AMTA OR Winter 2017-18 Newsletter
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Hard to believe that a year ago I wrote a newsletter the day after our 45th US president was sworn in and in that newsletter I suggested we focus on local – making changes locally and in our own daily lives as a way to cope with all of the uncertainty of what 2017 had in store for us. Here is a snapshot of events during 2017 to remember (taken from Wikipedia)
- January 21 Women’s March
- February 11– North Korea test firing a ballistic missile across the Sea of Japan
- March 10– The UN warns that the world is facing the biggest humanitarian crisis since World War II, with up to 20 million people at risk of starvation and famine in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria.[4]
- March 30– SpaceX conducts the world’s first reflight of an orbital class rocket.[5][6]
- April 6– In response to a suspected chemical weapons attack on a rebel-held town, the U.S. military launches 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at an air base in Syria.
- May 12– Computers around the world are hit by a large scale ransomware cyberattack,[8] which goes on to affect at least 150 countries.[9]
- May 22– A terrorist bombing attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England kills 22 people and injures over 100.[10]
- June 1– Amidst wide criticism, the S. announces its decision to withdraw from Paris Climate Agreement in due time.[11]
- June 7– Two terrorist attacks were simultaneously carried out by five terrorists belonging to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) against the Iranian Parliament building and the Mausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini, both in Tehran, Iran, leaving 17 civilians dead and 43 wounded. It became the first ISIL attack in Iran.
- June 25– The World Health Organization estimates that Yemen has over 200,000 cases of cholera.
- August 21– A total solar eclipse (nicknamed “The Great American Eclipse“)[28] is visible within a band across the entire contiguous United States of America, passing from the Pacific to the Atlantic coasts.[29][30][31]
- August 25–30– Hurricane Harvey strikes the United States as a Category 4 hurricane, causing catastrophic damage to the Houston metropolitan area,
- September 1– Russian President Vladimir Putin expels 755 diplomats in response to United States sanctions.[36]
- September 3– North Korea conducts its sixth and most powerful nuclear test.[37]
- September 6–10– The Caribbean and United States are struck by Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 hurricane that is the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin outside the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.[38]
- September 19– An earthquake of magnitude 7.1 strikes Central Mexico, killing 369 people[42] and leaving thousands more homeless.[43]
- September 19–20– Just two weeks after Hurricane Irma struck the Caribbean, Hurricane Maria strikes similar areas, making landfall on Dominica as a Category 5 hurricane, and Puerto Rico as a Category 4 hurricane. Maria causes at least 94 deaths and damages estimated in excess of $103 billion (2017 USD).[44]
- October 1– Fifty-eight people are killed and 546 injured when Stephen Paddock opens fire on a crowd in Las Vegas,
- October 12– The United States announces its decision to withdraw from UNESCO,[47] and is immediately followed by Israel.[48]
- October 14– A massive blast caused by a truck bombing in Mogadishu, Somalia kills at least 512 people and injures 316 others.
- October 15, 2017 Alyssa Milano – posted on twitter #MeToo thus beginning a social media movement bringing attention to the climate of sexual predation.
- October 27– Catalonia declares independence from Spain,[50] but the Catalan Republic is not recognised by the Spanish government or any other sovereign nation.[51]
- November 12– A magnitude 7.3 earthquake strikes the border region between Iraq and Iran leaving at least 530 dead and over 70,000 homeless. [55]
- November 15 ZimbabweanPresident Robert Mugabe is placed under house arrest, as the military take control of the country.[56] He resigns six days later, after 37 years of rule.[57]
- November 24– A mosque attack in Sinai, Egypt kills 305 worshippers and leaves hundreds more wounded.[60]
- November 26, 2017 – Buzzfeed publishes article about Massage Envy and sexual assault by LMT’s and subsequent cover up due to lack of company policy.
So why did I bring all these recent current events up? I guess to say that life goes on. Bad stuff will continue to happen – Natural disaster, bad politics, sickness, persecution & famine. But we persevere. In the past many have felt they had no choice. But the times are changing with Social Media and people beginning to stand up. My message for you this year is the same as last year at this time. Focus on the small changes you can make and the impact on people you encounter in your daily lives but I encourage you to find your own voice in your own way. One way is to participate with AMTA Oregon. There is strength in numbers and as an organization at the state level – we DO Make a difference!
Come spend time with us and focus on Massage Therapy and helping others! We had a fantastic fall with two amazing ethics classes one held in Portland and one held in Ashland! Both were huge successes! We just hosted a happy hour social at Lucky Lab in Portland and lots of members of our community showed up!
There will be a board meeting and financial planning meeting on January 27, 2018 – it is open to the membership but the location has not yet been determined. If you are interested in attending – let us know. We will post the info on our website and FB page.
Our most exciting event coming up this winter is purely one for you, the members. It is a night of self care and luxury! We have rented Knot Springs – for a night of soaking and massage and it is free to members (refundable $35 deposit holds your spot). There are 2 time slots available – 6pm – 8pm and 8pm – 10pm. We will have chair massage available. THIS IS A FREE MEMBER BENEFIT – please take advantage:
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH, 2018. Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/amta-oregon-member-social-tickets-40881940986 Limited to the first 50 to reserve their spot!
As we move through the end of 2017 and into 2018 won’t you please consider getting involved with AMTA OR? There is a lot you can accomplish as a volunteer in a professional organization! We have many opportunities for volunteering – from Committee member – to Board Member!
Wishing all the AMTA OR members a season of love and prosperity.
Cheers!
Julie Crispin
President AMTA OR
I hope you’ve had a great Fall! (The capital F is important, or I’d sound like a real jerk!)
We certainly did at AMTA Oregon. What a wonderful time to see the structure that has been hiding beneath the growth of it all!
We hosted two fantastic Ethics courses:
Ethics, Gender, and Sexual Orientation: Considerations for Massage Therapists by Bridge 13 @ East West College of the Healing Arts in Portland,
&
Ethical Issues in Massage with David Fredrickson, LMT of 30 years and outgoing chair of The Oregon Board of Massage Therapists after 8 years of service. We joined David in Ashland at The Ashland Institute of Massage for the annual traveling Board Meeting.
Bridge 13’s training was on Gender Sensitivity and how LMT’s can provide a safe and supportive environment for LGBTQIA2s+ clients. Yeah, there are more initials in that acronym than I’d seen before. It was super eye-opening for me personally. I thought I was accepting of varying sexual preferences and identities since my favorite Uncle came out to the family when I was about 10. It was way binary back then. You were straight, gay or bi. Bi encompassed anything between/or… As the increased complexity of the acronym indicates, things are simply more differentiated and intricate these days than the limited definition I’d been working from. Seth from Bridge 13 did an excellent job presenting Massage Practice specific scenarios for me to apply this new-to-me gender and sexuality knowledge and sensitivity to.
The AMTA-OR Road Show was a great time. First and foremost, it was sooo great to have so many members join us in Ashland for the board meeting! We knew folks were coming to the class, but weren’t expecting such a great turnout to participate in the Board Meeting, thanks for coming!
David Fredrickson’s class didn’t disappoint. I was expecting some heavy knowledge to be dropped by an LMT of 30+ years, and the head of the Oregon Board of Massage Therapists for the past 8. That’s 30+ years of client centered treatment, and 8 years of protecting the public from us LMT’s! The day flew by between the meeting, class and the Happy Hour after. David’s career experience has compelled him to donate his earnings from the class to organizations combating Human Trafficking.
Yeah, Human Trafficking + Massage. What’s that about? Between the #metoo movement and the Massage Envy expose by Buzzfeed, power imbalances, gender relations, and appropriate boundaries are all current events.
David helped establish the first legislation in Oregon giving our Massage Board power to regulate facilities that employ Massage Therapists. It’s motivated to protect both consumers, and victims of sex-for-sale organizations hiding behind the facade of businesses offering “massage”.
What we LMT’s do is intimate.
The best of us are the foremost experts of appropriate touch and respected boundaries, the worst of us are in a position to take horrible advantage of it.
How do you think we best regulate as a profession to elevate our best and say goodbye to our worst? This is just one of the hot topics on the table.
The conversations coming up for us as a culture, as a profession, and as individuals, are of the utmost importance for our bodywork community and the emerging new light of respect and support.
I urge all of us to strive to embody tolerance and understanding as we collectively go through the process of bringing to light the structure that we’ve grown from so far (good or bad). Sometimes we drop our growth on the ground to leave it at our roots, decomposing to nourish our next flourish. It feels like like that time to me. I don’t have answers, I do have questions though, and the hard conversations we are having as individuals, as a profession, and as a society feel crucial to development.
Feel free to share your thoughts: leave a comment using the form at the bottom of this page!
Thank you Seth & Bridge 13, and David Frederickson for helping us keep it real.
Love, Peace and Joy,
I can’t wait to look back in hindsight at what we learn at State Convention 2018! Check it out below.
Hello Oregon members!
Announcing the schedule for the 2018 AMTA-OR Annual Convention, next April 7-8th at the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) in Portland.
This year, we are trying something a little different and offering keynote speakers and panel discussions in the morning sessions, with 4-hour workshops in the afternoon. Here’s what we have in store for you:
Each morning, we’ll examine one topic in the large lecture hall at NUNM. On Saturday, we’ll discuss pain management and the role of massage therapy in a multi-disciplinary approach to pain care.
Whitney Lowe will present a keynote on recent advances in pain science research. We’ll also be joined by Nora Stern, physical therapist and program manager for the Providence Persistent Pain Project. Nora will introduce attendees to the Oregon Pain Management Commission, and the initiative to address the opioid crisis in our state. The morning section will conclude with a panel discussion featuring Whitney Lowe, Nora Stern, and Todd Hargrove, moderated by Tim Irving, Dean of Undergraduate Studies at NUNM.
We provide lunch, then a choice of three workshops on Saturday afternoon:
Whitney Lowe will dive deeper into pain science with lecture and hands-on applications. Todd Hargrove (author, Rolfer, and Feldenkrais practitioner) will teach how massage therapists integrate mindful movement into a table massage session. And Julie Crispin will present on the endocannabinoid system and topical applications of cannabis. Each workshop will be four hours. A catered happy hour (drinks and snacks) follows the workshops on Saturday.
Sunday morning’s keynote will be presented by Elaine Walters of The Trauma Healing Project explores trauma and chronic stress, using physiology and sociology to gain insight into the healing process. The morning session will also include a short presentation from Ruth Werner, former president of the Massage Therapy Foundation, on recently published science.
Then it’s time for the AMTA-OR Annual Meeting! This is where we review the past year and discuss the future! We cater lunch.
There are four options Sunday afternoon:
Elaine Walters will examine communication and boundaries from a trauma-informed perspective, exploring ways to create safer therapeutic spaces and foster resilience in our clients. This workshop will fulfill the ethics requirement. Ruth Werner will dive into a set of perplexing and overlapping pathologies in her course, “Fibromyalgia and the Invisible Diseases.” Rachael Scott will lead a hands-on Cupping workshop looking at both modern physiology and traditional narratives. And finally, Julie Campbell will teach an Insurance Billing Course, demystifying and simplifying what can be an intimidating process.
I’m absolutely overjoyed with the lineup of speakers we’ve arranged, and excited to be hosted by NUNM. We hope to get a great showing of AMTA members but ALL ARE WELCOME, including other health professionals. Invite your friends! It’s always great when our communities come together! To get your tickets when they become available, Like AMTA-OR on Facebook, or check our webpage – amta-or.org!
What: Annual State Convention! Lectures, panel discussion, lunches, workshops, AMTA-OR Annual Meeting, and social time!
When: April 7-8th, 2018
Where: National University of Natural Medicine in Portland
Cost: $150 for the whole weekend, including lunches
Total CEs offered: 13 contact hours
Click here to get your tickets!
OR Annual Board Meeting & Convention, Pain Management CE – NUNM APRIL 7 & 8, 2018
Keep your finger on the pulse of coming board meetings and CE opportunities with our click here: Events Calendar
Click Here for AMTA National Response to Massage Envy Expose.
Welcome new Oregon members! Here’s who’s joined, reinstated, or transferred in from another state chapter as of August 2017:
New Members:
Adriane L Allred
ShaoPing Peng
Valerie Pontius
Paul Scott Benton
Emma Stricker
Risha Trethewey
Kellye Michelle Houck
Renee Jazmin Aragon
Deborah Larson
Rebecca Peters
Mark E. Hahn
Monica Lambert Eng
Reinstated:
Stephanie Hazeem
Christopher Howard
Lacey Simone
Kirsten Fritz
Alicia Buck
Cj Siemers
Darci J. Wolfe
Lara Lezrine
Jessica Raymond
Staci Carsten
Alexandra Lander
Desiree Bryant
Desiree C. Sharp
Welcome ALL!!!
Get to know and get in touch with your Oregon Board members by clicking here.
Thanks for helping make AMTA OR great!
Questions or Comments? Drop us a note: