Instructors
Meet Our
Instructors
Yvonne L. Lovejoy, Massage Therapy Instructor: Yvonne graduated from The Baltimore School of Massage in 1997. For over ten years she had a private massage practice in a doctor’s office in the city of Alexandria, VA specializing in prenatal massage. Prior to that, she was employed at Alexandria Hospital. Yvonne is trained in Pre-natal Massage, Infant Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Myofascial Release, Hot Stone, M.A.T.T., Chakra Balancing, Reflexology, Cupping, Sound Healing, Lomi Lomi and Aromatherapy. She is also a Reiki Level III Master Teacher and is certified to teach Level One Qi Gong. Yvonne has been teaching massage since 2003 and has been at NVSTM since the school began in 2007.
Lori Lake Harris, Massage Therapy Instructor: Lori is the Assistant Director of Education at Northern Virginia School of Therapeutic Massage. Since 2003, she has been an instructor of massage therapy. She was an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College for massage therapy and medical terminology from 2008-2011. Lori has been practicing for since 1993 with her focus being in clinical massage, assisting patients in the rehabilitation of acute and chronic conditions.
Susan Masters, Massage Therapy Instructor: Susan received her massage training at Potomac Massage Training Institute. She has 30 years of experience working as a massage therapist. She has been a massage business owner for 17 years and has worked at various spas and wellness centers in the community. Susan has been a massage educator for 19 years teaching all aspects of massage therapy. She pursued Reiki training and received her Reiki Master Certification in the Usui Method in 1998. She developed a curriculum for Reiki Levels One, Two and Three, which she teaches at NVSTM.
Sandra Seaton, Massage Therapy Instructor: Sandra (Sandy) was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia. She attended and graduated from Baltimore School of Massage in Baltimore, MD in May 1996, where the curriculum included Swedish, Deep Tissue, and Myofascial Release. She has worked in various massage establishments, in both clinical and spa settings. She owned her own business (Agape Massage Therapy) for a number of years, specializing in Pregnancy Massage and operating out of the offices of a physician and midwife collaborative practice. She has been teaching at Northern Virginia School of Therapeutic Massage in Falls Church, Virginia since 2008. She is certified in Pregnancy Massage, Hot Stone Massage, Swedish and Deep Tissue, and is a Reiki Master Teacher.
Tara Labbafi, Massage Therapy Instructor: Tara is a Certified Massage Therapist and a Massage therapy Instructor and has been for 18 years. She is also an NLP practitioner (neurolinguistic programming), and a former Physical Therapist. She enjoys a holistic approach to wellness, incorporating various techniques including Muscle Energy Technique (MET, Proprioceptive Neuromuscular FacilitationPNF), neuromuscular therapy NMT, Trigger-point Therapy, and Myofascial Release, Myoskeletal alignment, Lymphatic Drainage Massage along with Physical Therapy Neurolinguistics Programming. As a seasoned professional, she enjoys the classroom setting at NVSTM, saying: “teaching is my passion. I enjoy a relaxed and professional atmosphere that allows everyone to participate, learn and expand.”
Judy Herr, Massage Therapy Instructor: Judy has been a licensed and practicing Massage Therapist for 19 years. She graduated from the AKS Massage School in 2004 and earned at B. A. in Psychology from George Mason University. She has been an Instructor since 2005 concurrently. Her career as an Masasge Instructor began with providing Anatomy & Physiology instruction and she evolved over the next 3 years and began teaching all aspects of massage therapy. Her joy comes from creating an exciting and fun learning experience while helping students develop confidence and enthusiasm in their skills as a Massage Therapist.
Dan Flaherty, Massage Therapy Instructor: In 1993, received an AA Degree in Liberal Arts from Lord Fairfax Community College. In 2003 he received a Certificate in Massage Therapy from Virginia School of Massage. Dan has recently earned a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) from James Madison University and has become a Nurse Practitioner and works in the nursing field. Dan has professionally practiced massage therapy for 16 years and has been a massage instructor for 12 years. He teaches all aspects of the Massage Therapy Program and advanced continuing education at NVSTM.
Megan Cordone-Greene, Massage Therapy Instructor: Megan has been active in the health and wellness field since 2011. Early in her college career, Megan studied clinical massage therapy and nursing. With a passion for helping individuals feel their best, Megan then ventured into hatha yoga, health and wellness coaching, and completed her master’s degree in health promotion and community health education with an emphasis on injury prevention, stress management, and diversity and awareness in maternal and infant health. Currently, Megan operates her health and wellness business in Falls Church City and teaches at NVSTM. Megan has completed continuing education and certification courses in Bowen Therapy, myofascial release therapy, neuromuscular therapy, Reiki, cupping therapy, and acupressure.
Keenan Wiley, Massage Therapy Instructor: Keenan is a native of Denver, CO. She relocated to Northern Virginia in 2016, after receiving her massage therapy certification. She is a wife, a mother of four adult children and a proud first time Grandmother. Keenan obtained her massage therapy education from The Denver School of Massage; a Bachelor of Arts in Human Performance & Sports Science from Metropolitan State University of Denver; (2) Associates Degrees: General Studies at Cottey College in Nevada, MO and Surgical Technology-at Colorado Technical University. Keenan is an active church member, she and her husband enjoy collegiate sports, especially basketball and track. She enjoys traveling to see her Denver family, participating in health and fitness activities, and listening to all genres of music, dancing, theatre/ film.
Anthony Easlick, Massage Therapy Instructor: Tony is a Licensed Massage Therapist, and has been practicing as a Business Owner and independent contractor with Humble Spa Beginnings since 2007. He graduated from Heritage Institute with an Associate Degree in Occupational Studies in Massage Therapy. He enjoys bringing real world knowledge to the classroom.
Dr. Ashley Williams, Massage Therapy Instructor: Dr. Williams received her Doctorate of Chiropractic from the Northeast College of Health Sciences (formerly New York Chiropractic College) and completed her clinical chiropractic education at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. She also holds a Master’s degree in ergonomics and biomechanics from New York University, two Bachelor’s degrees in engineering and physics from Columbia University and Jacksonville University and an Associate of Occupational Studies in massage therapy from Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences, where she has served as an adjunct professor of neurology, myology, anatomy and physiology. Dr. Williams specializes in athletic performance and rehabilitation. She also has specializations in gait analysis and orthotics, ergonomic interventions and preventative healthcare. Before becoming a chiropractor, Dr. Williams spent over 10 years in the health and wellness industry, working as a certified personal trainer and licensed massage therapist in elite gyms and spas as well as non-profit organizations across New York City.
I graduated in January of 2016. Massage therapy has been an awesome choice for me and it came to fruition from NVSTM and the amazing staff (Tara & Judy!!!). I dreaded what a career change this "late" in life might mean, and if I could even handle it. The school's methodology of teaching made everything approachable and easy to grasp even though from the outside, it looked like we were being thrown to the wolves. I learned more than I ever thought I would know about the human body and also made some excellent friends along the way.
Beej,
LMT
At first I signed up for this place because it was close by and convenient to get to. But I had no idea how well put together the curriculum was. The teachers and staff were more than just personable. You actually want to be friends with them because they have such great vibes. If I could go back and start over, I would. I had such great experience learning at this school and I recommend it to anybody that is interested in healing others.
Edwardo,
LMT
My experience at Northern Virginia School of Massage has been exceptional! I could not have asked for better instructors or a better learning environment. Northern Virginia School of Massage has helped mold me into the Massage Therapist that I am today. Many thanks to Mike and his staff!
Jeremy,
LMT