Diverse Experience of Cortiva Institute Experts will Contribute Strong Presence at AMTA Convention

Three esteemed Cortiva Institute (http://www.cortiva.com/) faculty members, a campus president, and a senior executive will each speak at the upcoming American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) convention taking place in Cincinnati, Ohio from September 26 through 29. The AMTA is a professional service organization that provides members with professional development and continuing educational support. The convention is the largest national gathering of experts in the field of massage and bodywork in the United States. Cortiva teachers Clint Chandler, Mike Hamm and Bob King, campus president Dianne Polseno, and executive Diane Trieste will offer their expertise to convention attendees in a series of classes and talks scheduled throughout the week. Topics will include career coaching, research, business practices, ethics and teacher training.

Diane Trieste, Cortiva Institute’s VP, Employer & Alumni Relations, brings her comprehensive business experience to bear as part of her September 27 presentation “The Making of a Spa Pro: Career Coaching From the Experts”. Ms. Trieste attended the 1992 and 1996 Olympics as a sports massage therapist, went on to grow the Canyon Ranch Health Resorts brand (http://www.canyonranch.com/), and now in her role at Cortiva (Http://www.cortiva.com/) has developed a national job board for alumni and implemented an innovative Continuing Education program. She is a frequent lecturer and contributor of articles to massage trade publications.

Michael Hamm, a Cortiva Institute – Seattle (http://www.cortiva.com/seattle)faculty member, will present “Case Reports in Massage: Why they’re Important & How to Submit Your Own” on September 28. “There’s a resistance among therapists to doing research,” he explains. “Some feel it misses the point within what they consider the intimate, spiritual arena of healing. However, most current research is conducted by non therapists and as a national reevaluation of healthcare continues, we can and should define the terms of the debate. Conducting research from our unique perspective as practitioners will empower and drive the evolution of our craft.”

On September 29, Cortiva Institute associate faculty member Clint Chandler will speak on “Protocol Development & Research Measurements.” A former college athlete who recognized the benefits of massage therapy after sustaining multiple injuries, Mr. Chandler is now a certified neuromuscular therapist, a published clinical massage therapy researcher, and was recently awarded AMTA’s Instructor of the Year Award. “I will present as a member of the Massage Therapy Foundation, which has been working very hard to increase the level of research literacy within the massage therapy profession.”

Well-known ethics expert Dianne Polseno, Cortiva Institute – Muscular Therapy Institute (http://www.cortiva.com/mti) campus president and a continuing education instructor, will present “Ethics for Educators” and “Everyday Ethics,” both on September 29. Ms. Polseno authors a regular ethics column for AMTA’s publication, Massage Therapy Journal. Commenting about the powerful community aspect of the convention she says, “So often massage therapists work in isolation. Even when they work as a collaborative group, much of our time is spent one-on-one with clients. At the convention, we’ll get to socialize and learn from each other.”

Bob King, nationally recognized as a pioneer in the elevation of massage therapy instruction, frequent author of industry articles, co-founder of the Chicago School of Massage Therapy (http://www.cortiva.com/csmt/) and past two term National President of AMTA, will speak on September 29th. His presentation, entitled “Know Thyself,” will guide attendees through group exercises and interactive processing, and the event is described as ethics training for therapists motivated to set up a successful practice.


There will be an exhibits marketplace showcasing state-of-the-art massage products and services, and AMTA convention attendees can earn up to 19 continuing education hours of coursework. The event will take place at Cincinnati’s Duke Energy Center at 525 Elm Street. For more information, visit http://www.amtamassage.org.

For more information about Cortiva Institute and its community of schools, please visit http://www.cortiva.com.

About Cortiva Institute: Cortiva is an education company that believes in a new kind of professionalism - one that brings a progressive health and wellness professional to the world. An active and dynamic person that is present, competent, compassionate and humane. Cortiva's focus on technique, anatomy and physiology, hands-on-practice, clinic experience and insistence on ethics forms the foundation of a high quality educational experience for its students. Cortiva's growing list of locations includes New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Illinois, Washington, Arizona and Massachusetts.