Every fourth Monday of the month, the Alliance hosts free webinars on topics of relevance to our membership (massage educators, school owners and administrators, CE providers, and allied business owners).
Select sessions are worth 2 CEs for those participating in the live session.
Live sessions are free for anyone to attend. Current members of AFMTE also have on-demand access to all prior Think Tank recordings in our members area.
Interested in sponsoring a Think Tank?
Organizations and individuals may support the Alliance’s educational work by sponsoring Think Tank sessions, starting from just $100. Explore sponsorship options here.
Modeling Professionalism for the Modern Student
Facilitator: Renee Johnson
Date: July 27, 2026
Time: 5:30 – 7:30pm EDT
About the Session
This discussion focuses on how educators can embody and transmit professional standards in an evolving massage landscape. Participants will examine contemporary expectations around digital communication, social media presence, attire, consent-based interaction, and inclusive, client-centered behavior. Through reflection and structured role-modeling strategies, educators will explore how professionalism can be demonstrated rather than merely described, reinforcing ethical reasoning, accountability, and workplace readiness.
About Renee Johnson
Renee R. Johnson, LMT, CMBE, CHBMT, CPMT is the Senior Instructor for the Massage Therapy program at Chattanooga State Community College, where she leads and teaches the entire program.
With over 11 years of teaching experience and more than 16 years as a licensed massage therapist, Renee has made significant contributions to the field of massage therapy education. Renee was recognized as the National Technical Honor Society’s Advisor of the Month in August 2021. She holds certifications in Hospital-Based Massage Therapy from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and Pediatric Massage Therapy from Liddle Kidz, led by Tina Allen. She is currently preparing to test for Board Certification through the NCBTMB.
During her tenure, Renee has rewritten Chattanooga State’s Massage Therapy program three times, ensuring its curriculum remains robust and relevant. The program has achieved a 100% job placement rate for the past five years, with graduates maintaining an MBLEx first-time pass rate of 87%-100% over the same period.
In addition to her professional achievements, Renee is certified in equine myomanipulation and works on her horses on the family farm. Her love for animals extends to her Pembroke Welsh Corgis, with whom she participates in agility, rally, and other dog sports. Her partner’s horseback riding lesson program complements her passion for equine care.
Renee’s dedication to excellence in education, her advocacy for high teaching standards, and her multifaceted personal interests highlight her commitment to both professional and personal growth.
AI in Massage Education: Balancing Innovation & Ethics (Panel)
Facilitator: Julie Freeman
Date: August 31, 2026
Time: 5:30 – 7:30pm EDT
About the Session
Join us for a dynamic panel discussion on the thoughtful use of artificial intelligence in massage education, facilitated by Julie Freeman. Industry leaders will explore how AI can support teaching, curriculum design, and student engagement—while keeping human connection and professional integrity at the center of learning. This Think Tank invites educators to balance innovation with the ethics of respecting content creators and authors within the massage industry, manage guardrails, and build a future where AI complements the heart of massage learning.
About Julie Freeman
Julie Freeman is a seasoned educator and board-certified massage therapist with over 30 years of experience, primarily in medical settings such as hospitals, cancer centers, and hospice care. She earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Health Studies and is a Professor in the Health Education Division at 2 colleges. She is also a Certified Massage and Bodywork Educator through the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education.
Dedicated to advancing the profession, Julie volunteers on the Ethics and Standards Committee of the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). She serves on the Illinois Board of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). Additionally, she contributes as an item writer and reviewer for the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) and is a Certified Yoga Therapist accredited by the International Association of Yoga Therapists.
As an NCBTMB-approved continuing education provider, Julie is recognized for offering evidence-based, professional development opportunities designed to enhance the skills and expertise of massage therapists.
Integrating Research in Your Curriculum: Identifying and Removing the Barriers
Facilitators: Kimberly Alexander, Vicki S. Idalski
Date: September 28, 2026
Time: 5:30 – 7:30pm EDT
About the Session
Kimberly Alexander and Vicki S. Idalski will facilitate a practical resource clearinghouse focused on reducing barriers that exist to using case studies in massage therapy education.
In preparation for this session, Kimberly and Vicki have searched through existing materials available to massage educators and compiled a list of resources that can support classroom, lab, and clinic instruction. The goal is to help educators identify where case studies can be found, how they may be adapted for different levels of student learning, and how they can be used to strengthen clinical reasoning, communication, documentation, ethics, and client-centered decision making.
This session will also include time for questions, discussion, and resource sharing among participants.
About Kimberly Alexander
Since before Kim completed her MA in Comprehensive Science Education in 1983, she has been in education – public, proprietary and massage. Her passion for improving the quality of massage therapy education has been demonstrated as a member of the Alliance’s TRDC (Teacher Resources Development Subcommittee) where she has worked to support massage educators with tangible, usable resources, CMBE (Certificate in Massage and Bodywork Education) subcommittee where she worked to update the requirements and assist in modifying them for CE providers, TTC (Teacher Training subcommittee), where she coordinates Think Tank providers and topics as well as other projects and as interim chair
of the Education Committee. She has served as an AFMTE board member for 3 years and in the role of Vice President before becoming President in 2023.
Her background ranges from volunteering with COMTA as a site specialist, serving in the Kentucky AMTA chapter in multiple roles on committees and the Board of Directors, and continuing to maintain a
thriving part time private practice in 2 locations. Kim is the proud mother of 4 children, and “G” to 4 grands. She enjoys reading, editing, being creative and watching the grandchildren in their many sports activities.
This list, although incomplete, encompasses the broad range of talents, abilities and interests she has within the massage therapy field. Her experience as a leader, team player, educator, and massage therapist will enhance her ability to support AFMTE board projects and to connect with its membership.
About Vicki S. Idalski
Vicki S. Idalski, BHS, LMT loves massage therapists. For over 20 years she has admired, educated, and motivated massage therapists in her East Tennessee community.
Since 2001, she has practiced full time as a massage therapist in a variety of challenging and rewarding environments, in many cases working alongside former students who have become respected peers. Vicki’s unique perspective helps her to determine how teams work, how they become dysfunctional, and how to set a course for recovery and success. Experience tells her that supported therapists are more likely to work collaboratively and collectively to protect their community and their profession. She has served in the past as President of the Tennessee Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association, has 2 beautiful children, creates super fun podcasts with her beau, and can’t wait for the next exciting episode of Dragon Ball.
Teaching Pathology to Massage Students: Beyond the Textbook
Facilitator: Sandy Grover Mason
Date: October 26, 2026
Time: 5:30 – 7:30pm EDT
About the Session
Many massage school students find pathology to be a daunting subject. This Think Tank will present simple and practical teaching tools and ways to focus on the subject which will bring it into practical, everyday use in students’ future clinical practices. Subjects will include resources, techniques, and soft skills, all provided in a form palatable for the Adult Learner. Webinar attendees are encouraged to come prepared to share their own stories, paths and pitfalls from their own classroom experiences.
About Sandy Mason
Sandy Grover Mason is a founding member of AFMTE (2009) and is currently Program Director of the Therapeutic Massage Program at Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC) in North Carolina, as well as the owner/operator of Body Therapeutic in Winston-Salem. She is an NCBTMB Approved Provider and has presented classes at local, state and national AMTA conventions.
Her passion for elevating educational standards for our profession is evident in her roles in the Alliance’s NTESP project through the National Teacher Trainers Curriculum Development Committee (NTTCDC), the Certification Process Committee (CPC), and the subsequent Certificate of Massage and Bodywork Educator (CMBE) sub-committee of the Education Committee. Sandy served on the AFMTE Board of Directors from 2017-2024.
She has been a textbook reviewer and contributing author, as well as subject matter expert for exam development (NCE, BCTMB exam and currently the MBLEx). Her current accreditations include a Masters in Adult Education (MAEd), Board Certification (BCTMB), a NC license since 2003 (LMBT #4403) and in VA (CMT from 2000-2020), and is among the first to earn the Alliance’s Certificate of Massage and Bodywork Educator (CMBE #05).
She lives on a 20 acre farm in Pinnacle, NC, with her husband and their dog Ziva and their cat Atticus Finch.
Just Because You Can Teach It Doesn’t Mean You Should: Ethics, Power, and Responsibility in Continuing Education
Facilitator: Nathan Nordstrom
Date: December 28, 2026
Time: 5:30 – 7:30pm EST
About the Session
This session examines the ethical responsibilities of CE providers in selecting content, establishing scope, and honoring student safety and public protection. Through discussion of consent, competence, and power differentials, participants will explore how to determine when personal expertise aligns appropriately with instructional authority. The session offers frameworks for credential transparency, risk assessment, learner empowerment, and maintaining professional integrity in course design.
About Nathan Nordstrom
Nathan Nordstrom is a nationally recognized massage therapy educator and training leader with over 20 years of experience advancing professional standards in education, compliance, and clinical practice.
He has designed and led scalable training systems for higher education institutions, national associations, and multi-unit spa organizations, supporting thousands of therapists across the U.S. and Canada as founder of Educated Touch and former Director of Training & Industry Relations at Hand & Stone Franchise Company.
Nathan specializes in curriculum design, train-the-trainer programs, and aligning education with real-world practice. He is a frequent national and international lecturer.
Interested in facilitating a Think Tank session in the future? Get in touch: [email protected]