Annually, there are approximately 35.5 million hospitalizations in the United States
The unique skills needed in a hospital setting are not part of most foundational massage programs
There is a shortage of massage therapists qualified to work in medical settings
Hospital-Based Massage Therapy Courses
Student Voices
Hundreds of therapists have grown their skills by taking our courses. Here are just a few of their stories.
An amazing ability to help me learn, grow, and challenge myself
Healwell has an amazing ability to help me learn, grow, and challenge myself and actually enjoy it! They make me even more proud of the work that we do.
2019 HBMT Steward
Balancing humor with the presentation of serious, thought-provoking subject matter
Healwell has instructors unlike any other that I have encountered in my 17-year career as a massage therapist. Aside from offering such pearls of wisdom as “Don’t slap the baby” and “Sometimes shit gets stuck on the window, and you just have to wipe it off”, they demonstrate this supreme skill in balancing humor with the presentation of serious, thought-provoking subject matter. They allow space for each student’s range of experience, as well as space for *all* of the emotions that can arise - before, after, during - when we show up for someone who is medically complex and who may not have the length of lifespan that is considered culturally acceptable. I honestly can’t shut up about my experiences with Cal and Healwell because they are talking about things that other courses barely touch.
2022 HBMT Steward
AMAZING instructors!
I had the opportunity to participate in the most recent HBMT program with some pretty AMAZING instructors!! They were so easy to talk to, amazing listeners, funny and so passionate about the role Healwell has in the hospital setting and how important our work is as massage therapists. It was truly an honour to meet them.
2022 HBMT Steward
An awesome life-changing experience
I was part of the inaugural group, The Movers & Shakers. It was an awesome life-changing experience ranging from the inane (flight delays, earthquakes, an impending hurricane) to the absolute divine. No words really for the team… just HUGE joy, love & respect.
2011 HBMT Steward
Cal reminds me that it's ok to be human.
Cal reminds me that it's ok to be human. That's the best way to encapsulate all I learned from them during the Pediatric Stewardship in back in April. It's ok to not be perfect, not have every answer, to have conflicting emotions and beliefs, and to feel - even if that feeling isn't comfortable. Cal taught me its ok to have ALL of that AND still maintain professionalism and compassion. Our patients are often dealing with the extremes of what it means to be human and by embracing our own human experience, we can make space for theirs. They remind me that this work, like humans, is complex. And that's ok.
2023 Pediatric HBMT Steward
“Am I going to die?”
When I attended the HBMT class in Kentucky, Cal was massaging a patient in the cardiac unit and in the quiet of the moment, the woman turned to Cal and asked, “Am I going to die?” We had just talked about trying to handle this very thing in class, and when it happened IRL, I froze. It was completely different, because “all the feelings”. Cal only did exactly what they had talked about in class; they looked at the woman and said, “I don’t know. Is that what it feels like to you?” but the humanity in the room in those minutes is something I’ll hold with me forever.
2021 HBMT Steward
Cal and Laura are terrific mentors
It’s pretty easy to feel like you’re on your own island without understanding and support in this specialized niche of massage therapy. Healwell has built this safe and welcoming space to share perspectives and express “so this happened… am I crazy?” with none of the posturing and grandstanding that I’ve seen elsewhere on social media. Cal and Laura are terrific mentors -- they continually motivate and inspire me to be better. This group of intelligent and thoughtful humans truly represents why massage therapy has a place in healthcare.
Nicole Kurth, CMT (member of the HBMT Peer Mentorship Group)
Meet Laura Bryant-Earner, Lead Instructor
Laura is Healwell's Service Director and a member of the curriculum development team. As Healwell’s Service Director, Laura coordinates, supervises, and provides care for Healwell’s hands-on programs and cultivates and strengthens relationships with medical and administrative staff.
Laura has been a practicing massage therapist since 2018 and a manual lymph drainage therapist since 2019. Before becoming a licensed massage therapist, Laura taught English in Japan for 19 years. It was in massage school that she heard of something called “oncology massage” and felt drawn to it. Passionate about learning, Laura has continued her advanced training in the fields of oncology massage, scar tissue manipulation and manual lymph drainage. She has provided massage in a variety of settings including corporate, private practice and spas. Because of her own massage experiences, Laura appreciates how massage can play a supportive role in healthcare and the journey that is being human.
MORE HEALWELL HBMT INSTRUCTORS
Morgana Alexander
Live instructor
Dawn Lamonica
Live instructor
Cal Cates
Online instructor
Kerry Jordan
Online instructor