This busy year started in January with a trip to Quantico,

VA to speak with members of the Marine Corps Marathon

regarding sports massage for the October race. The

Ultimate Sports Massage Team participates yearly and what

an adventure it is!

After this trip, Christen Dern and I headed to Camp

Lejuene, NC to provide injury massage to the wounded

Marines and Sailors on base. Between the two of us, we

provided forty-eight 30-minute massage sessions. This work

is very emotional and rewarding and I am amazed and

inspired by their generosity and caring toward us.

Upon returning, Christen and I, along with David Silvia,

planned our next trip back to Camp Lejuene to provide

Seven massage therapists traveled to NC for this event.

We had so much fun, enjoyed working with the wounded

Marines again, and some of them even participated in

Then I was off to the Chula Vista California Olympic

providing sports/injury massage to the resident athletes.

What an awesome experience to be able to participate

with them at their training sites. I provided 9-13 massage

sessions a day, 5 days/week and on the weekends with

As House of Delegates Representative for the RI Chapter,

I had the opportunity to experience the inner sanctum of

the political process at work. Though formal and a little

nerve-wracking, it was democracy at its best. I believe

the system ensured fairness and demanded succinct

language-specific proposals. This experience was validating

after the hard work put forth by the delegates to reach

our final recommendations for the National Board of

Directors:

PASSED

the on-line learning site—NJ. 101 for (RI), 30 against.

the chapter meeting—GA. 104 for (RI), 29 against.

one candidate for a position, this gives a choice to

members from several qualified candidates—GA. 127 for

(RI), 4 against.

DEFEATED

state memberships—NJ. 27 for, 105 against (RI).

applicants: If practicing massage in a state or territory

or the District Of Colombia in which the practice of

massage is regulated, must hold a valid license,

registration or certification issued by the state, territory

or District of Colombia—IL. After extensive debate, the

amendment was defeated. 62 for (RI), 71 against.

Thank you for allowing me to represent and serve you.

Approximately 200 homeless and at-risk veterans attended

September 21-23 at Diamond Hill Park, where they

received aid and much-needed therapeutic touch.

This excerpt from a letter from one of the veterans sums

up what many expressed to us during this weekend:

“Dearest Lou Ann and Co., Hello and thanks to you and

your awesome crew. You were the highlight of my 2007

Operation Stand Down. Not only did I get wonderful

massages but I had fun unlike any other Standown. I will

never forget nor cease to appreciate it. With all of the

love, admiration and respect that I can muster, I am—”.

My sincere thanks to “the crew” who volunteered their

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

401-849-1050; massagetherapyctr@cox.net

401-225-8610; grammie200@aol.com

401-846-7728; rkomori@aol.com

401-595-2184; vinmax@cox.net

401-421-6653; ymriendeau@cox.net

401-529-1722; massagebywayne@cox.net

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

508-954-2125; rmcobb@ccri.edu

401-225-8610; grammie200@aol.com

401-829-0293; abjm611@yahoo.com

401-206-1438; beckyellsworth@gmail.com

401-724-4979; camacphee@cox.net

401-231-5727; 401-559-4318; frankrap@cox.net

401-486-9113; labots@cox.net

401-744-5025; pk127@juno.com

401-596-3040; carl@healthfocus101.com

Not sure who to ask? Email:

info@riamta.com

2

So much is happening around the state and for the RIAMTA. Each

committee continues to grow in activity, accomplishments, and

service to our members. I am sure you will be surprised and

impressed by their accomplishments and offerings.

Membership has expanded and now includes Hospitality. We now

have 456+ members and we want to know you. Hospitality is

organizing some gatherings that sound rather intriguing. Stay tuned.

The RIAMTA Sports Massage Team continues their community

outreach, not just at sporting events, but by requesting a

proclamation from Governor Carcieri to designate Massage Therapy

Awareness Week in October 2008. This past October 21-27, licensed

therapists offered both chair and table massage at the Community

College of Rhode Island’s four campuses to help educate the public

The RI Crisis Massage Team (CMT) completed its annual refresher

training. As an attendee, I was impressed by the expression of

gratitude from the firemen and women, police, nurses and clergy

that was shared. This was truly a milestone in the growing

Finally, let me remind everyone to plan on attending the New

England Regional Conference (NERC) in March 2008. Now is the

time to make reservations! The Conference Committee has been

working all year on making it the best yet. (Can Vermont do much

better than Rhode Island on this?) So, mark your calendar to register

by the end of the year to get the classes you want. If the expense of

a conference seems out of your budget, apply for the Perry Plouffe

opportunity for continuing education and some fun. Don’t miss it!

Get involved with your chapter at a time when it is rapidly growing,

both in numbers and activity! Member meetings and events are a

great time to make a new friend and share your experiences, with

opportunities to learn and infuse your working life a little boost.

Be a part of something. You may surprise yourself and have fun

too! Imagine that.

3

Anyone interested in volunteering at the Boston Marathon

can register on line at www.baa.org. The registration

deadline is February 1st. The holidays will be here soon

and time slips away so mark it on your calendar. I would

like to extend many thanks to all our volunteers for making

these events a success. Remember when you volunteer, it

is your way of supporting and donating to the organization

that you volunteer at. I wish you all much success and

happiness.

112TH BOSTON MARATHON

Monday, April 21, 2008

RHODE ISLAND SPECIAL OLYMPICS

Saturday, June 7th 2008

MS 150 BIKE RACE

Sunday, June 22nd 2008

29th PAN-MASS CHALLENGE

Saturday, August 02, 2008

As mentioned in our last newsletter, RIAMTA is committed

to assisting our members in obtaining continuing education

credit! As part of the recertification process, the National

Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork

(NCBTMB) requires that all continuing education

workshops be NCBTMB approved. Over the next several

months, all educational workshops sponsored through

RIAMTA will be included in the approval submission to

the NCBTMB. We will keep you posted throughout the

upcoming months of our progress.

from Miller Chiropractic presented “Chiropractic &

Massage: Complementary Care” during the one-hour

educational portion of the meeting. Attendees learned

about the relationship between chiropractic care and

massage therapy, learned proper body mechanics that can

be applied to everyday living, and performed various

stretches during the workshop. All 24 participants received

certificates for one-hour of continuing education credit.

We are actively working with future presenters for our

next chapter meeting in February 2008 and will be offering

continuing education credit once again! Details will be

published in the next newsletter. Watch for future mailings

and check our website for updates at www.riamta.com.

Thanks to those who responded to the Education Survey!

Overall, members preferred that educational programs

be held on weekends for one/two days, and morning/

afternoon sessions. Here are the top six topics that you

would like to see come to Rhode Island:

• Active Isolated Stretching

• Headaches: Types, Triggers & Treatment

• Fibromyalgia & Associated Disorders

• Orthopedic Massage

• Craniosacral/Myofascial Therapy

• Pregnancy Massage

ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE!

COMING TO RHODE ISLAND IN JANUARY:

We have contracted with Brook Seminars for a two-day

workshop on January 12-13, 2008. The topic is “Active

Isolated Stretching: The Mattes Method” with Marjorie

Brook. We are very excited to have Marjorie come to

Rhode Island, and we are currently finalizing specifics and

location. Watch for a mailing by the end of November

and also check www.riamta.com.

On August 20th, the Crisis Massage Team had its annual

Refresher Training Event. It was well attended with over

thirty members. Also joining us from the Critical Incident

Stress Management Team were RI nurses, fire/police

department, and spiritual care. The five hours together

were spent meeting friends old and new, socializing,

honing our professional chair massage skills and satisfying

our appetites. The feedback from the group was great

and everyone looks forward to next year’s event, already

in the works. Congratulations to coordinators Anna

Balboni and Regina Cobb for obtaining NCBTMBApproved

Continuing Education Provider status for the

Crisis Massage Team Organization.

RIAMTA joined with the Community College of Rhode

Island to sponsor its first annual week of massage, in

celebration of National Massage Therapy Awareness

Week. Licensed massage therapists administered close to

two-hundred chair massages as well as one-hour

discounted table massage on all four CCRI campuses. The

week was designed to help individuals learn about

managing stress, the benefits of massage and increasing

one’s quality of life through healing touch. Thanks to all

the professional massage therapists for making this a

volunteers. Help create exciting educational opportunities

for our members. Call Pat: 401-225-8610.

stamping. Takes 90 min. +/- (less time with your help).

Usually takes place on a Monday morning towards the

4

We have extended the application deadline for the Perry

didn’t receive any applications so you have a really good

chance of getting the scholarship if you do apply. Doesn’t

anyone want our money? The scholarship pays for your

registration fee and classes in exchange for your help during

the conference. The optional hotel stay is not covered but

the hotel offers an AMTA discount and you can always

share a room with a friend. You can also defray your

expenses by working at Travelers’ Massage. So get your

CEUs on us! Get an application at www.riamta.com or

contact Secretary Yolande Riendeau: ymriendeau@cox.net

fast! This is the last time to apply for the scholarship. Next

year it will be raffled off at the September Member

Meeting.

It’s time to celebrate and join together to show pride in

and honor our incredible profession! The 25th anniversary

of the New England Regional Conference is almost here.

It is a time to visit with old friends and meet new ones. It

is a time to network and earn those CE credits that we all

must maintain. It is a time to open our minds and sharpen

our skills.

Royal Plaza Hotel and Trade Center, has easy access off

Route 495 with plenty of rooms so there is no need for

an overflow hotel. The hotel has a beautiful pool area

and gym, several restaurants, and shopping on the access

road into the hotel. Don’t wait to book your room!

Mention promo code “AMTA” when calling for a

discounted room rate of $99 a night. Call 888-543-9599

or go online to www.amta-nerc.org for the hotel link.

directly across from the classrooms. We are diligently

striving to increase the number of vendors as some

attendees suggested on last year’s evaluations (we do read

each and every one of them). The general public will be

allowed to attend our exhibit area this year which is a

great way to help educate the public about our profession

and give them a chance to meet some of us. The Exhibit

Hall will be open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so if you

can’t make it to the conference, it’s still a great opportunity

to restock your office and try out new products while

saving on shipping and handling.

The course topics vary widely this year: Ethics, Stone

Massage, Lymph Drainage, posture/pain relationship in

TMJ disfunction, Emotional Freedom techniques, Somato

Release introduction, cardiovascular conditions, hands-free

Chair Massage, Reiki, Jin Kei Do & Buddho Healing,

Myofascial Release, High Touch Jin Shin, Intro to Ortho-

Bionomy and hands-on Psoas, “Running on Empty” with

Cynthia Woodis, Nutritional Wellness and Functional

Medicine, and multiple courses by David Kent.

register for classes. Deadline for pre-registration is February

8, 2008. If you have any problems registering, please

contact Michael Whiteley, Registrar, NERC Planning

Committee, PO Box 529, Belgrade, ME 04917; Phone/

Fax (207) 495-2465.

As for the conference traditions that are ever popular...

First-Timers registration, pool exercise, yoga, and possibly

a Zumba class, Friday night cocktail reception, chair and

table massage, Saturday night Dinner Dance by New

celebrate in casual business to semi-formal attire - and last

but not least, great raffles and door prizes!

This year, Rhode Island has the responsibility of setting up

and maintaining Travelers’ Massage as well as the Dinner

Dance decorations. We need volunteers to help coordinate

the Travelers’ Massage schedule. We also need help filling

balloons and placing them on the tables for the Dinner

Dance. This usually takes about an hour or less depending

on the number of volunteers. We can’t do it alone! Show

your state pride! Please call your RI NERC Reps if you can

help:

Dorry Renquist: (401) 823-6225 or (401) 419-6151

Michaele Colizza: (401) 595-2184

We look forward to seeing you there! And Happy

Anniversary to all of us!

Please remember to make sure that National AMTA has

your current email information. Emails will be sent out

regarding the conference and it’s the best way to keep

you up-to-date while saving some trees.

The Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health

has determined to amend the rules and regulations for

massage therapist licenses (among others) to increase fees

by 30%. These amendments were enacted by the Rhode

Island General Assembly on July 1, 2007 and will affect

most licensed professions in the state.

For those still miffed about the online renewal process,

this link might answer a few questions, like, that additional

fee you had to pay? Recovers their cost of credit card

processing online. Visit <www.health.state.ri.us/hsr/

professions/MyLicense_FAQs.pdf> for some answers.

5

6

Great news! I have successfully renewed my NCBTMB

(National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and

Bodywork) despite their best efforts to prevent this from

happening. My problem began with how often they update

and change the renewal requirements during a 4-year

certification period.

Yes, I’m sure we all know by now that we need 48 credits,

6 of which need to be in Ethics, 2 of those needing to be

doing well this summer, only needing a few more ethics

credits, with plenty of time to spare before my December

31, 2007 expiration date—a date strongly etched in my

mind from staring at my framed certificate for the last threeand-

a-half years.

I got a reminder in mid-August reminding me of my

upcoming renewal—October 1—less than two months away.

I quickly called and found out that NCBTMB decided to

change the expiration date to reflect when I first certified.

Wow. Thanks for letting me know. So I finished up my

credits online, thank you web gods. It took some time to

gather everything together on the renewal checklist, but

even after multiple phone calls to the NCBTMB office with

clarification questions, I managed to get my application in

the mail on September 5. Plenty of time, I thought.

On October 1, I received an email telling me my

certification had lapsed. Another call (or three, actually).

Turns out it was an automatically generated email and

they had filed the application but hadn’t gotten around

to it yet. I needed to send in my application 2 months

ahead of the expiration date for that to happen. But

remember when I found out about my new expiration?

Here are my issues, in a nutshell, that I will be sending to

feedback@ncbtmb.com where they formally invite AMTA

members to “be part of our national conversation”:

Simplify what you need from us and tell it to us straight.

The forms need more space for our information (boxes

when forms are missing from the booklet. Make your

requirements and stick to them. If you must make changes,

make sure the people affected know about them or, better

yet, have the changes go into affect at the beginning of a

certification period. The first two people I spoke with

over the phone had misinformation about my application

and compounded matters.

I must say the last person I spoke with, Kim (my

“facilitator” and new best friend), was very helpful,

quickly located my application, reviewed it, and

recertified me over the phone. I keep her direct phone

number in a special place. I hope you all find your

facilitators, as well, when the time comes.

7

8

rewarding. It was hard to leave, I needed to get back

home—aside from family missing me, my clients were too!

There was NO slowing down here. Once back in RI, I joined

my sister Lynn and the Relay for Life team she had

organized. Beth Jackson and I provided massage throughout

the day into the night and next morning for the walkers;

however, we did have a break. My sister had scheduled us

The very next morning I headed to Salve Regina University

in Newport, RI for the first leg of the MS 150 Bike Race. I

participated with Steve Murray, Director of the Massage

Therapy Program at Lincoln Technical Institute (LTI), along

with some students. I was very impressed with the

professionalism and skill of these student massage therapists.

Kudos to them for a job well done!

Throughout the summer I participated in a variety of sports

massage events including the PAN MASS Challenge, joined

by 21 massage therapy students from LTI. Another

outstanding bunch, we worked and laughed hard all day.

In August I participated in the 2007 Marine Mud Run in

Knoxville, TN. The run consists of a 5K off-road obstacle

28. I was happy to at least finish and this year there was

much more mud involved.

Recently, I was on call for the US Olympic Sailing Team, in

Newport for the 2008 Olympic Trials. It was nice to hear

these athletes’ stories and their progression in the standings

as the trials went on.

The Ultimate Sports Massage Team will be heading to the

Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC in October.

There will be 22 massage therapists on the team this year!

The marathon staff have asked us to provide massage at 5

new events in ‘08. We are excited about this new endeavor.

I am also excited that my daughter Rainee-Lynn recently

graduated, passed her exam and is now a massage therapist!

The year hasn’t ended and I still have weekend trips to

Lake Placid, NY where I will work with members of the US

Olympic Bobsled and Luge Teams. I can only imagine what

2008 has in store, but I know that I will always be looking

outside the “Massage Box”. I love my job and absolutely

love being a massage therapist!

9

1. Reflexology Applications and Techniques, The Original Ingham

Method, I & II

2. Learning Reflexology, Merle Sunde

3. Art of East Asian Foot Reflexology I, Zoku Shin Do

4. Reflexology… a day at the spa

5. Reiki… a day at the spa

6. Shea Professional Seminars Vol. 4, The Thorax, Shoulder Girdle

and Respiration

7. Shea Professional Seminars Vol. 5, Visceral Manipulation (Basic)

8. PMV Prod. Presents Massage for the Mature Healthy Person

9. PMV Prod. Presents Massage for the Emphysema Patient

10. Russian School of Clinical Massage, The Kurashova Method

11. Russian School of Sports Massage, The Kurashova Method, I

& II

12. ECI Dissection of Low Back

13. ECI Dissection of Hip and Pelvis Region

14. ECI Dissection of Scapohumera Region

15. ABCs of Geriatric Massage

16. The Ten Step Protocol, John Upledger

17. Seated Massage Experience, Raymond Blaylock

18. Clinical Sports Massage Vol. I, Benny Vaughn

19. Clinical Sports Massage Vol. II, Benny Vaughn

20. Clinical Sports Massage Vol. III, Benny Vaughn

21. Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques, Erik Dalton; 3 videos/

manual

22. Active Isolated Stretching, Aaron L. Mattes

23. Active Isolated Stretching Assisted, Aaron L. Mattes

24. Traditional Massage of Thailand, Kay Rynerson book/video

25. Acland’s Atlas of Human Anatomy – 6 DVDs

26. NeuroKinetic Therapy by Benny Vaughn, Arm & Leg

27. NeuroKinetic Therapy by Benny Vaughn, Hip & Pelvis

28. NeuroKinetic Therapy by Benny Vaughn, Shoulder

29. NeuroKinetic Therapy by Benny Vaughn, Thigh (2 copies)

30. Ayurvedic Spa Treatments, Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa

31. Ayurvedic Face Massage & Shirodara, Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa

32. Swe-Thai Massage with Margie Meshew

33. Frozen Shoulder Syndrome, Elaine Calenda

34. Anatomy Trains Myofascial Meridians (ATMM) Lateral Line,

Tom Meyers

35. ATMM Spiral Line, Tom Meyers

36. ATMM Superficial Back Line, Tom Meyers

37. ATMM Superficial Front Line, Tom Meyers

38. ATMM Deep Front Line – Part 1, Tom Meyers

39. ATMM Deep Front Line – Part 2, Tom Meyers

40. Interactive Functional Anatomy, Susan K. Hillman (Computer)

41. Orthopedic Massage For Complicated Shoulder Conditions,

Vol. 4, James Waslaski

42. Orthopedic Massage For Complicated Cervical Conditions

Vol. 5, James Waslaski

43. Anatomy & Pathology for Bodyworkers, Sean Riehl

44. Lymphatic Drainage Massage, Sean Riehl

45. Yoga For Your Eyes/Natural Vision Improvement Exercises,

Meir Schnieder

46. TouchPro Chair Massage, David Palmer (video, cassette,

manual)

47. Medical Massage–Lumbar Region, Ralph Stephens

48. Medical Massage–Cervical Region, Ralph Stephens

49. Therapeutic Sports Massage–Lower Extremity, Ralph Stephens

50. Therapeutic Chair Massage, Ralph Stephens BOOK

51. Healing Massage Techniques, Francis Tappan BOOK

BOOK

53. Recognizing Health and Illness, Sharon Burch BOOK

54. Hands Heal: Documentation for Massage Therapy,

Diana Thompson BOOK

55. Cassette Series: HEALTH JOURNEYS – Guided Imagery

and Affirmations (each theme is separate): Arthritis or

Lupus Asthma | Cancer | Chemotherapy | Depression

| Diabetes General Wellness | Grief | Headaches(2) |

Heart Disease HIV Infection | Multiple Sclerosis | Pain

| Relationship(2) Smoking | Stress(2) | Stroke |

Surgery(2) | Weight Loss

PLEASE FILL OUT THE NECESSARY FORMS. RENTALS ARE

DUE BACK IN 30 DAYS TO AVOID FEE PENALTIES.

Visit us at www.riamta.com for information and

forms relating to: renting from the video library,

Perry Plouffe Scholarship application, upcoming

member events, job and education opportunities,

the New England Regional Conference, links to

peers and supporters, catalogued newsletters,

board contact info and more!

10

camacphee@cox.net or call (401) 724-4979.

files to camacphee@cox.net or call (401) 724-4979. Resolution for

image files is 300 dpi.

Full-page ad (7.25”W x 10”H): $90

1/2-page ad (7.25”W x 5”H): $45

1/4-page ad (3.5”W x 5”H): $22.50

Members: 20¢/word

Non-members: 20¢/word + $20 (for 1 year subscription)

The RIAMTA and the editor reserve the right to edit and/or refuse

any submitted article or advertisement, and assume no responsibility

for errors, omissions, corrections or modifications in publication.

Neither RIAMTA nor the RIAMTA Newsletter guarantees, warrants

or endorses any product, service, or referral advertised herein, nor

do they express any opinion in regard to the legality of the use of any

product advertised herein in connection with the practice of massage

therapy.

Subscriptions to the RIAMTA Newsletter are free to RIAMTA members

and $20/yr for non-members.

contributions pertinent to massage therapy and will respond to any

suggestions to YOUR publication.

USER NAME = AMTA ID number; PASSWORD = last name

view. Full-time or Part-time. Small professional building

with two full-time psychiatrists and three full-time licensed

mental health professionals all sensitive to the clinical

value of licensed body work therapists. Warwick/East

Greenwich line. 4474 Post Road, Warwick, RI. Lease

optional. All utilities/parking included. Rent is negotiable.

Can split with one licensed massage therapist of your

choosing. Call Thomas Paolino, M.D. 401-741-0800.

Reflexology space available in Wickford/North

Kingstown area, near Rt. 4. Join other mature, respectful

therapists in a quiet, professional setting. Utilities except

phone included in rent. Rent will be negotiable for the

right candidate. Call John at (401) 480-3028.

Two rooms (16½ x 11½ each) available for any type of

holistic therapies in a professional setting. I am trying to

create a wellness center. $400/month. Utilities included.

Bathroom within office. Flexible and willing to negotiate;

open to daily rates as well. Contact Jason: 401.714.6111

11

RI CHAPTER AMTA

c/o Celeste MacPhee

134 Crescent Road

Pawtucket, RI 02861