Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68185
Integrator Blog MTs and other CAM therapists may want to bookmark www. theintegratorblog.com, which offers news, reports, and opinions on policy and practice of integrative health care. The blog is edited and published by John Weeks, a consultant and writer with 27 years of expertise in integrative health care, including work with various massage organizations. His monthly "Round-up" offers a look at action among the field's many disciplines and stakeholders. For those interested, Weeks sends out a free newsletter once or twice a month with synopses of recent articles. Other information includes links to peer-reviewed sources, coverage of pertinent national socio-political trends, and analysis of pertinent policy matters. A Tribute to Nina McIntosh The massage profession lost a trusted voice and advocate in the July 18th passing of Nina McIntosh, author of The Educated Heart and longtime columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. Her 18-month struggle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) ended peacefully in the presence of friends and bodyworkers at her Asheville, North Carolina home. Memorial services were held in Asheville as well as Memphis, Tennessee. After graduating from the Tulane University School of Social Work in 1970, Nina worked as a psychiatric social worker for several years, graduated from the Boulder College of Massage Therapy in 1978, and became a certified Rolfer in 1981. Her 1999 book, The Educated Heart, was highly revered within the profession and quickly became (and remains) the ethics and boundaries textbook for many massage educators. In 2001, Nina brought her unique wit and professionalism to the pages of Massage & Bodywork in her ethics column, The Heart of Bodywork, which lasted until she put away her pen in December 2009. Along with several other industry leaders, Nina also partnered with Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals in 2008 for the writing of Teaching Massage: Fundamental Principles in Adult Education for Massage Program Instructors, an educator's resource manual. Honored with a Humanitarian Award from the World Massage Festival in 2010, Nina always strove to bring a new level of professional ethics and attitudes to the profession she loved. A favorite quote from her book speaks volumes to the message she tried to impart: "Professionalism doesn't mean acting stuffy or keeping our clients at arms' length. It simply means that, when we're working, our focus is on our clients. We pay attention to them, we're sensitive to their vulnerability. Being professional is just an educated way of being kind." Mari Gayatri Stein, illustrator for The Educated Heart and The Heart of Bodywork column, contributed the illustration to the left in memory of Nina. Contributions in her honor can be made to the Massage Therapy Foundation, 500 Davis Street, Suite 900, Evanston, Illinois, 60201, or online at www.massagetherapyfoundation.org. connect with your colleagues on massageprofessionals.com 17