The Student to Therapist Massage Therapy Podcast

David R. Sol & Timur Lokshin
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The Student to Therapist Massage Therapy Podcast is your guide to navigating the journey from the classroom to a successful career as a licensed massage therapist. Hosted by David Sol, Vice President and Dean of the Therapeutic Bodywork Program, and Timur Lokshin, Massage Program Director at Pacific College of Health and Science in New York City, this podcast offers practical insight, expert guidance, and real-world perspective on what it truly takes to succeed in massage therapy. Each episode explores essential topics such as hands-on skills, clinical training, mindset, career pathways, and the realities of working in the field. Whether you're a prospective student, currently enrolled, or preparing to enter the profession, you’ll gain valuable tools to support your growth and confidence every step of the way. From foundational techniques to professional development, this podcast is designed to help you move forward with clarity, purpose, and direction—from student to therapist.

  1. Aug 10

    Scent, Memory, and the Nervous System: An Immersive Visit to The Gallery of Scent

    Our Season 1 Finale! In this special episode of the Student to Therapist Massage Therapy Podcast, David and Timur step out of the classroom and treatment space and into The Gallery of Scent, a free, immersive fragrance pop‑up in the Financial District and Seaport area created by Element Brooklyn. Together with Director of Production and Technical Innovation Adam Contes, they explore a 30‑note “scent gallery” arranged from bright, fresh top notes through woods, earth, and deep “dark arts” resins, all designed to help visitors quietly map their own preferences and create a personalized “scent profile.” Adam shares how his team balances fragrance “architecture” with safety, sustainability, and refill‑forward design in hand soaps, candles, and body care, then connects scent to nervous system regulation, breathwork, massage, yoga, and meditation. Listeners will hear David and Timur’s real‑time reactions as they wander the space, clear their olfactory “palate,” and discover surprising favorite notes like cacao, cedarwood, and bergamot—along with practical ideas for using subtle, non‑overwhelming fragrance to shift the emotional tone of a treatment room or home practice. Visit Element Brooklyn's Gallery of Scent at 192 Front Street, New York, between now and September 6 before the pop-up closes. To learn more, visit: https://gallery.elementbrooklyn.com/

    Scent, Memory, and the Nervous System: An Immersive Visit to The Gallery of Scent

  2. Aug 3

    Team Patient: Dr. Matthew Zimmerman on Integrative Care

    What does it really take to build a sustainable, patient-centered career in integrative healthcare? In this episode, David Sol and Timur Lokshin sit down with Dr. Matthew Zimmerman, Clinic Director of the Integrative Health Clinic at Pacific College of Health and Science, to talk about interdisciplinary care, ethical rebooking, student readiness, and the habits that shape long-term clinical success. Dr. Zimmerman shares how an intense early-career experience forced him to learn patient care, clinic operations, billing, scheduling, documentation, and marketing all at once. He explains why healthcare professionals must stop thinking in silos, embrace collaboration, and remember that every practitioner is ultimately on “team patient.” The conversation also explores how students and new practitioners can develop stronger documentation habits, clearer communication, better professional boundaries, and a more sustainable approach to practice. This episode is especially valuable for massage therapy, acupuncture, nursing, and integrative health students who want to combine excellent care with real-world professionalism.

    Team Patient: Dr. Matthew Zimmerman on Integrative Care

  3. Jul 27

    From Shiatsu to Sound Baths: Karin Elias on Massage, Menopause, and Women's Soul Journey

    Massage therapist and Pacific College faculty member Karin Elías joins David and Timur to explore how hands‑on work becomes a somatic, energetic, and emotional support for women in midlife. She traces her path from shiatsu and essential oils to sound healing and holistic practice, reflecting on how decades of experience, motherhood, and teaching have transformed the way she touches and listens to the body. Karin dives into perimenopause and menopause as a soul journey, shares why many women still feel unseen by conventional care, and describes how thoughtful, scope‑honoring bodywork can help them navigate physical change, relationship shifts, and the search for meaning in the “years of change.”

    From Shiatsu to Sound Baths: Karin Elias on Massage, Menopause, and Women's Soul Journey

  4. Jul 20

    Massage Is For Every Body: Massage Students at OnPoint in Harlem NYC

    Pacific College of Health and Science massage therapy students and faculty share their experiences completing externship hours at OnPoint NYC, a harm‑reduction center in Harlem. Through their stories, we explore trauma‑informed care, the Holistic Center’s unique healing environment, and what it means to bring free, dignified massage to people navigating addiction, houselessness, and everyday survival—released in celebration of ABMP’s Massage Is For EveryBody Week.

    Massage Is For Every Body: Massage Students at OnPoint in Harlem NYC

  5. Jul 13

    Curanderismo, Holistic Nursing, and Massage: Dr. Caroline Ortiz on Building Community and Integrative Care

    Holistic nurse, educator, and researcher Dr. Caroline Ortiz joins David Sol and Timur Lokshin to explore curanderismo, the Mesoamerican healing traditions she inherited in the Texas Rio Grande Valley, and bridges with her holistic nursing practice in New York City. She shares stories and lessons to show how ritual, community, and the language of “imbalance” rather than “disease” can reshape our understanding of health and wellness care. Designed for massage therapists, nurses, and bodyworkers, this conversation explores traditional medicine from central Mexico, the idea of touch as a gift, and the role of practitioners as facilitators rather than “healers.” Caroline also speaks candidly about burnout and loneliness, and why caregivers must become their own first patient to stay balanced and be “good medicine” for others.

    Curanderismo, Holistic Nursing, and Massage: Dr. Caroline Ortiz on Building Community and Integrative Care

  6. Jul 6

    Centering Humanity in Healing Touch: A Conversation with Somaliah Sadiq-Williams

    In this episode, David Sol sits down with Somaliah “Soma” Sadiq-Williams—doula, massage therapist, educator, and land steward—to explore how reproductive justice, community care, and elemental bodywork reshape what healing looks like in and beyond the massage classroom. Soma shares her path from home birth to full-spectrum doula work, her sliding-scale accessibility model, and her social justice advocacy with harm reduction centers and incarcerated parents, all while inviting students and therapists to ground their practice in ethics, land, and the simple act of truly seeing and hearing every person on the table.

    Centering Humanity in Healing Touch: A Conversation with Somaliah Sadiq-Williams

  7. Jun 29

    Quiet Strength, Bold Service: How Massage Student Sharon Feliciano Is Building Community Wellness

    In this episode of the Student to Therapist Massage Therapy Podcast, David Sol and Timur Lokshin talk with massage student and community leader Sharon Feliciano about turning passion into service. Sharon shares how she left a 20-year career in real estate to pursue massage therapy, as well as her work in homelessness prevention, seasonal donation drives, and her vision for an affordable community wellness center. She opens up about time management, setting boundaries as a mom and student, and the support she’s found in school. Sharon also reflects on earning a scholarship for her service work and the guiding intention behind her journey: “Do the thing that sets your soul on fire.”

    Quiet Strength, Bold Service: How Massage Student Sharon Feliciano Is Building Community Wellness

  8. Jun 22

    Trauma‑Informed Prenatal & Postpartum Massage: A Conversation with Kiera Nagle of MaMassage Brooklyn

    In this episode of the Student to Therapist Massage Therapy podcast, David Sol and Timur Lokshin sit down with longtime educator and perinatal massage specialist Kiera Nagle, LMT, founder of MaMassage Brooklyn, to explore what it really takes to safely and confidently support pregnant and postpartum clients through massage therapy. Kiera shares her journey from a public school teacher and patient to a hospital-based practitioner and clinic owner, and breaks down common myths about first-trimester massage, appropriate perinatal care, and working within medical and interdisciplinary teams. Listeners will learn how trauma‑informed intake, clear communication, and skillful side‑lying and abdominal work can reduce musculoskeletal strain, support lactation, and help clients navigate birth, postpartum recovery, and even obstetric trauma with more agency and ease. Kiera also offers practical advice for massage students and new therapists on building perinatal skills, entering hospital and clinical settings, and creating sustainable, community‑centered practices that prioritize access, equity, and therapist well‑being. To learn more about Kiera’s work, training, and resources, visit www.mamassage.org (MaMassage Brooklyn). You can also connect with her practice directly through the contact information on the MaMassage website for questions about appointments, continuing education, and trauma‑informed perinatal care.

    Trauma‑Informed Prenatal & Postpartum Massage: A Conversation with Kiera Nagle of MaMassage Brooklyn
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About

The Student to Therapist Massage Therapy Podcast is your guide to navigating the journey from the classroom to a successful career as a licensed massage therapist. Hosted by David Sol, Vice President and Dean of the Therapeutic Bodywork Program, and Timur Lokshin, Massage Program Director at Pacific College of Health and Science in New York City, this podcast offers practical insight, expert guidance, and real-world perspective on what it truly takes to succeed in massage therapy. Each episode explores essential topics such as hands-on skills, clinical training, mindset, career pathways, and the realities of working in the field. Whether you're a prospective student, currently enrolled, or preparing to enter the profession, you’ll gain valuable tools to support your growth and confidence every step of the way. From foundational techniques to professional development, this podcast is designed to help you move forward with clarity, purpose, and direction—from student to therapist.

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