Lisa Helbig, LMT - Executive Director & Owner
Lisa Helbig, LMT, is the Founder, Executive Director, and Owner of the Institute for Therapeutic Massage (ITM), the school she founded in 1994. Her career began when she became a massage therapist in 1990, upon graduating from the Jacksonville School of Massage Therapy, Florida. While building her private practice, and working for Nordstrom Spa, Lisa’s great success created the vision to combine her long standing background as a corporate trainer with her love of massage therapy to develop a school that provides students with the high level of education she felt necessary to the field. Lisa has also been instrumental in the development of other massage and aesthetician schools (both before and after opening ITM), massage based curriculums, hospital based massage programs, community / charity based outreach, CEU based videos, and a book on hot stone massage, which was published by Running Press, and continues to sell 10 years later.
What started out as a love for massage and a dream has taken ITM from 1 small room in a corporate building to 6 locations, 5 hospital affiliations, 5 core programs (including a dual certification program for Massage Therapy and Personal Training, and the first COMTA Accredited Oncology Massage Program), and over 35 continuing education classes. In the past 15 years she has spear headed her schools through the accreditation processes of both ACCSCT and COMTA. Lisa has also added several innovative programs and new locations all the while maintaining her Title IV Financial Aid status.
In 2007, Lisa was a volunteer with National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) for Job Task Analysis and attended their meetings in both Chicago and San Antonio. In 2009, she would become a subject matter expert for the exam development committee, charged with ensuring that the national licensing exam for massage therapists fully, and fairly, test a students body of knowledge before entering the profession.
In 2008, Lisa was appointed Commissioner for the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA), which accredits both educational institutions and programs offering instruction in massage therapy and bodywork. The organization was formed to establish and maintain the quality and integrity of the profession and is governed by elected volunteers. COMTA was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a specialized accrediting agency in 2002, an acknowledgement of its expertise in ensuring quality education and allowing programs to access federal student aid funds.
Valerie Donahue - Director
Valerie has been in management and administration for several years as well as working as a accounts administrator. She is very active within her community and does several volunteer events for charities throughout Northern New Jersey.
Andrew Kamchi, MS - Director of Operations & Marketing
Andrew graduated from the University of Arizona with a BS in Business Administration, and a minor in health education. He then went on to attend the Physician Assistant program at UMDNJ / Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, where his focus was neurology, radiology, orthopedics and sports medicine. He has held various managerial positions for private education companies, owns an academic consulting company, and is a certified personal trainer. He blogs...
Barbara Reid, CMT - Director of Finance and Student Aid
Barb has a BS in Accounting from Rutgers University and has experience working in various business and managerial positions as well as computer training. Barb graduated ITM with Honors and maintains a private practice.
Dr. Anthony Gencarelli, D.C, CSCS - Director of Education / Instructor
Dr. Gencarelli holds a BS from Bloomfield College and a Doctorate of Chiropractic degree from New York Chiropractic College. He holds several licenses and certifications and is professionally affiliated with many associations including the New Jersey Chiropractic Society, the New York State Chiropractic Association, and the New Jersey Sports Council.
Kimaya Hansen-Metcalfe, Assistant Director of Education, Lead Instructor
Kim Metcalfe has been practicing massage therapy since 1998. She started her career as the lead bodywork therapist at a resort in Colorado. After leaving Colorado and moving back to New Jersey, she continued her education at the Institute for Therapeutic Massage (ITM), graduating with honors in 2000. Through the years she has taken countless Continuing Education (CE) Classes, travelling the world to participate in workshops such as Thai Massage, Lomi Lomi, etc.
Her training in Thai Massage took place at the Nerve Touch Institute, International Training Massage, and the Thai Massage School of Chiang Mai. Her Hawaiian Lomi training took place on the mainland and island of Maui. Other CE classes include Iridology, and most recently, Mayan Abdominal Massage. On top of these exotic techniques, Kim has studied medical massage techniques with several teachers in the USA, became certified in pre natal massage therapy, is a certified herbalist through Sage Mountain, started a holistic body product line, and most importantly, married her soul mate and is raising her daughter; who at 2 years old is addicted to massage.
Kim is currently the Assistant Director of Education at the Institute for Therapeutic Massage, where she has been employed for 10 years, teaches the Pregnancy Certification course, Lomi and Thai massage classes. One of her greatest passions is to help future professionals become massage therapists, shiatsu practitioners, and personal trainers. She also keeps a small private practice in Hazlet, NJ.
Michael Croes, LMT, ABT, NCTMB – Program Director / Instructor
Michael Croes has been a practicing massage therapist since 2002. He received his foundational training at The Shiatsu Clinic & School in Iowa City. There he studied Chinese Medicine, Shiatsu and western massage. He is currently a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) in New York and a Nationally Certified Therapist of Massage and Bodywork, as well as an Asiatic Body Therapist. He also owned and developed a wellness & education center for massage therapy and natural health.
Michael has continued his love and study of Chinese Medicine by working with acupuncturists and expanding his techniques to cupping and gua sha. He has worked with Chiropractors and therapeutic spas across New Jersey and New York for pain management, injuries and relaxation.
Michael is a program director and instructor of Eastern Bodywork, Oncology, Swedish, Sports, Chair, Pregnancy, Deep Tissue Hot Stone, Therapeutic Pet, and Medical Massage; Myofascial Release; Reflexology; Anatomy and Physiology (A&P). Michael is passionate about sharing his knowledge in the natural health field with students, colleagues, friends and family alike.
Sandy Alviene, NCBTMB - Clinic Director / Instructor
Sandy is an honors graduate of ITM, and Reiki Master, and has worked in both spas and private practice. At ITM, she is in charge of overseeing our student massage clinic (which sees over 3000 hours of activity anually), which includes the orientation of new students, and the continued development of their hands on skills.
Shawn Ezzo - Registrar
Shawn Ezzo has been a practicing massage therapist and personal trainer since 2007. He received his training at The Institute for Therapeutic Massage - Northern NJ - Passaic County Campus, in what was formerly our Pompton Lakes location. There he studied Swedish Massage and Bodywork, and then went on to take the Personal Training program. He is currently a certified Basic Life Support and CPR instructor in New Jersey.
Shawn is the Registrar for the Northern Region, a full time substitute instructor of Swedish massage, Medical Massage, and Anatomy and Physiology. He is also a full time teacher’s assistant for Reflexology, Pregnancy, Chair, Myofascial Release, and Cancer / Oncology Massage, as well as Oriental Bodywork.
Trish Nizolak, CMT - Registrar / Instructor
Trish is ITM’s Southern Region Registrar. An alumnus of The Institute of Therapeutic Massage since 2004, she is trained in several modalities such as: Swedish, Medical, Pre-Natal, Chair and Hot Stone Massage; as well as Reiki, Foot Reflexology and Aromatherapy. Trish is a weekend modality instructor, a sub-instructor for hands-on classes and maintains her own practice.
Jacqui Arata - Financial Aid Administrator
Dennis J. Battersby CMT, NSCA-CPT, Rieki-MT
Dennis is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a BS in Health Planning and Administration. He is also a graduate of the Institute for Therapeutic Massage, Inc (ITM) with honors in what used to be their Pompton Lakes location in Passaic County, and is now certified in Massage Therapy and Personal Training.
Dennis instructs the following: Business and Ethics, Chair Massage, Clinic, Reiki 1 and 2, Sports and Event Massage.
He is also the owner of Pinnacle Performance Plus, an Onsite Fitness and Wellness Provider. He is an athletic performance trainer in the areas of strength, conditioning, speed, agility and sports massage, specializing in soccer performance conditioning.
Certificates: ACMT, NSCA-CPT, National USSF “D” licensed soccer coach, USSF licensed Referee grade 8, Red Cross certified First Aid and CPR.
Associations: Associated Bodywork and Massage Professional, National Strength and Conditioning Association, National Soccer Coaches Association of America, United States Soccer Federation.
Deirdre E. Best, CMT, Instructor, Clinic Director
Deirdre is a graduate of ITM and has been a massage therapist for 5 years. She had studied holistic nutrition and naturopathic medicine at Clayton College of Natural Health and has been a practicing Herbalist for 18 years. At ITM, Deirdre is a Swedish, Medical massage and weekend modality instructor as well as the Red Bank Clinic Director and Administrative Assistant to the director. She also has her own private massage practice.
Dr. Cynthia Brown, D.C. - Instuctor
Dr. Brown has a B.S. in health science from Lock Haven University and a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Life University, School of Chiropractic. She has been a chiropractor for nine years and has extensive experience in the fitness industry as a personal training program manager, personal trainer, weight loss consultant and instructor. In addition, she has taught science on the junior high school level. Dr. Brown has also been coaching basketball for ten years. She currently heads the 7/8 team at Pinelands Regional Junior High School and also is the head coach of the Barnegat Bay Barons, an Amateur Athletic Union team.
Dr. Joseph Federico, D.C. – Instructor
Joe has a B.S. in Biology from Fairleigh Dickenson University, a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree from Sherman College of Chiropractic, and a Respiratory Therapy degree from Brookdale Community College. He has been a chiropractor for over 23 years and maintains an office in Middletown, NJ. Dr. Federico is certified in Manipulation Under Anesthesia, Peer Review and Independent Medical Examinations. He is affiliated with the Association of NJ Chiropractors.
Michael Grabow - C(ASCP)SC, M.S., M.B.A.
Michael serves as the Senior Administrator for the Institute for the Public Understanding of Health and Medicine at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, which offers public medical education courses for the lay community. He received a B.A. degree in Biology from Yeshiva University in 1982 and then earned M.S. degrees in both physiology and biology as well as an M.B.A. in Pharmaceutical/Chemical studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
He subsequently attended the UMDNJ - Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences and also completed an M.S. degree in Neurosciences. Mr. Grabow is a trained clinical medical technologist and also works at The University Hospital in Newark, NJ in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. He maintains an interest in the field of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, especially massage therapy and is a graduate from the Institute for Therapeutic Massage (ITM). At ITM, he is presently on the faculty as an Anatomy & Physiology instructor. He has taught courses in the Biological Sciences at Bergen Community College, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Passaic County Community College, Seton Hall University, and at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School.
At the medical school, Mr. Grabow has been involved in teaching the physiology undergraduate summer course to students in both the Students for Medicine and Dentistry and Minority Medical Education Programs (SMDP and MMEP). He also teaches the cardio-pulmonary physiology elective course in both the Pre-Medical Honors Program for high school students and the Mini-Medical School Program for the lay adult community. Mr. Grabow has also authored and co-authored publications in biological research journals.
Terri Howe – Instructor, Clinic Director (Morristown)
Terri is an alumnus of ITM and the owner of Integrative Massage Therapy. Terri has continued her education focusing on oncology and mastectomy massage in addition to Therapeutic Touch, spa treatments and aromatherapy. She also is clinic director at our Morristown Memorial Hospital location.
Tom Mazorlig, BS, CMT - Instructor
Tom Mazorlig graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in biology in 1994 and graduated from ITM in 2002. He practiced massage therapy in a chiropractic setting for three years. Tom currently teaches anatomy and physiology at ITM and has been an editor of pet care books for over six years.
Barbara Mac Nair - Instructor
Barbara changed careers in 2004 after 30 years in Information Technology in the Financial Industry. She was trained privately at a holistic center in Reflexology and Aromatherapy in 2003-06 and then pursued a career in massage therapy at ITM. After graduating in 2006 she started her own practice and continues her education in Orthopedic Massage and Pain Management, Mysoskeletal Alignment Technique (certified) and Reiki. She is a clinic supervisor at NEC, became an instructor at ITM in March of 2010, and teaches hands on and various weekend classes.
Deb Michaels-Yavuz, LMT New York - Instructor
Deb is a 1998 graduate of ITM and received her Shiatsu Certification from Healing Hands Institute the following year; she also completed the Reflexology Certification Program at Bergen Community College. Deb has worked as a massage therapist at Avalon Acupuncture and Healing Center since 1999, where she specializes in Acupressure Massage and Tuina Oriental Bodywork. She is a member of the ABMP and the International Shiatsu Organization.
Bonnie Mowery-Oldham, CMT, NCBTMB
Bonnie is an honors graduate from ITM, a Reiki Master and a certified Reflexologist. She has a MA in theology, a BA in education, and has worked as a literacy teacher on a small island off the coast of Maine for over 20 years. A journalist and photographer, she has also taken herbal studies at the Shaker Village, Poland Springs, ME and at Avena Botanicals, Rockland, Maine. She has her own private reflexology practice in Maine and a massage therapy practice in New Jersey.
Rafael Paez, CMT - Clinic Director
Rafael has been involved in the medical community since 1992. He completed medical school in Columbia, and had a private practice in general medicine before moving to New Jersey. He is also a graduate of ITM that currently works at the University of Medicine and Dentistry – Newark location.
Joanna Mosto Paginotti - Instructor
Motivated by the desire for a more holistic life, in 2000 Joanna began studying medicinal plants. The path to wellness started taking shape as she became certified as a Reiki II practitioner and revived her meditation and yoga practice. Training in dousing and chakra balancing opened more doors to the many facets of healing arts. Incorporating a dance movement technique into her repertoire, she became certified as a White Belt Nia instructor. Massage Therapy seemed the next step and she trained and graduated from ITM.
Today she owns and operates her own business, Balance Massage & Energy Healing, LLC where, in addition to bodywork, she conducts classes in Aromatherapy, Meditation, and Astral projection. Joanna teaches Swedish Massage, Medical Massage, Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Applied Energetic Techniques and Chair Massage at ITM.
Renee Rucker - Clinic Instructor
Renee Rucker-graduated from ITM in 2003, and subsequently completed Infant Massage Instructors training in 2006. She is contracted with the State of NJ to care medically fragile Infants, is a member of Passaic County Foster and Adoptive Family Services as well as the Passaic County Child Welfare Planning Council. Currently, Renee sits on the Board of Directors for Circle of Care, the Passaic County Care Management Organization, and also maintains a small private practice.
Bruce A Spicer, CMT
After years working as a Network Engineer for AT&T, Bruce made a career change with the goal of working as a Sports Massage Therapist. In 2004 Bruce graduated from Cortiva-Somerset School of Massage Therapy.Bruce's love for our industry extends beyond being a massage therapist. He is currently the 1st Vice President of the American Massage Therapy Association's New Jersey Chapter as well as the AMTA's Sports Team Chairman.
Although skilled, teaching our Swedish and Medical programs and many weekend elective and required classes, the modality Bruce specializes in is "Sports Massage"
Proudly, in addition to working for the Teddy Atlas Boxing team where he has worked on numerous World Champion prize fighters, Bruce has worked with the Rutgers University Football team for the past 6 years.
Bruce believes highly in the "Aaron Mattes Method of Active IsolatedStretching", follows Aaron's guidance and trains with Aaron at everyopportunity. On September, 17th 2008, in Phoenix Arizona, Bruce was presented with an AMTA Meritorious Award.
Arthur Zirpoli - Instructor
Lucy Zirpoli - Instructor
After 24 years as an IT Professional in the corporate world, Luci decided to change careers and work more closely with people rather than computers. ITM was the logical choice for her, as she was a client of the student clinic for 11 years and found their students second to none. Luci completed the Oncology Program, Personal Training Program and the Eastern Program within 22 months. She is Certified in NJ and Licensed in NY.
Luci has a few personal clients, works for Hospice, volunteers at a local Spectrum for Living facility and is able to enjoy her passion for teaching as an Instructor at ITM.
Luci originally graduated from Ramapo College with a B.S. in Mathematics, which led her into the computer world. Although she enjoyed much success in her prior work, she is exactly where she should be and has never looked back on her decision to switch careers.