Massage Therapy Instructors
Studio City | Los Angeles Massage School
- Vincent RoybalVincent has been a Neuromuscular & Massage Therapist since 2019, since graduating from NHI’s Core and Advanced programs he’s dedicated his practice to not only facilitating health for a large demographic of disabled & injured clients but working with those struggling with chronic pain while educating them on how to build upon that work and improve their quality of life. "The trick to life is to have the courage to walk down the path that’s lit up your heart." – AtticusTyler SalinasInstructorTyler is a graduate of the Core and ANMT programs at NHI and has been in practice consistently since even before his graduation in 2014. He has worked in private practice, wellness centers, chiropractic offices and high profile day spas. Tyler finds his motivation to massage in helping people to manage their pain and minimize the impact it has on their lives; He is passionate about constantly expanding his understanding of the body and it’s structures and hopes to impart to successive generations of massage therapists the value of specific anatomical knowledge and informed touch. “Receive without conceit; Release without struggle.”-Marcus AureliusSequoyah SugiyamaSenior Teacher AssistantA lifelong musician, Sequoyah developed a fascination with the human body while studying viola at the Juilliard School. Inspired by his teacher’s understanding of anatomy, kinesiology, and qigong, Sequoyah continued his education at NHI where he graduated with honors from 1250-hour program. He began working in a spa before opening his private practice to focus on a more comprehensive, therapeutic approach to massage. Teaching has been an integral part of Sequoyah’s life since taking on his first private viola student at age 13. Sequoyah believes that a teacher’s role is to help the student realize their own capacity for growth. This attitude has colored his perspective on massage and the possibilities therein bordering on the alchemical. “Even a slight increase in a previously inhibited range of motion will, in the practice of daily life, manifest as an incalculable increase in the possibilities of how the patient can interact with the world. Their body senses this phenomenon and, from it, can extrapolate a far more profound reality: that the body itself is the agent of change, and, intuiting the symbolic weight of its manifold possibilities of movement, within it lies the capacity to make the world a bigger place, time and time again.”Rebecca MillhouseCampus Manager/InstructorRebecca has been a massage therapist since 2003. Since then, she has performed massage in day spas, chiropractic offices and acupuncture clinics. Rebecca has maintained a private clientele and teaches infant and couples massage classes. Rebecca teaches in both the Core and the Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Programs with the National Holistic Institute. “If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.” – Zig ZiglarPaul VinczeInstructorPaul graduated from The Touch Therapy Institute in Encino, CA in 1999 and received his Reiki Master Certification in 2001. Paul’s passion for teaching began in when taught rafting, kayaking, and backpacking to youth at risk; it continues today as he instructs students in massage therapy. Throughout the years Paul has worked in spas and private practice. “I love that I am able to educate people about loving, compassionate touch, and know that they will be able to help others with this knowledge and skill.”Patrick CoomesInstructorPatrick was a sprinter at the NCAA D1 level and saw the value and benefit of massage. Looking for a career change he remembered how much he appreciated massage and enrolled at the NHI Emeryville campus where he ended up tutoring students on his way to graduating with honors from the Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Program. Patrick went on to work in private practice that led to various gigs from working in tech companies, backstage at the Outside Lands Music festival and consulting with an orthopedic acupuncturist. During this time Patrick continued to visit campus as a teacher’s assistant until eventually accepting a full time teacher’s position at the Emeryville campus teaching in the ANMT as well as Core program. Patrick grew up in a military household attending 9 different schools from K-12 on 3 different continents and enjoys being able to interact with NHI’s diverse student body.Lissette JacksonInstructorLissette Jackson was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She knew she wanted to be a massage therapist after her very first massage. Once she completed her B.A in Business and Spanish Literature she relocated to Miami, Florida and started Advance Massage Therapy School at National School of Technology. Immediately after becoming state certified in 2004, Lissette worked in spas, with chiropractors, physical therapists, dentists and instructing massage sometimes in Spanish! Her interest working in the medical field was very apparent to her and decided to be focus in Neuromuscular Therapy. In 2011, Lissette relocated to Fayetteville, North Carolina, taught Spanish at a middle school for three years then decided to instruct massage therapy again while opening her own practice. In 2018, venturing to the west was in her agenda and was offered a wonderful opportunity to manage two spas in Los Angeles, California but her passion for teaching the work she loves drew her to educate at a highly reputable school, National Holistic Institute. Lissette is proud and loves being part of a school where education is paramount and is continuously growing. “I never dreamed about success. I worked for it”- Estee LauderJoey PontanillaInstructorJoey’s path as a massage therapist began shortly after being laid off from Yahoo! in 2008. His desire to help people hands-on from a wellness perspective eventually led him to enrolling at NHI. Upon graduating in 2009, he worked at a few Los Angeles-area day spas, volunteered as a massage therapist for several charity events (i.e. Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, Lupus Awareness Walk) and also worked for a mobile massage company. Throughout most of that time, he also volunteered as a teaching assistant at NHI which is where his desire to teach began. In 2011, he was hired to the NHI-Los Angeles staff. Over his 5 total years on staff, he has been a part-time instructor, Student Life & Career Coordinator and full-time instructor/mentor. At the end of 2015, Joey left NHI to pursue a career in voiceovers but, in summer of 2016, he was invited back to work as a part-time instructor while he continues to pursue voice work. Joey finds the human anatomy infinitely fascinating and feels very connected to eastern massage modalities, especially shiatsu. His massage motto is: “An investment in massage therapy is an investment in your health.”Jen TobinInstructorJen Tobin originally hails from the greater Boston area where she completed a bachelor’s degree in dance and started her career in massage therapy. Massaging since 2002, she moved to the Los Angeles area 12 years ago and has worked in various massage environments including spas, offices, beaches and on television and commercial sets. Her preferred modalities are prenatal and deep tissue, but she has a great appreciation for the variety massage brings in its range of modalities. Her love of the sciences and passion for learning brought her to the classrooms of NHI in 2011 and she continues to enjoy the process of imparting knowledge, while also maintaining a small private practice of outcall clients. “My hope, still, is to leave the world a little bit better than when I got here.” –Jim HensonGenevieve SpilotroStudent Life & Career Coordinator/InstructorGenevieve is a certified Massage Therapist and a graduate of NHI! She has been in practice since 2008 working in spas, and with private practice clientele. Massage is a profession that she was quickly drawn into and loves. Genevieve believes massage is not only about pampering, but also offers therapeutic healing. “The art of massage is a rewarding career. It offers a way to relax the mind, body and soul, which helps create balance from within.”Casey MurphyInstructor/ Student Retention SpecialistCasey Murphy was born and raised in Rochester, NY where he left and returned many times before finding his true calling to become a massage therapist. He completed his massage licensure in New York in 2013 before becoming Reiki attuned and eventually traveling to study in Thailand before joining us here in Los Angeles. He has worked in a variety of massage settings and currently works at an independently owned spa and maintains a small private practice. Aside from teaching, Casey also supports our students providing various resources and support on and across campuses. He’s very excited to bring his experience and voice to NHI. “Life is like free pizza, even when it's bad it's still pretty good.”Anithea WelchInstructorAnithea Welch is a Certified Massage Therapist since 2010. Anithea grauated from InterCoast College in Orange, California in 2005. She began her career in Chiropractic Massage in Redondo Beach and independently grew a "one woman" Mobile Massage Practice in the South Bay. Anithea was Employed with Burke Williams Day Spa in Torrance 2006-2010 as the head of the Lymphatic Team and Trainer of Wet Room Services. She continued on to become a Certified Physical Therapy Aide 2011, then worked in the world of Womens Sports Massage until 2019. Her Massage teaching journey began in 2018 in Koreatown at Palace Beauty College, first as a substitute Massage Instructor and then fulltime during the height of COVID until 2022. Anithea then went on to teach Massage California Healing Arts in Carson. Anithea is now here, at NHI, to share her love for all of the different modalities of Massage. She intends for her passion to help others to become infectious to those that share a strong desire to be of service. Anithea believes that, "we CAN change the world, one massage a time"Alex ReedInstructorAlex graduated from NHI in 2009. Intrigued by the diversity of the Eastern and Western segments she went on to take massage courses in New Zealand, Thailand, India and Hawaii. Upon returning from her travels, she got right to work in Los Angeles and worked in spas around the city for 14 years before making her way back to NHI as an Instructor in 2023. Her goal as an instructor is to inspire perseverance in her students even when faced with adversity. “Good morning. Eyes up. Hearts up. Minds sharp. Compassion on full blast. Okay, let’s go.” Lin-Manuel Miranda
NHI’s Los Angeles massage instructors serve the entire LA area including Burbank, Glendale, Long Beach, Santa Monica, West Hollywood and Pasadena.