Phoenix, AZ - September 08, 2006 – When two passionate graduates of the Phoenix Therapeutic Massage College (PTMC), decided to purchase the Scottsdale-based school in 1998, they were committed to building a premier training center. They wanted Arizona's founding massage college to have a comprehensive curriculum where lifelong learners would graduate, and excel, as "elite" massage therapists. With the opening of a second campus in Phoenix, the school positioned itself to serve the whole greater Phoenix/Scottsdale area, where demand for well-trained graduates had begun to soar. PTMC had established its graduates not only as top massage therapists, but also as an integral component of the health care industry.

Today, PTMC, with campuses in both Scottsdale and Phoenix, is proud to maintain and further develop that standard of excellence as a part of Cortiva Institute, which also owns Arizona's other premier massage school, the Desert Institute of the Healing Arts (DIHA) in Tucson. With a rapidly growing family of 13 locations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Illinois, Colorado, Washington, Arizona and Massachusetts, Cortiva offers unique programs that go beyond traditional vocational school teaching styles and focus on the way of life of those working in the holistic field.

All Cortiva schools share the core values of integrity, quality, holism and compassion - and a commitment to offer students career alternatives in clinics, hospitals, health clubs, spas, resorts, sport therapy clinics or in private practice. By concentrating on the special values of the wellness profession, Cortiva aims to produce graduates with philosophies that integrate one's personal and professional life, and provide a fuller, more enriching experience.

"I've spent the past 15 years in this field, and I am always honored and inspired as I watch students grow during their educational program, graduate with confidence, and begin sharing their gifts through touch," explained PTMC President C.G. Funk. "By blending the Phoenix Therapeutic Massage College history and knowledge with the compassionate vision and community of Cortiva, the possibilities are endless, and we are all excited about the future."

Cortiva Institute delivers training, education and career development to massage therapists and others involved in the industry, and as such has become a new force in massage therapy and holistic care. By offering more resources than traditional massage therapy schools, Cortiva helps students and graduates grow and realize their full potential.

PTMC students and graduates will now benefit from exclusive and proprietary training tools offered via www.cortiva.com, including:

• Exclusive online business courses from eCornell to help develop skills for success as a career-minded employee, private practitioner or small business owner
• The 2006 Graduate Series: a series of free continuing education workshops, which is open to all massage professionals. This is sponsored by Cortiva as a way of supporting the whole industry, not just its own constituents, and thereby raising standards of professionalism and competency.
• A Job Portal : a web-based system, exclusive to Cortiva that is already matching thousands of employers across the country with Cortiva's graduates and alumni
• deep: a free, noncommercial, bimonthly publication serving as a forum for massage ideas, trends and research
• ShopCortiva: an online service supplying quality massage products at discount prices
• Compassion Index Test: a personality test that helps determine an individual's compassion level

Cortiva has assembled a management team of dedicated professionals and distinguished industry pioneers from the massage education field and the spa industry. This team of advisors and visionaries understand that credible expertise and a holistic education, using the combination of body, soul and mind, will ensure graduates are adequately prepared to work in the field they love.