Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1013756
A B M P m e m b e r s e a r n F R E E C E a t w w w. a b m p . c o m / c e b y r e a d i n g M a s s a g e & B o d y w o r k m a g a z i n e 59 Can you first tell us a bit about your backgrounds? Bonnie Thompson: My entrance into manual therapy began in 1986, when I went to massage school in Colorado Springs, graduating in 1987. I began teaching at the school I graduated from immediately after graduation and became increasingly curious about the human body. Then I met Judith Delany and started as an assistant to her seminars before becoming a primary instructor of her workshops. Teaching really pushed me to understand the human body in depth. I also started my private practice and found that the more I understood about anatomy, the more I was able to help clients with their pain and dysfunction. James Pulciani: I started out with a BA in Education from the University of Colorado in 1991 and received my massage certificate that same year. I went on to study traditional Chinese medicine, graduating in 1997. I published my first textbook, Holistic Bodywork—Blending Modern and Ancient Bodywork Principles, in 2008. Since then, I have written other textbooks. I have been teaching anatomy and physiology for 15 years and I have a private practice in massage therapy and acupuncture. A Conversation with Bonnie Thompson and James Pulciani of the Institute for Anatomical Research Bonnie Thompson, LMT, CNMT James Pulciani, BA, CMT, L.Ac. What motivated you to create The Institute for Anatomical Research? BT: I met Gil Hedley in 1996 and did a dissection class with him and realized how different yet similar all our bodies are. It was a fascinating, eye-opening experience! Then, after working with cadavers, I realized how good my palpation skills had become. However, access to cadaver labs was very limited so I decided to try and find a lab at the local university, college, or even morgue. But every lab was unavailable because it was open only to current students and staff. So, I decided to open my own cadaver lab. I looked into all the rules for starting a business, especially the unusual business of a cadaver lab. I needed to find a location that would allow a lab and I worked on finding funding. After five years of dreaming and working to make the dream a reality, I was able to open The Institute for Anatomical Research. JP: I would like to add that I had a similar experience with learning anatomy. I thought I knew anatomy well until I started coming to the lab here. There is such a difference between book learning and having a full sense of anatomy. It was in the lab that I truly began to understand the three- dimensional relationships of the structures of the body. The incredible work that Bonnie has done to create The Institute for Anatomical Research has afforded me the opportunity to hone my anatomy skills and increase my teaching and clinical effectiveness. Now, working with Bonnie, we are looking to afford that opportunity to other therapists and health professionals.