Summary: Women account for about 85 percent of Massage Therapists in the US. However, there isn’t always a corresponding representation of women as CE providers, conference headliners, or in other roles of visible leadership. Whitney and Til explore this phenomenon in discussions with three women leaders: CG Funk, Ruth Werner, and Irene Diamond, just a […]
The Handspring Story (with Andrew Stevenson and Mary Law)
Summary: Til and Whitney talk with Andrew Stevenson and Mary Law, two of Handspring’s founders, about some very big recent news, and about their unique vision of a place where both long-established authors, as well as promising newer voices, could all share their knowledge and advance our field. Til Luchau: When I was looking for a […]
The Future of Advanced Massage Credentialing
The massage therapy profession has come leaps and bounds ahead of where it was in its infancy in the 1960s. The field continues to develop and still has some growing pains as it faces contemporary challenges. The profession has diversified as it has matured and realized its true potential. Today, there are a host of […]
Our Favorite Perspective Reversals
Summary: People change their minds– sometimes, radically. Learning, improving, refining, all involve changing how we saw things before. But is there a cost? And what makes changing our views such a challenge? Whitney and Til discuss the times their perspective took a 180° from how they used to think, and, about how that’s played out. […]
Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to Guide Assessment Questions
In the mid-1950s, Benjamin Bloom and his colleagues devised an organizational system for categorizing levels of learning and cognitive complexity. This system has been used extensively in curriculum development for all grade levels and in higher education. It has also more recently been modified and updated. The updated Bloom’s taxonomy model is precious for organizing […]
Anne Williams and Eric Brown – Educational Innovations
Summary: Whitney talks with Anne Williams and Eric Brown about innovations in education, delving into topics such as early explorations of online education and the importance of instructional design. Whitney Lowe: Hi, this is Whitney Lowe and welcome to the Thinking Practitioner podcast. This episode is sponsored by our wonderful friends at Handspring Publishing. […]

Biomechanics of Tendon and Ligament Tissue
Massage therapists focus a great deal of attention on muscles when addressing client’s pain and injury complaints. However, other soft tissues may also play a prominent role in various pain complaints. Tendon and ligament injuries comprise a significant number of musculoskeletal disorders. Understanding structure and function of tendons and ligaments and how they are injured […]
Massage Therapy Research (with Niki Munk)
Summary: Whitney talks with Niki Munk about massage therapy research, delving into important topics such as levels of evidence, why massage therapists should care about research, and how to get involved. Whitney Lowe: Hello, this is Whitney Lowe and Books of Discovery has been a part of massage therapy education over 20 years. Thousands of […]

Current Concepts in Patellofemoral Pain
Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a term that describes generalized anterior knee pain around or under the patella. Overactivity and excessive mechanical load on the patellofemoral joint are the leading causes. There isn’t an apparent tissue dysfunction for the pain, but several factors may contribute to the discomfort felt during movement. Below we discuss key […]
Physical Therapy Assisting and Massage (with Matt Gavzy)
Summary: Whitney talks with massage therapist and physical therapy assistant Matt Gavzy about working in a team practice with other professionals, and about integrating massage therapy with physical therapy approaches. Whitney Lowe: Welcome to the Thinking Practitioner. This episode is sponsored by our wonderful friends at Handspring Publishing. Their catalog has emerged as one […]