Courses & Presenters

Hand made from non-absorbent soapstone, nature’s best thermal conductor, CoreStones are an instrument assisted tool that maintains heat and cold longer than any other stone. When applied to the skin, they provide a silky, deep and uniform pressure. They have been developed with the practitioner in mind, allowing the therapist to work longer with less effort and strain. CoreStones are easy to hold and easy to use, reducing strain on your hands, wrists and thumbs. 

In this one day comprehensive training, students will learn a variety of techniques using all the CoreStones available! These innovative and ergonomic tools are designed to upgrade the practitioner’s hands while doing various therapy techniques including myofascial, trigger point, compressions, frictioning and kneading! In addition to specialized bodywork techniques, CoreStone may be used hot or cold to optimize tissue temperature for healing! 

It is not necessary to purchase CoreStones prior to the class. Participants will be able to try a variety of CoreStones during the course and they will be available for purchase in the exhibition. 

Chad Alfson, LMT

Chad is an accomplished massage therapist and distinguished Army veteran whose career is defined by dedication, expertise, and a passion for continued learning. After transitioning from the military, Chad pursued his passion for massage therapy, earning an Associate in Applied Science in Massage Therapy. Over the past 12 years, he has developed a successful career. His therapeutic expertise includes Relaxation Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, and Infused Sports Massage, with a particular focus on massage using CoreStones.  

In addition to his therapeutic work, Chad serves as the Operations Manager for Elite Therapeutic Massage and Health Partners, overseeing operations in Fargo, ND, and Moorhead, MN. In this role, he combines his managerial skills with his extensive knowledge of therapeutic practices to ensure high-quality care and efficient business operations.  

Chad is also a skilled instructor in Krav Haganah, an Israeli self-defense system, demonstrating his commitment to personal safety and empowerment. His dedication to continued learning fuels his growth across all areas of his career, from massage therapy to self-defense instruction and beyond. 

This course will provide an opportunity to review general assessment procedures, special tests, neurological assessment (myotomes, dermatomes and reflexes) and palpation techniques of the Cervical Spine and Glenohumeral joint. This will be a hands-on experience with an opportunity to share amongst other participants. 

Glen Bergeron PhD., CAT(C) 

Glen is a distinguished faculty member in the Gupta Faculty of Kinesiology and Applied Health at the University of Winnipeg. He has a Bachelor of Physical Education from University of Manitoba, an MSc from the University of Alberta and a PhD from the University of Manitoba in 1992. He certified with the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association (CATA). He has worked at many national and international events including five Olympic games; two World University Games, one Pan Am Games and a variety of world championships. Glen was the Medical Lead for the 2017 Canada Summer Games in Manitoba. He was inducted into the CATA Hall of Fame in 1997. He is a member of the Program Accreditation Committee of the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association, a Board Member of the Manitoba Medical Services Foundation, and a member of the Manitoba Adult Concussion Network. He currently serves internationally as the Past-President of the World Federation of Athletic Training and Therapy (WFATT). In 2022, he was awarded the first WFATT Achievement Award and in 2023, he was awarded the outstanding Educator of the Year award by the Massage Therapy Association of Manitoba.

This course has been designed to deepen the practitioner’s knowledge base and provide a more in-depth understanding of how sports massage can be used to increase athletic performance. Whether treatments are being done in a traditional clinic or trackside internationally this course will increase therapist confidence and efficiency approaching sport massage.  

This course covers the identification of key differences between sports massage and other forms of massage as well as trackside assessment tips and strategies. It also features in-depth discussions of common contraindications to sports massage including concussion identification and return-to-sport protocols using the most up-to-date research available. Time is also dedicated to identifying treatment differences between pre-, post, and mid-competition treatments as well as off-season vs. in-season treatment planning.  

Joseph Bentley RMT, OMT

Joe has been a massage therapist and osteopathic manual therapist (OMT), providing high-performance sports massage to some of Canada’s top athletes since 2010. He has worked trackside for World Cups, multiple World Championships, and three Winter Olympics as a paramedical staff member for the Canadian Long Track Speed Skating team. He brings over a decade of experience working trackside with Olympic champions, world champions, world record holders, and Stanley Cup Champions into his teaching, and his goal is to help bridge the gap between treatments in the clinic and trackside. He runs a successful home clinic in Diamond Valley, Alberta when he is not traveling with teams. 

This course will provide an opportunity to review general assessment procedures, special tests, neurological assessment, (myotomes, dermatomes and reflexes) and palpation techniques of the Lumbar Spine and Pelvis. This will be a hands-on experience with an opportunity to share amongst other participants. 

Glen Bergeron PhD., CAT(C) 

Glen is a distinguished faculty member in the Gupta Faculty of Kinesiology and Applied Health at the University of Winnipeg. He has a Bachelor of Physical Education from University of Manitoba, an MSc from the University of Alberta and a PhD from the University of Manitoba in 1992. He certified with the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association (CATA). He has worked at many national and international events including five Olympic games; two World University Games, one Pan Am Games and a variety of world championships. Glen was the Medical Lead for the 2017 Canada Summer Games in Manitoba. He was inducted into the CATA Hall of Fame in 1997. He is a member of the Program Accreditation Committee of the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association, a Board Member of the Manitoba Medical Services Foundation, and a member of the Manitoba Adult Concussion Network. He currently serves internationally as the Past-President of the World Federation of Athletic Training and Therapy (WFATT). In 2022, he was awarded the first WFATT Achievement Award and in 2023, he was awarded the outstanding Educator of the Year award by the Massage Therapy Association of Manitoba.

Recertify in Level C CPR course that reinforces skills to recognize and respond to cardiovascular emergencies and choking for Adults, Children & Infants. Includes training in the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

Available to MTAM members only.

Tori Webber

Tori started 1st Choice First Aid and CPR in 2004 after working as a paramedic and seeing the need for the public to be able to respond to emergency situations before professional help arrived.  ”There were many calls that I went to that bystanders, if they had been trained and felt comfortable would have helped the person in need especially when it was a family member or a friend and they felt helpless not knowing what to do.”

Hand made from non-absorbent soapstone, nature’s best thermal conductor, CoreStones are an instrument assisted tool that maintains heat and cold longer than any other stone. When applied to the skin, they provide a silky, deep and uniform pressure. They have been developed with the practitioner in mind, allowing the therapist to work longer with less effort and strain. CoreStones are easy to hold and easy to use, reducing strain on your hands, wrists and thumbs. 

The goal and purpose of this course is to explore the ways massage therapy can help manage and mitigate headaches and migraines with the use of CoreStones. With the use of cold stones and various manual therapy techniques, a routine and plan can be formulated to assist an RMT in the care of their clients who suffer from these issues.
 

Chad Alfson, LMT

Chad is an accomplished massage therapist and distinguished Army veteran whose career is defined by dedication, expertise, and a passion for continued learning. After transitioning from the military, Chad pursued his passion for massage therapy, earning an Associate in Applied Science in Massage Therapy. Over the past 12 years, he has developed a successful career. His therapeutic expertise includes Relaxation Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, and Infused Sports Massage, with a particular focus on massage using CoreStones.  

In addition to his therapeutic work, Chad serves as the Operations Manager for Elite Therapeutic Massage and Health Partners, overseeing operations in Fargo, ND, and Moorhead, MN. In this role, he combines his managerial skills with his extensive knowledge of therapeutic practices to ensure high-quality care and efficient business operations.  

Chad is also a skilled instructor in Krav Haganah, an Israeli self-defense system, demonstrating his commitment to personal safety and empowerment. His dedication to continued learning fuels his growth across all areas of his career, from massage therapy to self-defense instruction and beyond. 

Learn how to provide effective pain management for the enhanced mobility of your clients with Cupping Therapy. Learn how to educate your clients on the ways in which a program of Cupping Therapy fits into their wellness activities. We’ll delve into the history, theory, research and ethics in Cupping Therapy for you have a volume of knowledge not only about how best to provide this treatment, but also how to explain it, how to recognize contraindications, and how to enhance overall client retention. 

This Cupping course is unique in that we do not focus on any one ‘type’ of Cupping Therapy but rather focus on the research available and the types of treatments that can be provided using the various products in the marketplace. This approach provides you with the knowledge and skill on how to use a number of different types of cups to achieve the overall therapeutic outcome your clients are looking for.

Paul Kohlmeier Registered Massage Therapist and Registered Acupuncturist, Paul is an experienced and skilled therapist who is also trained as a Traditional Chinese Medicine Herbalist. Graduating with a Physical Education degree from the University of Manitoba, Paul went on to obtain his Diploma in Massage Therapy from Wellington College and Diplomas in both Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine from the Hua Xia Acupuncture and Herb College of Canada. Paul has a wealth of information looking for ways to get out of his head…which has led him to teaching and lecturing over the last 15 years. 

Paul is a self-proclaimed research geek having participated in the World Fascia Congress, IN-CAM and the Massage Therapy Foundation Research Conference and loves bringing everything he learns into the treatment room as well as the classroom. 

Being certified in both Massage Therapy and Chinese Medicine, Paul has a unique ability to speak to the two different bodies of knowledge. He takes a decidedly different approach, working towards an explanatory narrative that represents current thinking and science, as well as adding a feedback-based model of explanation that includes a patient-directed approach. 

This course provides an in-depth examination of how to assess, treat, and provide homecare for the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD). 

The TMJ is intimately related to much more than just chewing. A common site of injury within the body, due to chronic stress, contact sports injuries, postural adaptations, and post-dental surgery. Learning to assess and treat the temporomandibular joint with confidence can set you apart from your peers and open you up to a rewarding new group of clientele. 

This one-day course will cover relevant anatomy, including muscles, innervation, arterial and venous consideration and the role of the trigeminal system on the TMJ. Extensive time will be dedicated to specific assessment and treatment techniques to increase therapists’ confidence in TMJ-related issues. The day will conclude with discussion around contraindications, as well as homecare strategies to empower clients on their own health journeys.

Joseph Bentley RMT, OMT

Joe has been a massage therapist and osteopathic manual therapist (OMT), providing high-performance sports massage to some of Canada’s top athletes since 2010. He has worked trackside for World Cups, multiple World Championships, and three Winter Olympics as a paramedical staff member for the Canadian Long Track Speed Skating team. He brings over a decade of experience working trackside with Olympic champions, world champions, world record holders, and Stanley Cup Champions into his teaching, and his goal is to help bridge the gap between treatments in the clinic and trackside. He runs a successful home clinic in Diamond Valley, Alberta when he is not traveling with teams. 

This course will introduce cupping as a modality to use in the treatment room to relieve the symptoms of stress clients are complaining about. We will look at the common symptoms of stress and how some of them are within scope of practice and others are outside of it. Indications of cupping, and how these indications prove useful to us and our clients. For safety, we will look at the contraindications and safety precautions around cupping. We will go on to talk about and explain the basic techniques used in cupping, and then demonstrate how to do them. From there, we will talk about how to apply these techniques to the client in a cohesive treatment pattern, which we will demonstrate as attendees follow along. 

Paul Kohlmeier Registered Massage Therapist and Registered Acupuncturist, Paul is an experienced and skilled therapist who is also trained as a Traditional Chinese Medicine Herbalist. Graduating with a Physical Education degree from the University of Manitoba, Paul went on to obtain his Diploma in Massage Therapy from Wellington College and Diplomas in both Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine from the Hua Xia Acupuncture and Herb College of Canada. Paul has a wealth of information looking for ways to get out of his head…which has led him to teaching and lecturing over the last 15 years. 

Paul is a self-proclaimed research geek having participated in the World Fascia Congress, IN-CAM and the Massage Therapy Foundation Research Conference and loves bringing everything he learns into the treatment room as well as the classroom. 

Being certified in both Massage Therapy and Chinese Medicine, Paul has a unique ability to speak to the two different bodies of knowledge. He takes a decidedly different approach, working towards an explanatory narrative that represents current thinking and science, as well as adding a feedback-based model of explanation that includes a patient-directed approach. 

Recertify in Level C CPR course that reinforces skills to recognize and respond to cardiovascular emergencies and choking for Adults, Children & Infants. Includes training in the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

Available to MTAM members only.

Tori Webber

Tori started 1st Choice First Aid and CPR in 2004 after working as a paramedic and seeing the need for the public to be able to respond to emergency situations before professional help arrived.  ”There were many calls that I went to that bystanders, if they had been trained and felt comfortable would have helped the person in need especially when it was a family member or a friend and they felt helpless not knowing what to do.”