Alexei Levine MPT, LMT

Widely considered to be among the very best massage therapists in Los Angeles during the '90's, Alexei is a physical therapist and massage therapist. Drawing on his extensive background as a competitive gymnast, and martial artist, and learning from many other talented massage therapists in L.A., he developed an eclectic range of massage techniques and attracted a high profile client list that included many artists, performers, actors, stuntmen, and musicians.
He moved east to start a massage school, and began the only massage school in the northeastern United States to teach a deeper west coast style of massage therapy. Recently he was appointed to the Massachusetts Department of Education's Proprietary School Advisory Council as co-chairman. He also was a member of the coalition that crafted the new Massachusetts state regulations for licensing massage therapy, representing all private stand alone massage schools in the state.

Valerie Hood, LMT<

Valerie graduated from Brown University with a BA in Human Biology. While homeschooling her growing children, she opened a bakery, The Bread Lady, in Newport, Rhode Island. She became a licensed massage therapist in 2001, and specializes in deep tissue massage with an emphasis on issues of the lower back. Interested in alternative methods of healing, she has studied with shamans in the central plateau of Brazil and in teh Amazon jungle of Peru.

Teeka, a native to the Pioneer Valley, is The Massage School's current techniques instructor.
Suffering from a long-standing injury, she found that the relief from pills and other western techniques simply masked the injury. Seeking a more lasting treatment, she turned to physical therapy. Finally, Teeka had discovered a way to truly treat her symptoms; it was thus that she was awakened to the world of massage therapy.

Having realized first-hand the benefits of massage, Teeka decided she wanted to spread it's healing power to others whose injuries could be successfully treated as hers had been. As a teacher, she finds that she can reach out to the largest group of people: passing her knowledge to her students, who then are able to benefit their own clientele. "The profession of being a massage therapist," Teeka says, "is beneficial because you can help people lead better lives both physically and mentally."

Leta Herman, LMT

Leta's fiery enthusiasm for the ancient Chinese practice of healing stems out of years of martial arts studies that began while finishing her BA degree at Smith College. After college while working in the business world and gaining valuable business skills, she began an avid study of Chinese Medicine with several world-renown teachers and started her own healing practice in the year 2000.
A graduate of The Massage School, she has a successful full-time practice in acupressure and massage in Belchertown, Massachusetts and has taught Chinese philosophy and medicine for many years at various schools, colleges, and healing centers. With her past business experience, she also teaches massage students how to start their own massage business.

Born and educated in Massachusetts, Valerie received her B.A. in English and Women's Studies. Valerie was certified in 1975 in Massage Therapy and is an ARCB certified Reflexologist. She is a practicing Reflexology, Massage Therapy and Reiki Master Teacher. In 1996 Valerie founded the New England Association of Reflexologists and was elected board member of the Reflexology Association of America.

She has taught in Bermuda and founded the Loving Light Center in Jamaica, W.I., where she instructed Reflexology and Hatha Yoga. Valeria is the founder and Principal of the New England Institute of Reflexology and Spritual Development. This institute and The Center for Universal and Holistic Studies amalgamated in 1997.

Brian Rahm was first trained in Thai Massage in 1994 at the Himalayan Yoga Institute in Kathmandu, Nepal. He furthered his studies with Lotus Palm School in Montreal, Canada beginning in 2002 and has taught for them at Kripalu, MA, Omega Institute, NY, and Yogaville, VA as well as in various locations throughout the Northeast. His full time private practice keeps him busy in Peru, VT; and he has experience working in clinical settings in southern Vermont.

His greatest passion is to share the principle of Metta, loving kindness, embodied in the practice of Thai Massage. He enjoys living in the Green Mountains of Vermont with his wife, Jackie, and recreating in the great outdoors. He has a daughter, son, and three beautiful grandchildren.

Elena Volpe
Elena Volpe has been a licensed massage therapist since 1989.

She’s taught at The Massage School of Santa Monica in California and was Director of Training Burke Williams Day Spa, responsible for teaching over 500 massage therapists, in addition to her individual clientele.

In 1991, she founded “Pain in the Neck” a chair massage business whose clients included HealthNet Insurance, Men’s Health Magazine, and the California Gas Company. In 1996 she was recruited by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to develop a post-operative massage protocol for heart surgery patients by observing surgery and interviewing patients.

She has taught massage workshops in Pregnancy massage, Neuromuscular Re-education, Advanced Circulatory, Shiatsu and Watsu in California, New Mexico, Brazil and Massachusetts.

In addition to massage therapy, Elena is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in Somapsychology, and teaches continuing education seminars.




Stephanie Shumway

Stephanie Shumway graduated from The Massage School in May 2007. Since then she has been working at People's Massage in East Longmeadow. Stephanie has been dancing for the past 16 years in Amherst at New England Dance Quarters. She has been performing through out the valley including shows held at The Center For The Arts and The Acadmey of Music in Northampton.

Stephanie is a member of a dance company in Amherst called Terpsichore Ensemble, who's directed by her mother Debbie Shumway. Stephanie also works teaching young dancers between the ages of 6-18. She has found that massage has been very beneficial for her dancing and hopes to bring her knowledge of dance and massage to others and open her own dance school and massage spa in the future.