Faculty

At Cortiva, our instructors offer you significant personal attention and hands-on experiences in order to help you refine your skills. All of our students perform Massage Therapy treatments on instructors for feedback and testing.

All of our faculty members are graduates of our internal teaching program called START (Seminars for Training and Recruiting Teachers) and several have received national teaching awards.

Ginger Castle
Massage Therapist, Seattle Massage Therapy School, 1992. Member, CWIC. Certified Red Cross Instructor and HIV/AIDS educator, WA. Former Program Instructor at the Renton Technical College Massage Therapy Practitioner Program (Ashmead College). Ginger teaches Introductory Massage Therapy and Palpatory Integra-tion and has a private practice in Northwest Tucson Arizona.

Todd Edwards
Massage Therapist, Desert Institue of the Healing Arts, 2000. Todd brings the discipline of weight training and understanding of the functional aspects of human anatomy into the massage therapy classes. He works as a professional massage therapist at the Cortiva clinic.

Patricia Holland
Massage Therapist, Desert Institue of the Healing Arts, 1993. MA, Counseling, University of Phoenix, 1999. BS, Speech Communications, Illinois State University, 1982. Patricia has a private massage therapy and counseling practice. She is the Dean of Students, coordinates the Student Resource Department and teaches the On-Site Chair Massage Therapy elective.

Deb Kortyna, NCTMB (Reflexology)
Massage Therapist, Academy of Somatic Healing Arts, GA, 2000. Certified Reflexologist, American Academy of Reflexology, CA, 1999. BA in biology, Eastern College, PA, 1974; MBA in Health and Medical Services Administration, Widener University, PA, 1981. Deb maintains a private practice in Oro Valley Arizona and works at a destination spa. She serves as Vice President for the Arizona Reflexology Association and is a member of both the Reflexology Association of America and the International Council of Reflexologists. Deb teaches the Reflexology elective.

Michelle Larson
Massage Therapist, Desert Institue of the Healing Arts, 2001. Michelle is the founder of Catalina Foothills Wellness Center and is currently working on her Masters degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from the Arizona School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. She teaches Hydrotherapy.

Kathy Lee
Massage Therapist, Desert Institue of the Healing Arts, 1997. BS in Business Administration. Kathy practices massage therapy at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, as well as running a private practice. She also serves as a volunteer for Hospice patients. Kathy is a Clinic I and II supervisor and A&P III instructor.

Ann Mihina
Massage Therapist, Desert Institue of the Healing Arts,1994. Ann has a private practice doing massage therapy and hydrotherapy. She is the director of Spa Services at a local day spa, and is a certified Kneipp Hydrotherapist. Ann teaches Hydrotherapy and Simply Stones.

Dianne Pecoraro
Massage Therapist, Desert Institue of the Healing Arts, 1985. BS in Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Arizona, 1974. Dianne has worked with older and physically challenged clients since 1975. She teaches the Tucson Medical Center electives and is a member of the school’s student resource team. Recipient of the AMTA Council of Schools, Jerome Perlinsky Teacher of the Year Award, 1996.

Christiane Testa-Rekemeier, NCTMB
Massage Therapist, Desert Institue of the Healing Arts, 1998. Continuing Education in Neuromuscular Therapy. Christiane has a private massage therapy practice in Tucson. She teaches in the massage therapy department in the evening program as well as the 18 hour Intro to Massage Therapy workshop at Cortiva.

Beryl Varno
Licensed Massage Therapist, Cortiva 1997. Beryl came to Cortiva with eight years of previous massage therapy practice in Vermont. Associate of Arts, Pima Community College. She supervises Clinic I & II.

Lisa Walters
Massage Therapist, Desert Institue of the Healing Arts, 1999. BS, Occupational Therapy, SUNY, 1991. Lisa has extensive experience in physical medicine and rehabilitation. She has developed and teaches an elective course in an inpatient rehabilitation setting for student massage therapists at Cortiva. Lisa is also an instructor for Massage Therapy and Cancer, Massage I, and various courses in the Massage Therapy and Anatomy departments.

Laura Yates
Massage Therapist, Desert Institue of the Healing Arts, 1992. Laura has many years of clinical experience and maintains a private practice. She includes the healing techniques of I am energy, I am discipline, into her life. She teaches Clinic in the day and evening programs and is a teaching assistant in the massage therapy classes in the evening program.

 
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