Werner Workshops are flexible interactive lectures that can be designed to meet your specific needs. I will work with you to determine class content, and then I will compile the latest information available on the definition, etiology, signs and symptoms, common treatment options, and applicability of massage for each condition on our list. I bring complete handouts and a slide show with lots of photographs, drawings, and other visual aids to build a complete understanding of key concepts for your participants. It is a fascinating, enriching time for everyone!

Classes on HIV/AIDS and Public Health Issues can be used to meet state requirements for massage training, and the Ethics of Client Communication class meets the criteria for ethics education by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. The ethics class is described below.

This material works best in 4-hour segments, and for the sake of efficiency, I need to teach a minimum of eight hours in each event. Here are some sample schedules:

Weekend A: 8 CE hours	Saturday 8am-12 noon	Segment 1: Skin Conditions
	Saturday 1pm- 5pm	Segment 2: Circulatory System Conditions

Weekend B: 12 CE hours	Friday 6 pm-10 pm	Segment 1: Men’s Health Issues
	Saturday 8 am-12 noon	Segment 2: Fibromyalgia and Associated Conditions
	Saturday 1:30 pm – 5:30pm	Segment 3: HIV/AIDS and other Public Health Issues

Weekend C: 16 CE Hours	Saturday 8 am- 12 noon	Segment 1: Psychiatric Disorders
	Saturday 1:30-5:30 pm	Segment 2: Women's Health Issues
	Sunday 8 am- 12 noon	Segment 3: Regional Issues: Lyme Disease, West Nile Virus, Avian Flu, and Others
	Sunday 1:30- 5:30 pm	Segment 4: The Ethics of Client Communication

I include the table of contents from A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology, 4th ed. to offer a sample of what is available; feel free to use it like a menu to design a workshop especially for your participants.

The Ethics of Client Communication: Talking to Clients About Their Health

4 CE Hours

How many times have you worked with a client and noticed something that made you wonder about his or her health? How many times have you felt uncomfortable discussing it?

This class addresses the delicate art of communicating professionally and with open hearts when we have concerns about our clients’ well being. Key topics include…

                         Medications that may influence bodywork choices;

                         Visual or palpatory signs that are red flags;

                         Maintaining boundaries for client safety (how to say “no” when your client says “yes”)

Basic principles of active listening will be reviewed and employed as students break into small groups to role-play a variety of difficult client-therapist conversations, all based on real-life situations provided by past participants. Students will develop the skills to make responsible, professional, client-centered choices with their work—even when those clients may have diseases or conditions that make many types of massage impractical.

As a courtesy to school hosts, I will also be happy to contribute a 4-hour in-service for faculty members about the special challenges of teaching pathology to massage therapy students.

Teaching Pathology from the Heart

4 CE hours

Science teachers in massage schools face some unique challenges. Their material is essential for the education of skilled bodyworkers, but many students feel intimidated or disconnected from learning that is more head-based than hand-based. Teaching Pathology from the Heart is a class designed for massage educators who want ideas and support to build science curriculum that is relevant, exciting, and accessible to their students. During this time we name some of obstacles in our way, brainstorm solutions, and review criteria for choosing content that is realistic and useful.

For information about availability, and financial and other arrangements, please contact me at wernerworkshops@ruthwerner.com.

If you have any other questions about how we can make a workshop at your facility as successful and as satisfying as possible, please feel free to let me know.

With all best regards,