The world of massage welcomed Ben into it’s “house” in 1979. His 37 years of service to others since then has been a varied and eclectic path. He has provided therapy for the general population, professionals across the athletic spectrum, hospice and oncology patients, and those with special needs. He has treated newborns that were less than an hour old with the most gentle approach and then worked on professional football linemen utilizing deep therapy techniques. He is unabashedly excited about his profession and “brings it” every day to his patients and his students. To his closest friends and family he is truly a therapy nerd. One of his favorite quotes is, “I stand on the shoulders of giants.”. Ben will readily credit, and share, the names of the individuals he has met through the health care profession during the last four decades that have changed his life and helped him grow professionally and personally. Some were health care mentors, others were patients, and still many more were his students. As an instructor Ben blends humor, a gift for analogy, and critical Socratic thinking skills to engage his students. His entertaining approach to presenting is purposeful in promoting assimilation and retention of the material being taught.
In 2004 he was awarded the Florida State Massage Therapy Association’s “Service Award” for initiating an oncology massage program at his county hospital, and for traversing the state to help train therapists in hospice service while motivating several chapters to form Hospice Teams. He also served as a consultant for the formal hiring of massage therapists within hospice organizations.