- This year we began nine new 500-hour professional training classes. New teachers, tutors, assistants, and alumni joined our faculty to enthusiastically teach and further our mission to fully support every student’s success. Each year taking students from beginners to, in as little as seven months, becoming full-time licensed therapists and doing something they love – this is the wonderful triumph we get to be a part of!
- 250-Hour Advanced Program – this marks the 26th year that we have proudly offered our Advanced Program. This is the only one of its kind in the U.S. that offers certification in Orthopedic Assessment and Massage, in Deep Massage, and provides also more than 100 hours in Zero Balancing, Shiatsu, Psychology of Bodywork, and Integrative Bodywork.
- TLC was at big hit at the Austin Women’s Expo and other free Community Service events this year. At the Austin Women’s Expo, we gave over 600 chair massages in two-days! We also participated in free community service events for Aids Services of Austin, People’s Pharmacy, Austin Independent Business Alliance, the Capitol 10K, etc.
- Co-Director, David Lauterstein’s new book, Life in the Bones: A Biography of Dr. Fritz Smith and Zero Balancing was published by the Upledger Institute – followed by book-signings at our school, Bookpeople, Downeast School of Massage in Maine, and the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California.
- For an exciting week this spring in Austin, a research team, including James Strickland and Stuart Reynolds of the Neuro Synchrony Institute, along with seven Zero Balancers, including Dr Fritz Smith MD and other Zero Balancing Faculty from the US and UK, completed 30 ZB sessions in an exciting, path-breaking research project into the mental and physiological benefits of Zero Balancing.This first of its kind study showed remarkable levels of mental and physiological relaxation of both client and therapist during Zero Balancing. These will soon be published.
- TLC Remodeling – in 2017 we repainted the entire school, added new cabinets and beautiful wooden tables in our student lounge, remodeled the bathrooms, and got comfy couches for our waiting room. Our mission statement – to create a school as healing in every respect as the subjects we teach – inspired us to take this step forward, making our environment even more beautiful and healing for each intern client, student and for everyone who works at and who visits our school.
- TLC Massage Marketplace – Responding to the national need for an on-line location for therapists to buy and sell exciting products and services, we created TLC Massage Marketplace. https://www.facebook.com/groups/tlcmarketplace/
- 2017 Job Fair – This year TLC hosted over 30! employers and over 100 students and alumni at our 10th Annual Job Fair. It is the only Austin area celebration and facilitation for connecting employers and potential employees. A very high energy affair!! Free and open to the entire community of therapists, employers and potential students exploring career possibilities.
- Continuing Education and Introductory Workshops – an incredible year with over 30 workshops for professionals and for people interested exploring massage as a career. Oncology Massage Therapy, Manual Lymph Drainage Certification, Pre and Perinatal Massage, Anatomy Trains, Mindbody Acupressure, Deep Tissue, Hands-on Introductions to Massage and so much more were presented by local and nationally renowned teachers.
- This year the massage profession in Texas shifted state agencies to being regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and a new Massage Therapy Advisory Board was created. Our school is honored that Co-Director, David Lauterstein, was chosen as the Presiding Officer of the Massage Therapy Advisory Board.
