Our instructors aren’t just great teachers — they’re working professionals with years of expertise. You’ll benefit from their real-world experience and genuine desire to see you excel in your career.
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Meet our instructors
Danielle Almendinger
Danielle Almendinger is a Licensed Massage Therapist with over 10 years of experience. She is a graduate of Career Training Academy with an Associates Degree. As the founder of MOMASSAGE and a mom herself, Danielle is driven by a desire to help women of all ages enjoy all that makes being a woman special.
J. Nicholas Tortoreiello
J. Nicholas Tortoreiello has been a LMT since 2004 and a certified personal trainer since 1995. Nicholas has been practicing Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT) for over 13 years which is based on Neurological Proprioceptive Response Testing with a strong background in Biomechanics.
Jose DeArce
Jose’s journey in massage, health and fitness begin in 1986 when he began martial arts training, where he earned nine different black belts over the next thirty years.
James Menz
Jim began his career in health and wellness in 1992. He was first certified in Massage Therapy over 20 years ago. In his career he has worked with a spectrum of clients in the community, athletic and rehabilitative settings. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a Corrective Exercise Specialist, holds a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science and a Postgraduate Certificate in Rehabilitation Science. He is licensed for massage therapy in NJ, where he maintains a practice in corrective exercise and bodywork.
Gilda Smith
Gilda Smith LMT, CMT, PDMT, a graduate of Pennsylvania School of Muscle Therapy in 2001, established her massage practice immediately after completing her first of many certifications in massage therapy. During this time, she independently asserted herself to intern with Robert Williams in the Villanova University sports medicine department. From there, she continued to work for two prominent spas in Philadelphia – 3000 BC initially and then Blue Bell, Citrus Day Spa – while maintaining her private practice.
Josh Grant
My story started well back before I ever considered being a massage therapist – It started with a car crash back in 1992. My wife, before she was my wife, broke her neck and most of the smaller bones on her left side when she collided with a drunk driver. Fast forward 8 years, her therapist had retired three years earlier and I had just been laid off from my high tech job. I made the decision then to make a marked change in my career, that decision started me on a path much different then I had ever expected it to be.
Deborah Moody
Deborah Wooding Moody has been a practicing licensed massage therapist for over 20 years. She graduated from the Southeastern School of Neuromuscular and Massage Therapy in 1993. She earned her BA in Psychology and Behavioral Medicine from the University of North Florida in 1995.
Rick Vrenios
Rick Vrenios has been a noted therapist, speaker, and educator in the field for 29+ years. He is a Licensed Massage Therapist, a Reiki Master Teacher, a master healer in the spiritual and elemental healing traditions of Hawaii and old-style Ho’oponopono, and considered one of the leading experts in the chakra system. His specialty is the energetic and spiritual dynamics of health, disease, and vitality. Rick’s clients have ranged from major corporations, to elite professional athletes, world-class dancers, internationally renowned healers, and members of two royal families. He has written two books, several articles and numerous audio CD programs. His reputation for excellence attracts students from across the U.S. and from many countries around the world.
Ben Dillard
The world of massage welcomed Ben into it’s “house” in 1979. His 37 years of service to others since then has been a varied and eclectic path. He has provided therapy for the general population, professionals across the athletic spectrum, hospice and oncology patients, and those with special needs. He has treated newborns that were less than an hour old with the most gentle approach and then worked on professional football linemen utilizing deep therapy techniques. He is unabashedly excited about his profession and “brings it” every day to his patients and his students. To his closest friends and family he is truly a therapy nerd. One of his favorite quotes is, “I stand on the shoulders of giants.”.
Mark Bigelow | Trigger Point
Mark Bigelow is an author, inventor, entertaining public speaker and a veteran massage therapist since 1986, specializing in muscular pain and sports injuries. Affectionately called “MacGyver” by his students, it is not unusual to see him use a mop, a rope, a beach ball, springs, Play-Doh, elastic bands, sponges and many other home-made “teaching toys” to explain and demonstrate basic concepts that apply directly to your therapy.
Josh Maka
Josh has studied the human body, along with its functions and movements for many years. Beginning at the age of 4, he started training in martial arts, earning a 2nd degree black belt at the age of 12. At 8 years old, he began assistant teaching martial arts to both children and adult students alike. His passion for learning about the body thru martial arts led him to dig deeper leading him to the field of massage and body work.