Hands Of History Podcast: a production of the Society Of Massage Archives

Episode 33: Trish Dryden

Greetings and Welcome to the Hands Of History Podcast, a production of the Society Of Massage Archives, where we delve into the rich tapestry of massage therapy's past, explore its evolution, and share the stories that have shaped this vital practice. Join your host, Kirby Clark Ellis, for a conversation with Trish Dryden. Trish Dryden is a trail blazer and catalyst for positive change, with over 50 years experience in education, research, publication, clinical practice and community building. Trish is instrumental in the professionalization of massage therapy, and the development of integrative and interprofessional research and healthcare in Canada as well as internationally. Her work is an extension of her lifelong commitment to equity and social justice, and excellence in public policy and education. As a clinician, Trish specialized in working with individuals recovering from the experience of trauma and in women’s health. Trish is the recipient of many local, national, and international awards. She is a frequently requested speaker, and has published numerous textbooks, articles, and research in both popular and referred journals. Now as a retiree, living with her husband Lee in the lovely village of Port Hope, Ontario, Canada, Trish is a delighted grandmother and dedicated caregiver for the elders and young children in her family. She is also giving new voice to her boundless creativity and imagination through civic engagement, and creative non-fiction writing, which includes invited public readings of her work. Often funny, sometimes lyrical, and always deeply analytic, Trish looks for wisdom and astonishment in the everyday of lives lived.

Episode 32: Nathan Nordstrom

Greetings and welcome to the Hands Of History Podcast, a production of the Society Of Massage Archies, where we delve into the rich tapestry of massage therapy's past, explore its evolution, and share the stories that have shaped this vital practice. Join your host, Kirby Clark Ellis, for a conversation with Nathan Nordstrom. Nathan Nordstrom is a nationally recognized massage therapy educator and training leader with over 20 years of experience advancing professional standards in education, compliance, and clinical practice. He has designed and led scalable training systems for higher education institutions, national associations, and multi-unit spa organizations, supporting thousands of therapists across the U.S. and Canada as founder of Educated Touch and former Director of Training & Industry Relations at Hand & Stone Franchise Company. Nathan specializes in curriculum design, train-the-trainer programs, and aligning education with real-world practice. He is a frequent national and international lecturer.

Episode 31: Kerry Jordan

Greetings and Welcome to the Hands Of History Podcast, a production of the Society Of Massage Archives, where we delve into the rich tapestry of massage therapy's past, explore it's evolution, and share the stories that have helped shaped this vital practice. Join your host, Kirby Clark Ellis, for a conversation with Kerry Jordan. Kerry retired from a 20-year career in massage therapy in 2023. When she was practicing, she focused on oncology and palliative massage therapy. She has provided massage therapy and taught in hospitals and clinical settings throughout the Washington, DC metro area and around the world for adult and pediatric palliative care patients and other patients with complex needs and high symptom burden. Before training as a massage therapist, Kerry owned and operated a successful yoga studio in Boston for 15 years. Kerry effortlessly weaves the principles of yoga and meditation into her teaching and service work with yogis, massage therapists and health care providers. She has worked as Healwell’s Operations Director since 2014, a position in which she coordinates strategy, communications and logistics for Healwell’s education and service programs. She leads Healwell’s development and fundraising activities and interfaces with the finance teams at Healwell’s partner facilities. In addition to her duties as Operations Director, Kerry is a teacher for Healwell and is an essential part of the curriculum development team. She brings 20 years of experience as an instructor and has an extensive background in teaching pathology and physiology and adapting massage therapy for special populations.

Episode 30: Pamela Ferguson

Greetings and Welcome to the Hands Of History Podcast, a Production of the Society Of Massage Archives, where we delve into the rich tapestry of massage therapy's past, explore its evolution, and share the stories that have shaped this vital practice. Join your host, Kirby Clark Ellis, for a conversation with Pamela Ferguson. Pamela Ellen Ferguson Dipl.Asian Bodywork Therapy (NCBAHM), AOBTA (r) and GSD Certified Instructor, LMT (TX) has developed Zen Shiatsu and CEU training in the USA, Canada, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany, over the past four decades. Her first career was in journalism and she has published 11 books including three textbooks, The Self Shiatsu Handbook (1995), TAKE FIVE- The Five Elements Guide to Health and Harmony (2000) published in English and German. Together with Debra Persinger (Executive Director of the FSMTB), Pam co-edited the anthology SAND TO SKY - Conversations with Teachers of Asian Medicine (2008). Pam is also the Asian Bodywork Therapy columnist for the monthly Acupuncture Today. Pam is finalizing co-editing an anthology on PTSD/PTSI with Randall Sexton, a psychiatric nurse practitioner. In 2000 Pam formed a team with colleagues representing their national organizations, to successfully remove Shiatsu, Trager, Rolfing and Reflexology from Texas massage therapy laws. Pam is a former national board member of the AOBTA (r) - the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia, and currently serves as chair of peer review. Pam had a global upbringing, is dual national British and American, and currently lives in Austin Texas. She was dean of Asian Bodywork Therapy Dean at AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine from 1996-2004. Recently she donated her teaching archives to the H.J Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports, at the University of Texas at Austin.

Episode 29: Troy Lavigne

Greetings and Welcome to the Hands Of History Podcast, a production of the Society Of Massage Archives, where we delve into the rich tapestry of massage therapy's past, explore its evolution, and share the stories that have shaped this vital practice. Join your host Kirby Clark Ellis for a conversation with Troy Lavigne. Troy Lavigne has spent two decades at the crossroads of touch, movement, and lived experience. He opened his massage clinic in Boulder, Colorado in 2005 and has since worked everywhere from professional cycling teams and elite soccer programs to pediatric settings and international care environments, including work with children with special needs in India. His career has been shaped less by protocols and more by paying attention—to bodies, nervous systems, and the stories they carry. A longtime leader in the profession, Troy served as Director of Education for the Colorado AMTA from 2016 to 2023 and is a published researcher and author. He also hosts The Sensory Approach to Manual Therapy podcast, where he explores how perception, context, and history influence the way we touch and heal. Troy brings a perspective rooted in curiosity and experience, reflecting on how manual therapy evolves when we listen closely to both the body and the moment it exists in.