Massage Therapy Teacher Feature: Brian Sweetser, LMT

What made you want to become a massage therapy instructor?

    • Funny thing…It was not my plan to become a massage instructor! A former colleague suggested I apply to the Elizabeth Grady School and after some prompting, I did.

I began working as a massage teacher one night a week about eight years ago and after two weeks I knew I needed to work here full-time. Now, I cannot imagine not being a massage therapy instructor! Seeing the students evolve into excellent and competent therapists is the best part of the job! Hearing from them after they graduate and the miracles they are creating with their clients is the most rewarding part of the job!

What specialized type of specialized massage modality training do you incorporate into your massage practice?

    • If I had to pick one, it would be myofascial release. The training I have had in myofascial release has been a game-changer! My clients experience optimal results when they receive massage with myofascial release and trigger point therapy incorporated. I have spent years and practiced it, tweaked it, and have created a style resulting in clients asking, “What type of massage is that? I’ve never had anything like that before!”

What is something valuable that you have learned in massage therapy school that continues to be an important part of your daily practice?

    • That each client and each visit with that client is its own unique session – no two massages should ever be the same.

What is something about your life experience that influences your role as a massage therapy instructor?

    • In the past, I have had various health issues, some more serious than others. From a shattered pelvis to gallbladder surgery, from pancreatitis to adult onset asthma. When teaching different pathologies and contraindications with massage students I can bring relatable first-hand experience to the lessons.

What is your favorite movie and why?

    • Anyone that knows me knows I am a movie lover! However, my all-time favorite movie is “It’s A Wonderful Life”. If you are not familiar with this movie, a small town guy spends his life helping others through the family building & loan business. Things go wrong, he is having doubts about his life, and he is given the chance to see what all the lives he has had an impact on would be like if he wasn’t there. Really makes one think about the ripples we create in our daily life and the impact of those ripples.