News and Events

Newsletters

Classifieds

Upcoming Events:

• May 20, 2012
  ** Board Meeting, 11:00 am
• June 2, 2012
  Special Olympics -- Sports Team Event
• June 5, 2012
  CPR and First Aid Re-Certification, Care New England Wellness Center, Warwick, RI -- Workshop details to follow
• July 11, 2012
  ** Board Meeting, 7:00 pm
• June 16-17, 2012
  MS-150 -- Sports Team Event
• July 28, 2012
  Save the Bay -- Sports Team Event
• September 21-22, 2012
  Operation Stand Down for Veterans -- Sports Team Event
• September 23, 2012
  ** Board Meeting, 6:30 pm
• October 3-6, 2012
  AMTA 2012 National Convention, Raleigh, NC
• October 10, 2012
  ** Board Meeting, 7:00 pm
• October 21, 2012
  General Chapter Meeting, including continuing education
• October 21-27, 2012
  AMTA National Massage Therapy Awareness Week
• November 3-4, 2012
  Body Saver Massage with Patrick Ingrassia, Johnson & Wales Inn, Seekonk, MA -- Workshop details to follow
• November 28, 2012
  ** Board Meeting, 7:00 pm
• January 6, 2013
  ** Board Meeting, 11:00 am
• January 30, 2013
  ** Board Meeting, 7:00 pm
• February 10, 2013
  General Chapter Meeting and Elections, including continuing education and vendors
• March 14-17, 2013
  30th Annnual AMTA New England Regional Conference (NERC), sponsored by the RI AMTA Chapter
• April 7, 2013
  Board Advance Meeting
• September 25-28, 2013
  AMTA 2013 National Convention, Fort Worth, TX

** Board meetings are open to all of our members. If you would like to attend a meeting and learn more about your Chapter, please contact our Secretary, Kim Cook, for more details on location, time and meeting agenda. Kim can be reached at: 401-837-8079 or kimjcook@yahoo.com.

News:

On Saturday morning May 12th the Massage Therapy community released a truly gifted therapist to the angels, Dianne Polseno succumbed to her battle with cancer. Dianne was a gifted massage therapist, mentor, educator, author, dynamic personality and speaker. She stepped into her calling in 1990 after graduating from the Bancroft School of Massage in Worcester, MA. Massage therapy was a natural progression in her career path. She had already established herself as a healer and giver through her previous career choices in nursing and addiction counseling. In an interview in 2007 Dianne was quoted "I loved being a nurse," she says. "But when the hospital where I worked closed in 1989, I realized it was now or never." As a nurse, Polseno had discovered the healing power of touch "I found that the most effective treatment I could offer patients was a back rub. It was a non-invasive form of touch; other treatments I gave, like shots, were invasive. A back rub changed a person's entire day. Afterward, they looked different; they acted different."

Her 22 years as a massage therapist were a gift to our profession and the many lives she touched. During her early career she taught at Bancroft School of Massage and was the Clinic Director. She later moved on to become the President of Cortiva Institute in Boston, MA. Dianne's boundless energy whisked her and anyone she came in contact with along, as she traveled the country speaking and educating on ethics, anatomy, and massage. She not only taught massage therapists, she also spoke to the Doctors of Brown University on fascia and had regular involvement in the Physical Therapy program at University of Rhode Island. Dianne also taught in such prestigious venues as the AMTA National Convention. Her dedication to our education earned her the AMTA's prestigious Jerome Perinski Teacher of the Year Award in 2006.

Dianne was an active member of the AMTA and journalist for MTJ. At home in Rhode Island she was a fellow member of RI AMTA, volunteer on the Crisis Massage Team and came to our assistance when RI AMTA Government Relations needed a note worthy speaker for massage therapists to speak before the Cranston City Council. In 2009 we presented her with the RI AMTA Distinguished Service Award. We were honored to have her twice as keynote speaker at the New England Regional Conference.

Through out these years Dianne maintained her practice as a therapist, plus a strong passion for the advancement of our profession in the public eye and an intense commitment to ethics. She was the author of "Ethically Speaking" published in the AMTA's, Massage Therapy Journal, and wrote such articles as "Desexualizing the Massage Experience" in 2000. Dianne was also a contributing author to "The Ethics of Touch" by Ben Benjamin PhD published in 2004. If you Google Dianne's name you will find her articles referenced in publications and websites across the country from the Swedish Institute in New York to The Massage Activists Page.

Her presence on the World Wide Web speaks volumes, she was an incredible writer and educator. She was a brave journalist through these last eight months keeping us abreast of her journey and cancer battle in her extensive journaling on Caring Bridge. Her last entry on April 16th spoke of the return to health after chemo, radiation and a myriad of other procedures. Through her entire ordeal she always had an upbeat attitude and sought positive approaches to her healing. If you knew Dianne's affinity for anatomy and physiology or were privileged enough to attend one of her Cadaver labs you could probably picture her doing this; in her February 27th journal she wrote:

"This morning, I had a very serious chat with the cancer cells in my body. I told them that they may think they are almighty and all powerful, having words like "rare" and "aggressive" said about them. In reality, though, they are not more powerful than God, chemotherapy, and my will to fight and survive. So I told them to shut up, eat the chemo like they are supposed to, and go the hell away. Amen."

And she ended her journal with her ever positive, giving nature:

"Enjoy this day, Dear Ones. Look for a miracle, big or small, because I prayed for you today that you would get and recognize one."
Much love,
Dianne

Dianne's last journal entry came to us on April 16th. She Wrote:

"I did record time at the Boston marathon today! I beat that chick from Kenya! Okay so I still have swollen feet and couldn't even get my running shoes on, but it's fun to think about. I love to kid around."

There was more in the journal but I chose to leave it out

"So if I am kidding around, you know what that means - I'm improving. I feel like I've re-entered the world of the living and boy, it feels good to be back..... How was your time at the marathon today? :)"
Much love,
Dianne

Dianne's last message to us on Caring Bridge came through her sister Gail on May 10th. Dianne wanted us to know that she had "gone fishing".

Even if you did not know her, you have probably in some way been touched by her gifts. She will be missed.

Please take a moment to send thoughts of love and light to Dianne's family.

Joanne Lozy LMT
President RI AMTA

From Gail Chatfield, Dianne's sister:

Dianne's calling hours are Tuesday, May 15th from 3pm to 8pm at the Tucker Quinn Funeral Home on Putnam Pike, Greenville, RI. Her funeral service is on Wednesday, May 16th at 11 am at the same location. I would like to thank all of you for all of the love and support you have shown to Dianne, especially in the last 8 months. It is because of all of you that she responded so well to her treatments for as long as she could. I am happy to say that Dianne's family was with her at home when she left us, and I truly believe that all of her wishes have been fulfilled. I am sure she will be with us always. Thank you and God Bless.

Starting with the 2012 Spring edition of the RIAMTA Newsletter we are offering Business Card Size Ads! These ads are sized as standard business cards (3.5"W x 2.25"H) and the cost is a mere $20.00.

Just scan your business card and email it to debbiekilty@yahoo.com.

Your business card will appear in the upcoming issue of Handprints where it will be seen by all of our members as well as all potential new members at 6 area schools and our advertisers!

Your business card will also be on our website and will remain there until the next issue of our newsletter is printed (and you can always renew your ad!)

This is a great way to let everyone know who you are, where you are and what you specialize in! This can be a great tool for referral business!

Congratulations to our new officers!

Our membership elected Joanne Lozy as our new Chapter President. Also elected were Michaelle Colizza, 2nd Vice President; Deb Luhrs, 3rd Vice President; Kim Cook, Secretary; Pat Bachus and Alda Medeiros as National Delegates; Bridget Roberts and Donna Dtschuta as Delegate Alternates. Michelle Neuner has stepped into the role of Government Relations Chair.

AMTA 2011 National Elections Chapter Call for Candidates

Have you considered representing your fellow members at the National level? You can choose to run for an elected office for the National Board of Directors or the Commission on Candidacy. Serving on the national level is a great way to meet some wonderful, considerate and dedicated people.

Visit our National Elections section on AMTA's website for more information.

RIAMTA Donation to the Massage Therapy Foundation

Thanks to all members of our chapter for supporting the Massage Therapy Foundation's work in advancing our profession. We voted to contribute a portion of our dues to help sustain this vital organization. We should feel proud!

Massage Therapy Foundation's Letter

President's Update

The Cranston City Council Safety and Licensing Committee met Monday night, April 4, 2011, and agreed to recommend to the greater City Council to adopt legislation that will acknowledge and register legitimate massage therapy establishments in their city. This will be the first such legislation passed by any municipality since the State of Rhode Island decided to allow local governments to regulate such licenses. The Government Relations Committee of the RIAMTA worked closely with Councilman Robert Pelletier to work out some of the details of the legislation that was unanimously supported by all councilmen present and enthusiastically recommended by many RIAMTA members in attendance. Special thanks go out to Joanne Lozy, RIAMTA vice president and head of the Government Relations team, Gina Marino, owner and physical therapist at Hope Physical Therapy, Scituate, Doctor of Chiropractic Stephen Estner, Cranston, as well as Diane Polseno, president of Cortiva School of Massage, massage educator, and RIAMTA member, and Pat Bacchus, IPP and representative of the massage program at CCRI for representing our concerns at the meeting and speaking on our behalf. We believe this ordinance will better serve and protect the Cranston community and licensed massage therapists therein. We would like to congratulate them on their foresight and good judgment.

None of this would have been possible without the diligent efforts of the RIAMTA Government Relations Committee led by Joanne Lozy, RIAMTA vice president, Frank Rapone, Kim Cook, delegate alternate, Pat Bacchus, IPP, Jennifer Slick, Mark McCarthy, Michaele Collizza, Michelle Neuner, Angela Perry-Place, Deb Luhrs, chapter historian, Dawn Tremblay, chapter secretary, and Regina Cobb, Crisis Massage Team leader and Therapeutic Massage Program Director at CCRI. Great job, everyone!

Stay tuned as this landmark legislation continues to progress!

AMTA member Judith Aston Special Announcement

Aston Kinetics and Judith Aston are synonymous with movement and healing touch. Her history in our profession has spanned several decades and her skills as a healer have not diminished over the years, but have grown and developed. She is polished as a therapist and her teaching skills are unsurpassed. She has a wonderful way of explaining and demonstrating that guarantees a quality learning experience.

We wanted you to know that Judith will be inducted into the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame at the World Massage Festival in July 2011. Although she has won many awards, she is particularly proud of being honored twice by the AMTA in 2007 for 40 years of membership and as the recipient of AMTA President's Award as well.

Judith teaches on many levels in the field of movement and health. In her Aston Sampler Class she has incorporated several layers of this learning experience. The class is being offered at the World Massage Festival in Cullowhee, North Carolina on July 16th and 17th. The flyer includes the details needed to register for this informative class with a master teacher.

Meeting of Safety and Licensing Committee

All HEALING HANDS on deck:

Your presence is requested and much needed at the Cranston City Council Meeting, 6:30 pm, to support the licensing of Therapeutic Massage Establishments in the City of Cranston.

Learn more here

Election Results

Thanks to everyone who participated in our February 27th General Meeting at the Warwick Radisson. We had a great turnout of members who enjoyed a complimentary lunch, some great networking and socializing opportunities and free CEU's with Karen Chabot. A good time was had by all despite the bad weather! We also held our annual elections and are pleased to announce the winners.

Kenji Omori -- 1st Vice President
Joanne Lozy -- 3rd Vice President
Joan Tarter-Van Hees -- Treasurer

Michaele Collizza -- National Delegate
Pat Bachus -- National Delegate
Robin Conley -- 1st Alternate
Joanne Lozy -- 2nd Alternate
Kim Cook -- 3rd Alternate

The Vice Presidents and Treasurer will serve a two year term. Delegates and alternates serve a one year term.

Congratulations and thank you for your dedicated service to our Chapter and its members!!

NERC

AMTA 2011 New England Regional Conference

*** Special Earning Opportunity ***

We're looking for massage therapists to perform Chair and On-site Table Massage at the conference Friday and Saturday, 10 therapists/shift. Massage therapists do not need to be registered for the Conference, but they must be AMTA Professional Members.

If you're interested, please contact Pat Bachus at 401-225-8610 or grammie200@aol.com for table massage. For chair massage, contact Mary Craven at marycravenportland@gmail.com or 207-774-146

*** To learn more, read the details here. ***