Northeast College Announces Massage Therapy Advisory Board
Northeast College of Health Sciences is pleased to announce it has established the advisory board for its new Massage Therapy certificate program, scheduled to begin classes in Fall 2024. The board is comprised of expert healthcare providers and educators who will oversee and guide the program as it provides the academic excellence, leadership and best practices for which a Northeast education is known.
Northeast College’s Massage Therapy Advisory Board includes Christine Bailor-Goodlander, R.N., NCBTMB, LMT; Ann Canastra, NCC, LMHC, A.C.; Cal Cates, LMT; Laura Coburn; Whitney Lowe, LMT; and Susan Salvo, Ed.D., NCBTMB, LMT;
Led by Northeast’s Director of Massage Therapy Nicole Miller, the new board will use science and emerging research to advise the College and demonstrate that the Massage Therapy program’s coursework aligns with Northeast’s evidence-informed academic foundation.
“We are pleased to welcome such an esteemed group of professionals, all leaders in their respective healthcare fields,” said Miller. “These board members are the best of the best among massage therapy professionals, and we are excited to have them join Northeast and help build our new Massage Therapy certificate program into a model in the field.”
Northeast’s Massage Therapy Advisory Board Members
The experts tapped to advise Northeast College’s new Massage Therapy program have charted the courses in their respective professional specialties, received prestigious awards recognizing their dedication to massage therapy education, and together provided countless hours of wellness and inspiration to students, patients and fellow instructors alike.
Meet the Board
Former R.N. Chooses Massage Career Path, Sets High Bar for Practice and Leadership
A registered nurse and owner of The Body Essential Holistic Wellness Center and Body Essential Education Studio, Christine Bailor-Goodlander, R.N., NCBTMB, LMT, is an active member of the Society for Oncology Massage and American Holistic Nurses Association and the immediate past president of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). Bailor-Goodlander specializes in medical and rehabilitative massage, oncology massage and structural integration, and is one of just two CORE-certified structural integrative therapists in western New York.
Mental Health Advocate Focuses on Pursuit of Health and Wellness for All
Local recovery coordinator at the Syracuse VA Medical Center Ann Canastra, NCC, LMHC, A.C., oversees ongoing recovery processes and the encompassing idea that all people can heal and live their best lives. She has served the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) for more than 20 years and is a consultant to the NAMI Syracuse Board of Directors and a national consultant and trainer for NAMI. As well, Canastra has a small mental health counseling private practice.
Massage Therapy Advocate Transforms Healthcare Provider Education
Licensed massage therapist Cal Cates, LMT, has dedicated their* career to advocacy in healthcare, massage therapy as social justice and revolutionizing education for healthcare providers. Cates founded and serves as the executive director of the non-profit organization Healwell, devoted to helping people affected by serious illness. Cates is an award-winning writer, published researcher and international speaker. *Cal’s pronouns are they/them.
Spa Director Combines Passion for Healing with Entrepreneurial Skills
Supporting a team of 60 employees, including 22 licensed massage therapists, Laura Coburn is the Director of Spa at the Inns of Aurora, a Finger Lakes destination resort. Coburn is a member of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association and the Himalayan Institute, where she earned her Ayurveda Health Counselor certification.
Massage Therapy Educator Motivates Professionals
Out-patient clinical massage therapist Whitney Lowe, LMT, is also a massage therapy professional advocate and owner of the Academy of Clinical Massage. Lowe developed the ground-breaking Orthopedic Massage online certificate program and authored the profession’s first accessible assessment text, Orthopedic Assessment in Massage Therapy. In 2015, Lowe received the Massage Therapy Foundation Humanitarian Award.
Expert Instructor Advances Massage, Complementary and Integrative Healthcare
Susan Salvo, Ed.D., NCBTMB, LMT, has a doctorate in educational leadership and a master’s degree in instructional technology, has written two widely adopted textbooks, and contributes scholarly articles for peer-reviewed journals. Salvo serves in many capacities on national boards and committees, including the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards and the Massage Therapy Foundation. In 2014, she received the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Massage Therapy Association.
Northeast College’s Massage Therapy Certificate Program
Northeast’s new Massage Therapy certificate program, the only one in the Finger Lakes region offered at a fully accredited institution of higher education and approved by New York State, will be offered at Northeast’s Seneca Falls campus on weekends. After completing the program's part-time study of classes, labs and clinical coursework over five trimesters, students will be powerfully prepared to take the New York State Massage Licensing Examination and become fully licensed massage therapists.