Massage School Faculty

Our massage school faculty and staff are dedicated to providing each student with caring attention and closely supervised instruction.

Co-Founders

david lauterstein, massage school facultyDavid Lauterstein, LMT, MTI, Cert. ZB, TLC School Co-Director, has been in massage and bodywork practice since 1977 and has become one of the most highly respected international educators in the massage therapy realm – inducted in 2011 into the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame, honored as the 2012 recipient of AMTA’s Jerome Perlinski Teacher of the Year Award, and in 2013 by the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education as “Educator of the Year.”  David regularly teaches in England and throughout the U.S since 1982. He is the author of the books, Putting the Soul Back in the Body: A Manual of Imaginative Anatomy for Massage Therapists, The Deep Massage Book: How to Combine Structure and Energy in Bodywork, and Life in the Bones: A Biography of Dr. Fritz Smith and Zero Balancing.  He is certified in Structural Bodywork and  Zero Balancing and is a faculty member of the Zero Balancing Health Association. His background prior to massage therapy was in philosophy and music composition (BA, U of Illinois, 1972). Click here to learn more about David, his books, and classes.

john conway, massage school facultyJohn Conway, BA, LMT, MTI, TLC School Co-Director, began practicing massage therapy in 1981. His background, prior to his massage studies, was in construction, gardening, journalism, and English Literature (B.A. Rice University, 1969). His early massage and bodywork training was with Zach Elrod, Bob King and numerous other national-level presenters. John was certified in sports massage by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) in 1986. Since that time he has worked countless triathlons, marathons, swim meets and track meets, and has been teaching sports massage for over 20 years. He served as Education Director for the Texas Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association from 1988 through 1992 and was one of the original faculty members of the Texas School of Massage Studies. His fascination with communicating the power of bodywork as a tool for change is reflected in his teaching and his clinical practice.

Education Director

Cristel McCarthy LMT, MTI, CMLDT. Cristel is the Education Director at Lauterstein Conway Massage School and Clinic. She started as an assistant instructor in 2013 and received her massage therapy instructor's license in 2014. She felt so inspired to teach that she began training and helped supervise students in the student clinic and fill in as an instructor as needed. Soon after Cristel started teaching full-time and has taught over 10 6 month and 12 month cohorts. Throughout her career, Cristel has attended classes by Ben Benjamin (Advance muscular courses), George Kousaleos (CORE Myofascial), Marc Frazier (Cadaver and Body Mobilizations), Nikola McGill (Manual Lymph Drainage), Cindy Gillian (Oncology Massage), Carrie Gaynor(Anatomy Trains), Kate Jordan (Massage for the child-bearing year) and many more. One of Cristel's proudest moments this year was to reach level 7 on her Rogue in her current Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition campaign.

Clinic Director

Culley, LMT, MTI, is a graduate of The Lauterstein-Conway Massage School and is a massage therapist in the Austin/Round Rock area.  She is currently the Lead Massage Therapy Instructor for the Internship Clinic at that same school.  Tammie works side-by-side with Chiropractors and Physical Therapists.  She is still often seen at many of the races around Austin giving massage support to the wonderful athletes there.   She has a small but successful private practice, which allows her the honor of attending clients in a more personal setting. Tammie is married and a mother of 4.  She has a limitless curiosity for learning and finds joy in this endeavor.  She also enjoys travel, camping, riding her motorcycle, martial arts, reading, and spending time with her family.

Massage Faculty & Staff

Jake Lauterstein LMT, MTI, graduated from the 500-hour Massage Therapy Training Program at Lauterstein-Conway in 2013, and the 250-hour Advanced Program in 2015. Jake has been a Teacher Assistant and Instructor in the 500-hour program since 2015. His multi-faceted and creative approach to education encourages students to follow their curiosity, gain confidence in their technique, and develop their clinical expertise. His post-graduate education has included the study of modalities such as Zero Balancing, Shiatsu, Clinical Deep Tissue, and Hawaiian Temple 'LomiLomi' Bodywork, among others. He currently teaches Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue, Sports Massage, Deep Massage the Lauterstein Method, Orthopedic Massage, Anatomy, Physiology, Kinesiology, and Pathology in the 500-hour program. His background prior to massage therapy was in Humanities and World Music (BA, U of Oregon, 2013). As the son of TLC School Co-Director, David Lauterstein, Jake is honored to be continuing the tradition of deep learning and community found at TLC.

Bianchi, BS, LMT, MTI. Soon after Brenda received her Massage Therapy License in 2011, she joined the TLC Team as a Teacher's Assistant to continue her education while helping others find their path in massage therapy. Brenda was moved by her students’ stories and the transformations she witnessed during their short time in the program at TLC. Inspired by working in the classroom, Brenda received her Massage Therapy Instructor license in 2015 and started private teaching sessions mentoring students. Brenda headed the training of other TLC Instructors for private teaching sessions as well. As an instructor at TLC, she teaches Biomechanics, Swedish Techniques, Health & Hygiene, Anatomy & Physiology, Sports & Deep Tissue Techniques.
Brenda also has her own private practice, Bianchi Therapeutic Massage PLLC, where she enjoys working with a wide variety of clients. She has experience working in many different facets in the massage industry from a medical setting at a chiropractic office to doing luxurious body treatments at a high-end spa. She truly appreciates the therapeutic effects each has to offer clients.

Thomas Damron, LMT, NMT, ATSI, FR, COMT, CSCS, FRC, RKC. Thomas Damron, LMT, CSCS, ATSI, is a massage therapist, structural integration practitioner and personal trainer in central Austin. After graduating from Lauterstein-Conway in 2015 he aggressively pursued continuing education opportunities earning certifications in Neuromuscular Therapy, Orthopedic Massage, Functional Range Release and Structural Integration. His teaching style focuses on helping students develop the clinical reasoning, anatomical specificity, and curiosity necessary to create a sustainable and effective bodywork practice. When not working on the human movement puzzle he can be found playing upright bass in and around Austin.

“There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” - Leonard Cohen

Rebecca Barnes, BA, LMT, MTI, CMLDT, CEP.  A born and raised Austinite, Becca came to TLC as a 500 hr student in 2014; returning again in 2017 for the 250 hr advanced program. Her thirst for knowledge has earned her: a BA in Economics and German which aides her in teaching some of TLC’s business classes; and various certifications in modalities such as orthopedic assessment & massage, and Lauterstein’s Deep Massage, all of which assist her with teaching students in the clinic and makeup room, which is where she is often found on weekends. When not at the school, she can be found at her husband’s spa working with clients, or playing with her menagerie of children and critters on their little piece of property being rapidly encroached upon by suburbia.

Kelly Bonanni, LMT, MTI, CZB, RYT. Kelly has been a licensed massage therapist since 2017 and is now an instructor and clinic supervisor at TLC. She became certified in Zero Balancing in 2018 and has studied with David Lauterstein, Jamie Carmody, and Michael Oruch. In addition to teaching massage therapy, she is also a yoga and meditation instructor. Kelly sees clients privately through her own business, Regulate Yoga and Bodywork, where she combines yoga, meditation, and Zero Balancing for a whole person approach to wellness. Fun fact: She is an avid fan of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and has three cats: Lobster, Macaroni, and Cheese.

"All the resources you need already reside within you." - Kelly

Jason Chinnery, SCM, MIS, LMT. Jason spent a number of years in the tech industry as a programmer/analyst, then started as an estate manager for his family. In Feb 2020, Jason graduated from TLC and started assisting at The Lauterstein-Conway Massage School. Jason is always happy to help anyone with anything but especially enjoys helping future therapists grow in knowledge and confidence. Jason prides himself on being equal parts professional and nerd. Feel free to talk to him about anything massage, DnD, and gaming!

"Start with a strong foundation in the fundamentals, study hard, but most importantly trust your gut and follow your intuition." - Jason

The Lauterstein-Conway Massage School and Clinic has proudly trained massage therapists since 1989 as Austin's premier massage school. Join the legacy and put your career into your hands today. Learn more now.