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, 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 his classes.
Education Director
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
Tammie Culley, LMT, MTI, is a 15-year graduate of The Lauterstein-Conway Massage School. She is the Internship Clinic Director for TLC and a massage therapist in the Austin/Round Rock area. She has a small successful private practice, which allows her the honor of attending clients in a more personal setting.
Tammie is certified in Medical Massage Therapy and loves to work side-by-side with Chiropractors, Physical Therapists, and Doctors helping to bring learning, health, and healing to her clients and students. She strives to understand the why of her client's discomfort in order to provide tailored and structural evidence-based massage sessions. Tammie uses her understanding of anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology to design creative and specific structural sessions for her clients.
Tammie is married and a mother of 4. She has a limitless curiosity for learning and teaching and finds joy in this endeavor. She also enjoys travel, reading, and spending time with her family.
Massage Faculty & Staff
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.
"All the resources you need already reside within you." - Kelly
"Start with a strong foundation in the fundamentals, study hard, but most importantly trust your gut and follow your intuition." - Jason Chinnery
“There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” - Leonard Cohen
Diana Maxwell, MTI, LMT, CMLDT, After graduating from the 500hr Program, Diana started teaching the business courses at TLC. Diana has a background in Career Development and teaching adult learners, so it was a very natural transition. Diana brings a warm and caring attitude to the classroom and is often heard laughing with her students. Diana encourages the students to really dig deep into the WHY of becoming a Massage Therapist. Diana has also extended her massage therapy training to include Oncology Massage and Manual Lymphatic Drainage.
“Discovering and living the dream in your heart means stepping into who you were meant to be and what you were called to do.” - Emily Grabatin
She loves continuing education and is always pursuing opportunities for growth professionally and individually. She has received over 700 hours of professional massage training including Cadaver Anatomy, Chair Massage, Lomi Lomi, Prenatal & Perinatal Therapy with Carole Osborne, as well as earning certifications in Cupping Therapy and Manual Lymphatic Drainage. She is passionate about and committed to lifelong learning with plans to complete Certification in Orthopedic Massage as well as Thai/Asian-based modalities in 2022.
"I’m excited to be a part of the TLC family and hope to be a resource for your journey into massage therapy!" - Natalie Meyersick
Tim is passionate about helping people who need care and understanding to improve their physical, mental, and emotional health – a perfect fit for his new-found love of massage as a Licensed Massage Therapist and an instructor at TLC. Tim is a TLC alumnus, has worked in a massage day spa, and has his own massage practice, Kneading Space. Tim continues to learn massage therapies through continuing education classes and workshops and is very thankful for the knowledge and tips he gets from being around the other TLC instructors.
Tim likes to fish and be outdoors, enjoys classical music, and cherishes all the time he can spend with his wife, Mary. A rescued dachshund (Patches) and two rescue cats (Chloe and Rainey) vie for attention, too.
Her perspective on bodywork centers on knowing the body and using intuitive touch as well as intuitive physics. She believes that the best way to learn to be a better therapist is to receive more massage. She lives with her husband and a small menagerie of unusual pets.
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.