To add your email address to our graduate newsletter mailing list, click click here 
.
Save the date - second annual Founder's Day Celebration
Founder's Day, honoring the birthday of our sage founder, Heida Brenneke, will be celebrated on Friday, February 9, 2007 from 2:00 pm - 4:00 PM at the school. Formal tea and light refreshments will be served. Program begins at 2:30.
This year's theme is "A view from the living room." We are in contact with some of the very early Brenneke School of Massage graduates, folks who graduated 20-30 years ago! Many of these graduates attended class in Heida's living room. These grads will be speaking to us about their experience in the massage field and how they have seen the profession change in that time.
And we are VERY excited to announce that after years of talk about doing more community service we are embarking on a relationship with Water First, a not-for-profit organization that helps provide clean water to people in third world countries. A representative from this organization will be attending Founder's Day to give the community at large more information about the organization and how a simple thing like providing clean water can have a trickle down effect on the larger community. Visit Water First 
to find out more.
Pat Archer's book signing
Pat Archer held a book signing in December to celebrate the publication of Therapeutic Massage and Athletics. About 25 people attended and purchased a signed copy of the new book.
During the signing, Pat highlighted some key points from the book and talked about its inception. She said that in writing the book she was trying to make general concepts succinct so that the text would be useful to Physical Therapists, Athletic Trainers and LMPs. Pat said that she wanted to use the verbiage "In my opinion" in the text. Her editors needed to remind her that it was her book - everything was inherently her opinion. Said one grad in attendance, "Pat was adorable and humble."
Pat had some interesting anecdotes to share about her experience with the techniques and real clients. For example, she talked about the powerful impact brief lymphatic treatment had in the performance of the competitive swimmers. She talked about gamma gain theory, or why stretching a muscle before it is cleared of tender and trigger points is ineffective. If these concepts sound new or interesting to you, we'd recommend that you check out Therapeutic Massage and Athletics. It is available through amazon.com.
Graduate supervision night for August 2006 grads
Siouxie Jeeter - Koch our new Director of Career Services is organizing a Grad supervision night for August 2006 grads. This event will take place on Tuesday, January 23rd from 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM. Do you feel a little lonely since school ended? Feel like you might be the only one having the difficulties you are having? You're likely not! Come to this fun and casual pot luck to catch up with your classmates, get some support and ask questions. Siouxie's plans to use your requests to set up future grad supervision meetings tailored to meet your needs. If these sessions prove useful we will continue to offer them for future graduating classes. Stay tuned for the invitation from Siouxie.
Fact or fiction?
Here are a number of the rumors that have been floating around the past year since Brenneke joined Cortiva. We thought you might get a laugh out of a few.
RUMOR: Students are going to have to wear uniforms in class.
FICTION: Are you kidding? We've come a long way from the 70s but not that far.
RUMOR: There has been a mass exodus by faculty and staff since Cortiva came on the scene.
FICTION: No one has left because of Cortiva and in fact Darin Bolyard came back to teach for a term.
RUMOR: The school feels more 'corporate' now.
FICTION: We think that if you ask most students will say they can't tell the difference. There have definitely been changes in how the administration works, but that doesn't affect the day to day experience of students (unless you catch staff cursing about new software!). Come visit and see for yourself!
RUMOR: Brenneke is going to be the 'spa' school.
FICTION: There have always been some other schools who want to categorize us as the 'spa' school or the 'woo-woo' school but there have not been, nor are there, plans for any changes to the curriculum that would lead us in that direction. And if valuing the profound connection between body, mind and spirit is 'woo-woo' then so be it.
RUMOR: The PLP 650 hour program is not going to be offered anymore.
FACT: It is time to up the standards. Those of you who graduated from the PLP programs have given feedback about what more you would have wanted included in the program. In our effort to uplift the standards for the massage profession and to improve the education we deliver we are expanding the program to 750 beginning 2008. We are super excited about the change and hope you will be too. New curriculum is in the draft stages and will be consistent throughout all the Cortiva schools. The flavor will still be distinctly Brenneke, but this equalizing of the curriculum will allow for easier transfer between states. Those of you who have experienced the hassle of trying to get your license in another state will no doubt appreciate this.
Graduate updates
Kimberlee Barber (1996) and partner Ken Woodruff had a commitment ceremony on January 14, 2007. The couple is foregoing a legal marriage certificate until that option is available to all couples regardless of their gender. They encourage us all to get the word out the government on equity in marriage! Congrats to the happy couple!
Mary Bea McCaffray (Aug. 1997) is offering a new service to fellow LMPs. 'Paperwork Solutions' is the name of her new business. After hearing several LMPs complain about not being able to stay on top of their paperwork, Mary decided to offer coaching to help practitioners create a system that works best for them. If this sounds like it might be of use to you, contact Mary Bea at 206-713-5898 or mbmc99@msn.com .
Additionally, Mary Bea has specialized her practice to focus on seriously and terminally ill clients. She is actively seeking referrals. Please contact her at the number/email above if you have clients for Mary Bea!
Get MAD! - that is, massage awareness days
Legislative session begins January 8th. That means Massage Awareness Days (MAD) in Olympia are just around the corner! The AMTA-WA Chapter will sponsor four MAD events at the capital ( Olympia ) on Wednesdays January 17, February 7, February 28 and March 21. Check your schedule and plan to join us for one or more of these events. (You must RSVP, see details below.) Volunteering at MAD lets you promote the massage profession by connecting with legislators and staff by giving them a chair massage. You get the added benefit of working together with other LMPs in the exciting environment of the capital and get first hand updates on what's happening with massage in this legislative session. And, yes, there is a free lunch!
What exactly happens at MAD?
LMP volunteers meet at 11:45 in a designated location in the Capitol building. At noon, there is an informational meeting, legislative update and lunch. Volunteers will be given directions on intake protocols, where to set up your chair, where the supplies are, taking breaks, etc. Massage recipients will fill out an intake form and be directed to an available LMP. Each massage lasts for 10 - 15 minutes. Volunteers are welcome to hand out business cards or brochures.
What are the dates and times?
Wednesdays: January 17, February 7 and 28th and March 21st.
Meet at the Capitol building at 11:45.
Lunch and legislative briefing is from 12 - 1 pm.
Massage from 1 - 4 pm.
How do I sign up?
Sign up through the website www.amta-wa.org . There's a link on the AMTAWA home page to a sign up form. Or contact Cathy Olson at office@amta-wa.org . or (425) 487-1031 (Seattle area) or (888) 302-3555. Please sign up at least 4-5 days prior to the day you would like to volunteer. Cathy will then mail you additional information, including driving and parking directions. MAD events are open to any LMP who has proof of professional liability insurance. We look forward to seeing you in Olympia!
Traditional talking circle with Robert Lester and Heida Brenneke
There have already been two meetings of the Traditional Talking Circle hosted by Robert Lester and Heida Brenneke. We all know Heida as the founder of our school and some of you know Robert Lester from his 'Ways of Inner Seeing' class.
The Talking Circle is open to all of the Brenneke community, their friends and family and will take place next on February 12, 2007, from 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM at Brenneke. There is a $60.00 fee for the circle. For more information, email alex728@gmail.com .
The great graduate search
We are undergoing a massive clean up of our mailing database and are looking back to transcripts from the 80's to complete the records. Remember the eighties - roller skating, mullets and Flock of Seagulls? Know any grads from back then? Let them know we are trying to contact them and get them back in the loop.
Don't forget to check out our continuing education offerings on line at www.cortiva.com/seattle/ce.
Introducing the electronic newsletter
Now that you have read this far, we'd like to share that to save some trees we've decided to send out our newsletter electronically from now on. Paper copies will only go to graduates who do not have a correct email listed with us. Over the next few installments as we get more familiar with the software we're planning on making the electronic version more appealing and the hard copy downright ugly to encourage people to send us their email. Also, because of graduate feedback, we'll be reinstating the brief monthly news update.
Please keep us updated with your correct land and electronic addresses.
The president wants your feedback
Not Bush, although perhaps he does too. We are talking more local.Dina Boonis looking for some first hand feedback. We recently asked our current students how we could better support them during their coursework. Times are a changing and we want to build in some new services where needed and enhance ones we already have.
We want graduate feedback as well. How can Cortiva Institute - Seattle better support you? We have ideas but need the feedback from all of you who will actually use the services. Please take a few minutes to consider the following and email this back to us. Thanks in advance for your help!
What are areas in your career where you have struggled and would have liked some support?
What might that support look like? What resources do you believe we have to help you in your career (examples could be a workshop on ________________, providing space for ___________)?
What ideas do you have to help attract potential students to our school? How do we keep the environment 'Brenneke-feeling?'
Cortiva Institute Seattle Schools Integrating
May 18, 2007
There are some important changes underway at the two Cortiva Institute schools in Seattle. In the coming months, the Cortiva Institute - Brian Utting School of Massage and Cortiva Institute - Brenneke School of Massage schools will integrate under one name, Cortiva Institute - Seattle, and we will blend our staff, faculty, and programs.
Why combine the schools? We intend to continue developing outstanding massage practitioners with a deeper sense of their humanity, and the integration is an important part of that process. By combining our resources, we'll be better able to achieve the excellence to which both schools are dedicated. From an educational perspective, this integration means that we can take the best practices from each institution and the result will be something altogether new that exceeds what each school offers on its own. We can also meld the extensive talents and experience of the people who work and teach at each place. From a business perspective, this consolidation strengthens Cortiva's presence in Washington by unifying our identity and reducing administrative costs. It just makes sense.
When will the change take place? Staff and faculty from the two schools have been working cooperatively for several months on joint projects, and much more intensely in the past month to begin blending our people and programs. So behind the scenes, the change has begun. For incoming students and the general public, the change will be most evident this October when we start the first class at Cortiva Institute - Seattle.
Where will the school be? Cortiva Institute - Seattle will be based at the current Brenneke campus located in South Lake Union at 425 Pontius Ave, Seattle. Students who are currently attending Cortiva Institute - Brian Utting School of Massage will not experience any interruption to their studies, as all students will be able to finish their training at the 900 Thomas Street campus. Beginning with the October start, new students will attend classes at the 425 Pontius Ave campus, however, depending on class size and scheduling needs, we may use the Thomas Street campus for some courses.
What will happen to current staff and faculty? As we assess our staffing needs, we anticipate that all positions will be filled by current staff and faculty from both schools. We believe that the personnel, both faculty and staff, will be a true blend of the two schools. Beginning with the October start, new students will be taught by the blended faculty.
What will the educational programs look like? Current students will continue in the programs they enrolled in; neither the format nor the content will change. Beginning in October, Cortiva Institute - Seattle will offer a full-time and part-time 750-hour massage licensing program as well as full-time and part-time 1,000-hour massage licensing programs. We'll have both day and evening programs. We'll also still offer the types of continuing education classes you are used to seeing.
Matthew Sorlie, Director of Education for Cortiva Institute - Brian Utting School of Massage, and Dawn Schmidt, Director of Education for Cortiva Institute - Brenneke School of Massage, are leading the development of our education programs. Matthew and Dawn have been working together for several months, along with faculty from Cortiva schools nationwide, to establish standard learning objectives for use across the Cortiva family of schools. The objectives are designed to ensure high standards at all the schools, while allowing latitude in how each school meets the objectives.
Specific details about our October 2007 programs, including class schedules, will be available in late June. Until then, admissions representatives can provide a general overview of the programs for prospective students.
Who will lead the school? Dina Boon will be the school's President. Dina is a Brian Utting School of Massage graduate, has served as president of the Brian Utting school since April 2006, and has also served as the Cortiva Institute Northwest regional manager since December 2006. She's excited to guide the Seattle schools through the transition into a very promising future. Julie Ann Darrah, a graduate of Brenneke and an employee there since 1992, who has served as president of Cortiva Institute - Brenneke School of Massage since August 2005 will be leaving our school to pursue new endeavors - our many thanks for her leadership at Cortiva Institute - Brenneke School of Massage and help shepherding both schools through the current changes.
What does all of this mean? Those of us who work or teach at Cortiva Institute - Brian Utting School of Massage know our school is a unique, valuable, and much-loved place, both because of our rich and rigorous educational program and the dedicated people at its heart. We know it's as special to you as it is to us, so we want to acknowledge that this consolidation is in some ways the end of an era. Our school will not be the same as it was before - it is being forged into something new. And, we believe, something more influential in the emerging and expanding massage therapy education field.
All of us are invested in preserving the history, integrity and personality of both schools, even as we embrace this opportunity for growth. We're asking ourselves questions like, "What can we learn from one another? What is the best of what we do? How can we put it all together to best serve our students, our graduates, and the massage profession?" These answers are guiding our work. We are pleased to be able to tell you there's a genuine spirit of cooperation among the staff and faculty at both schools, and a great deal of dedication to excellence from everyone.
Charity Massage Clinics Better Than Last Year!
October 26, 2006
The Cortiva Institute - Brian Utting School of Massage is excited by the spectacular response to our second round of charity clinics at our student clinic building (235 Westlake Avenue, Seattle).
Last winter, we put together our first-ever charity clinics, and they were a great success as current students worked side-by-side with licensed graduates. That first set of clinics raised over $2000 for the Pakistani earthquake and the Asian tsunami. Both were festive occasions, with students, grads, and clients awash in the camaraderie of a good cause.
This time around, we had much the same feeling. Due to our efforts on Wednesday and Thursday of last week, Mercy Corps will receive $2,102.00 in support of the humanitarian crises in Darfur and Lebanon. This is a substantial amount, given that each practitioner provided about 4 hours of their time. This shows what's possible when good intentions are organized into palpable results. This result means a lot to us, and we want to thank everyone who donated their time to this endeavor.
The clinic: 206.382.0765 or clinic@busm.edu .
School Adds To Bottomline
October 1, 2006
The bottomline of the school just got bigger - a whole lot bigger. Earlier this summer, we took over the bottom floor of our building at 900 Thomas Street. Students, staff and faculty are enjoying all that extra space now that the rooms are built-out. Our reception area is downstairs through the door right at the corner next to 9th Street, the one with the beautiful porch lights. In addition, Admissions now has its offices here too. Come by and see this great addition to the school.
New Office Manager An Old Salt
September 20, 2006
The school is proud to announce we have a new Office Manager, a ex-Navy man who spent many years aboard fast attack submarines. So how does a submarine sailor go from defending freedom to defending the front-lines of a massage school?
"Easily," Ken Pfaff said of his new position as Office Manager of the Cortiva Institute Brian Utting School of Massage in Seattle. "Massage is human-cosmology applied. It's very easy to associate with caring, developing people - regardless the differences of job or social background - and that's the most important reason I came to the School."
With twelve years of experience managing technology and infrastructure, Ken felt he was a good fit. "This is the conclusion of my second week at the school, and I feel at home. No difficulties at all. Well, I did lose Brian Utting, our Founder, to phone limbo once," Ken jokes.
Carrying in his 49-year-old bonsai named Melinda, and a Ugandan tribal mask for office decorations, what does Ken say about the future for the school. "Change is everything - nothing stays the same, and I'm having a great time helping to plan where the school goes from here."