WIBB Author Bios

Laura Allen is the author of the Plain & Simple Guide to Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork Examinations 2nd ed. (LWW, 2009), One Year to a Successful Massage Therapy Practice (LWW, 2008), and the upcoming new title from LWW, A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Business. She has been doing energy work since 1993 and practicing massage therapy since 1999. Allen is an approved provider of continuing education, a member of the North Carolina Board of Massage & Bodywork Therapy, and a frequent blogger and contributor to professional publications. She resides in North Carolina, where she and her husband Champ are the owners of THERA-SSAGE, an integrative wellness clinic. Laura may be contacted through her Web site at www.thera-ssage.com.

Tina Allen, LMT, CPMMT, CPMT, CIMT, with over a decade of service to children and families, is the founder of leading children’s health and nurturing touch organization Liddle Kidz™ Foundation, and has become a respected international lecturer, author and authority on infant and pediatric massage. She is a Pediatric Massage Master Teacher, Developmental Baby Massage Teacher and a licensed massage therapist with specialized training in providing massage therapy for infants and children with special healthcare needs.

Ms. Allen managed the United States first comprehensive pediatric massage program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), where she trained volunteer massage therapists and medical professionals to work with hospitalized rehabilitation patients, medically complex infants in the Center for Newborn and Infant Critical Care (CNICC), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Children with Retinoblastoma, Spina Bifida and Cerebral Palsy. She developed pediatric massage programs at Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, as well as developed a program focusing on introducing gentle compassionate touch to women and children who have survived domestic abuse. She is currently consulting on the development of comprehensive pediatric massage programs for The Mayo Clinic, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

Tina’s innovative approach to children’s health has allowed her the unique opportunity to educate families and professionals in the many benefits of nurturing and compassionate touch.

Stephanie Beck, owner of SRB Solutions, has been working for over 10 years in Sales & Marketing as a Massage & Spa Industry Professional for the top name companies including Biotone, Scrip Companies and Bon Vital, Inc. Stephanie has written in-depth protocols and taught several classes for Massage & Spa Products throughout the US. She has served as a published guest columnist for Massage Today and Marketing Matters. Stephanie also served as part of the Education Committee for ISPA. In January 2011 she and her husband created SRB Solutions an online marketing and social media consulting business utilizing her skills for the Massage, Spa, Chiropractic and Wellness industries. SRB Solutions has a shorter learning curve than other social media businesses because we have the years of experience understanding the needs of your customers and know how to reach out to them to get that desired result quickly. She and her husband live in San Diego, CA if you have questions about social media or online marketing visit her Web site www.srbsolution.net or e-mail her sbeck@srbsolutions.net.

Irene Diamond, RT, has been called “an energetic, inspirational gem!” She thrives on enlightening coaches, trainers, health care providers and other “thera-preneurs” with her learned-in-the-trenches strategies, tactics and skills in both business and clinical therapy technique. Through hundreds of live seminars, workshops, online coaching and business-growth services, her followers experience rapid business security, stability, increased visibility and profitability. Always ahead of the crowd, at the age of 25 she established the world’s first travel business providing fitness and wellness programs exclusively on cruise ships. At the same time she started her private massage practice, which generated over $80,000 her first year. She opened the first Wellness Center in San Francisco, which is now one of the top-rated centers for massage and therapy in the city.

Irene is the creator of the rehabilitation method of Active Myofascial Therapy: The Diamond Method, which she teaches to MTs, PTs, and DCs across the country and has been a practicing therapist since 1988. She has served the American Massage Therapy Association-California Chapter as their Public Relations Chair for more than 10 years and has been 3rd VP for California and president of the Golden Gate Chapter. Irene may be contacted through her Web site at www.SuccessfulMassageTherapist.org.

Melanie Hayden, RMT has been practicing massage therapy for more than 13 years. She has practiced in a corporate wellness center, an integrative health care clinic and now has a part-time practice out of her home office in Calgary. Her practice is wellness based where her primary focus is on supporting her clients to reach their health and wellness goals. Melanie created The Healing Cocoon Inc. as an umbrella company to continue developing and leading workshops and keynotes focused on health and wellness and business development skills for massage and wellness practitioners. She has presented throughout Canada and in the U.S. She is a co-creator of the World Massage Conference, which in 2008, held the first and largest international online Web-based conference in the massage industry featuring over 60 international presenters and over 10,000 international attendees. She is also a partner in Massage Therapy Radio, an Internet-based program featuring industry leaders and a partner in the Green MELiN, a dynamic business development company. Melanie may be contacted through her Web site at www.thehealingcocoon.com

Meagan Holub, LMT, is author of The Magic Touch: How to Make $100,000 Per Year as a Massage Therapist and More of the Magic Touch: 8 Massage Therapists Reveal How to Recession Proof Your Business. She is CEO of 1 800 MASSAGE, LLC and a massage therapist to numerous high-profile clients including celebrities, politicians, professional athletes and world famous companies. She is passionate about helping others, donating her time and resources to many charity organizations. In her spare time, she can be found dabbling in interior design of modern and mid-century living spaces, traveling abroad, and writing a collection of memoirs titled Confessions of a Celebrity Massage Therapist. Meagan currently resides in Los Angeles with her tiny black Pomeranian, Olive.

You can befriend Meagan on Facebook for marketing and business tips and updates. For more information on Meagan, her books or to reach her go to www.HundredThousandDollarMassage.com.

Lisa Curran Parenteau, BA, LMT, is a specialist in marketing and practice development. She serves as marketing consultant for the Center for Compassionate Touch LLC and contributes to curriculum and program development.  She also consults with other small and medium-sized businesses, non-profit organizations and professional associations. She holds a degree in sociology and secondary education and was recently an instructor of business practices at Cortiva Muscular Therapy Institute in Watertown, Mass. Lisa serves the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) as the 3rd VP, co-chair of the Massachusetts Chapter Web site committee and has served as a 2009 MA Delegate to the 2009 national AMTA conference, where she successfully submitted a position statement that was approved by the House of Delegates (HOD).  She was elected to serve on the 2010-2011 National HOD Operations Committee. Lisa also serves the Massage Therapy Foundation as a member of the Community Service Review Committee and the newly formed Marketing Work Group. Prior to becoming a massage therapist she directed sales and marketing in the telecommunications industry. This experience serves as the foundation for the love of creative marketing that she brings to her work. Lisa is a certified Compassionate Touch practitioner and enjoys volunteering for hospice near her home on Cape Cod. Lisa may be contacted at lisaparenteau@gmail.com.

Angie Patrick has been an active participant in the massage industry for over a decade and is one of the last remaining legacy employees of the original Massage Warehouse team. Currently, she is director of massage business development and corporate sales for Massage Warehouse, Scrip Companies. Her numerous roles within Massage Warehouse make her uniquely qualified as an expert of professional grade massage products. Angie is also a private partner in One Concept Group, which presents The American Massage Conference, The American Chiropractic Conference, and The American Acupuncture Conference. She is the facilitator of the philanthropic project, SANCTUARY, designed to bring awareness and funding to further massage research. In addition, Angie is the originator and facilitator of The Massage School Makeover. Angie is also a regular columnist for Massage Today, where her articles inspire therapists to achieve higher planes of success through marketing and making professional decisions for their practice. In addition, she is also a Reiki practitioner and a Certified Reflexologist. Angie may be contacted at apatrick@massagewarehouse.com.

Alina Piccone, BA, LMT, HHC, ICA, co-owner of Essential Life Solutions, LLC, is an educator in the field of therapeutic essential oils. After co-owning a successful massage practice in upstate New York, she decided to pursue her passion for phytotherapy and went on to receive an International Certification in Aromatherapy. She and her partner, Robert, have coached hundreds of clients on how to safely use essential oils to increase healing and overall wellness, as well as to financially enhance a bodywork practice.

Along with providing individual consulting for bodyworkers and other health care practitioners, she and Robert travel the country teaching workshops on the therapeutic capabilities of high quality essential oils. Alina can be contacted at info@essentiallifesolutions.com.

Cherie Sohnen-Moe, is an author, business coach and international workshop leader. She has been in business since 1978. She was in private practice for many years as a massage and holistic health practitioner before shifting her focus to education and coaching. Her background is diverse. When she did massage, she was a sole practitioner. In her coaching/consulting practice she has worked with individual therapists to small wellness centers to day spas that have multiple locations. She has served as a faculty member at the Desert Institute of Healing Arts and the Arizona School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and is an adjunct professor at Clayton College of Natural Health. Cherie has written more than 100 articles that have been published in over 15 national and international magazines. She is the author of the book, Business Mastery. It is in its fourth edition, has sold more than 315,000 copies to date with 650+ schools requiring it as a text. She is also the author of Present Yourself Powerfully and The Art of Teaching. She is the co-author of The Ethics of Touch with 300+ schools requiring it as a text. She is also a contributing author of Teaching Massage: Fundamental Principles in Adult Education for Massage Program Instructors, and was interviewed for a chapter of SAND TO SKY: Conversations with Teachers of Asian Medicine. Cherie is a firm believer in education and as such serves on the exam committee of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) and is a founding member of the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education (AFMTE). Cherie can be contacted at cherie@sohnen-moe.com.

Jenn Sommermann, BS, LCMT.  is a sole practitioner in New York, owner of “Massage by Land & Sea”, nationally certified by NCBTMB and has been a member of the AMTA since 1992. Jenn owned a wellness clinic in Boston for 12 years with 15 therapists on staff, selling that business in 2003 to relocate to New York. Previous teaching experience includes Muscular Therapy Institute, Cortiva Institute, New England School of Acupuncture and Swedish Institute.   Currently, Jenn teaches Practice Management and Ethics around the country and consults allied healthcare providers in all aspects of business. Jenn has held volunteer positions for the AMTA at the state and national levels and was awarded the National Meritorious Award in 2008.  When not teaching or consulting, Jenn publishes articles for Massage Therapy Journal, Massage Magazine and Massage Today. Jenn may be contacted at jennsommermann@gmail.com.

Ruth Werner, LMP, NCTMB is a writer and continuing education provider with a special interest in the overlap between pathology and massage therapy. She is the president-elect of the Massage Therapy Foundation, taking over the position as president in March 2010. Ruth is the author of A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology and Disease Handbook for Massage Therapists, both published by Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. Currently based in Utah, she will soon be relocating to the Oregon Coast. Ruth may be contacted through her Web site at www.ruthwerner.com.