In the summer of 2023, The Massage Ethics Council was founded to offer guidance in establishing clear, ethical standards of care for the massage profession. The Council members are Laura Allen, Ben Benjamin, Beverley Giroud, Nathan Nordstrom, and Cherie Sohnen-Moe.
Laura Allen
Laura Allen has been an ethics instructor since 2000, continuously teaching in person and online. She is the co-author of the last three editions of Nina McIntosh’s The Educated Heart, the author of numerous other books, the regular ethics columnist for Massage and Bodywork Magazine, and a massage therapist since 1999. Laura consults with individuals on ethical/business issues.
Ben E. Benjamin
Dr. Ben E. Benjamin founded the massage school, The Muscular Therapy Institute, where he instituted over 100 hours of ethics, sexuality, and communication curriculum. He is the co-author of The Ethics of Touch, a primary ethics textbook for massage schools across the U.S. and Canada. He authored the first ethics articles in the Massage Therapy Journal and has been an expert witness in cases of sexual assault in a massage/spa setting since 2004. Dr. Benjamin also conducts risk management assessments for massage spa organizations focused on sexual assault prevention.
Beverley Giroud
Beverley Giroud has been an ethics instructor since 2000, is the author of Ethics and Professionalism for Massage Therapists and Bodyworkers, and has been a massage therapist since 1998. She served as a COMTA Commissioner for 12 years, Board Member of the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education (AFMTE), as well as on the NCBTMB exam development committee. She has been an educator and school administrator for more than 20 years.
Nathan Nordstrom
Nathan Nordstrom has been an ethics instructor since 2003 and has been a massage therapist since 2001. Nathan is a former member of the Board of Directors for the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodyworkers (NCBTMB), the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), and the Massage Therapy Foundation (MTF). He is a current Board member of the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education (AFMTE). Nathan currently serves as Director of Recruiting for the National Association of Spa Franchising (NASF). He also served as Program Director at Virginia College in Savannah, Georgia, for 3 years.
Cherie Sohnen-Moe
Cherie Sohnen-Moe has been an ethics instructor since 1985 and is the co-author of The Ethics of Touch and the author of Business Mastery, as well as multiple articles on ethics. She practiced massage therapy for ten years, then served on the faculty of several body-oriented schools. Cherie consults with individuals and massage and bodywork organizations regarding ethical issues. She was also a founding member of the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education (AFMTE), served on its Board, and served as President for two years.