the flow of learning was designed. we jumped around a lot in the book, but there came a point in our education where everything came together and made total sense. Every subject was placed in the proper order so there was a solid foundation. I just wanted you to know that we noticed the hard work involved in building a perfect curriculum, and we were very thankful.

I have a BS in business Administration from the University of Tennessee and have worked in the financial / insurance aspects of medical offices for most of my life. For a long time, I thought a career in the healing arts remained out of my reach since I faint
at the sight of needless blood: however, I discovered that massage therapy is a way that I can help others. I am so thankful for this opportunity to attend school at TSTM and for the wonderful
teachers! I can truly say they made learning anatomy and physiology fun!

CARRIE

• Her own boss with her own space 

• 5 years of nurturing her dream 

• TSTM class of 2005

When did you first decide to Nurture your dream?

After going to college, I then worked a full-time job. Finally, I decided I wanted to work in a more relaxed environment at my own pace.

Best accomplishment?

Working in a field where I can help others. Each time I hear,“Thank you, I feel much better!”That’s my best accomplishment.

Best part of nurturing your dream?

Helping others is a very rewarding profession. Best advice for someone wanting to be a massage therapist? Set your goals then work hard to achieve them.

What work did you do before?

I was a manager in a fast paced, full service restaurant.

Are you a nurturer by nature?

Being a massage therapist is all about nurturing. Listening to and communicating with your client is key to a beneficial massage and successful practice.

Best thing about TSTM?

The staff at TSTM is very knowledgeable and helpful, so take full advantage of them while you are there!

3 things you are passionate about?

Working hard. Helping people. Continuing to learn.

While nurturing your dream, what do you do to reward yourself?

Going on vacations. I love to travel, so working for myself has enabled me to take more time off and spend it with friends and family.

YOUR DREAM.

PENNY

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for all you are. It has truly been a blessing to have had you as a teacher. I don't necessarily want to make you cry (again), but you are amazing. I think you are truly wise about people. I watched how you interacted with each of our differing personalities in order to encourage and bring out the best in each person. You did not bring a "cookie cutter" approach to your interactions, you individualized it. And not for one moment, do I believe you did anything randomly or by accident (including the class split). You are awesome! And amazing! You made learning difficult material much easier. You lifted us up. You encouraged us. You've made us believe we can fly. And you are the reason I attended TSTM. I was still searching schools when I called the school to see if I could tour the facilities. I wanted to see what the school was like in person, not just on the internet. You took me on the tour that day and really spent your time answering questions (honestly even). That day, I made the decision to go there. I could sense your sincerity and knew you truly cared. Would I have rather gone to a school that was accredited, so I could get aid, or use my Chick-fil-A scholarship? Maybe, but no, I needed a teacher like you. I want to thank you for pouring out your soul, spirit and energy for your students.