NHI Ontario Graduate, Emilio Rivera Emilio Rivera is a graduate of the Core Massage Therapy and Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy programs at NHI Ontario. Emilio’s story is a testament to the reality that it’s never too late to change. Read how Emilio went from homelessness to happiness, having work he loves in his story below. Addiction, Homelessness, Bad Decisions and a Toxic Relationship My name is Emilio, I was born and raised Montebello, which is a few miles away from East L.A. I started my massage therapist journey back in 2001. I was fresh out of high school trying to figure out what I w ..read more

Digna Faviola Camacho, Core & ANMT Program Graduate from NHI Studio City   Digna Faviola Camacho is a graduate of NHI’s Core Massage Therapy and Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy (ANMT) programs at the Studio City campus. Enjoying 11 years as an independent contractor and counting, Digna has had the opportunity to work all throughout Southern California with her training in massage and neuromuscular therapy. Get to know Digna and her success as an independent contractor along with her volunteer work with AIDS/LifeCycle®. Commitment to Student Academics and Career Success At 30, I neede ..read more

Mahesh Pathirana | NHI Clovis Grad and World Champion Tai Chi and Health Qi Gong master To be recognized as a world champion or master of, anything, is no easy feat. NHI Clovis graduate Mahesh Pathirana is both; world champion Thai Chi and Health Qi Gong master. Learn more about Mahesh and how his journey to the top included a stop at National Holistic Institute in Clovis, CA. World Champion Tai Chi and Health Qi Gong Master I’m Mahesh Pathirana, the world champion Tai Chi and Health Qi Gong master. But before I became a champion, I had to learn the art of healing through massage. My journey ..read more

Mikkel Dixon | President and CEO of National Holistic Institute Join us in welcoming National Holistic Institute’s new President and CEO, Mikkel Dixon! NHI Co-Owners Tim Veitzer and Mason Myers are excited to pass the baton of leadership to Mikkel, who has nearly two decades of success with a career in education. Learn more about Mikkel by reading his story below. A Lifelong Learner I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in English at Florida International University and my Master’s in Business Administration at West Texas A&M. My career in education started almost 20 years ago, and I’ve never lo ..read more

Ana Chalupova completed the Core and ANMT Programs at NHI San Jose What began as a visit to an open house event at NHI San Jose for Ana Chalupova developed into a vision of opening a manual therapy practice of her own. As a graduate of the Core Massage Therapy Training Program and Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy (ANMT) Program, Ana now owns and operates a clinic in downtown Menlo Park, CA, Orthopedic Restorative Massage. Discover how Ana turned her vision into a reality by reading her story below. Clinical, Specific and Scientifically Proven Manual Therapy A few years ago, I graduated the ANM ..read more

Clovis Student Monique Montero Pursues Her Dream Career and Refuses to be Defined by Her Disability Meet Monique Montero. Monique is currently enrolled in the Core Massage Therapy Training Program at NHI Clovis. Although visually impaired, Monique refuses to be defined by her disability. Discover more about Monique by reading her story below. I am More Than My Disability Monique (front left) with her family Hello, my name is Monique. I am a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, and all of those things mean more to me and describe who I am more than my disability. I am visually impaired and ..read more

Timothy Peckinpaugh represents California at the AMTA 2023 National Convention Timothy Peckinpaugh, a graduate of the Core Massage Therapy Training Program from NHI Ontario, was selected as the 2023 recipient of the National Holistic Institute/Stopain® Clinical Melissa Wheeler AMTA Scholarship. The Melissa Wheeler AMTA Scholarship, sponsored by National Holistic Institute (NHI) and Stopain® Clinical, covers the cost for one NHI senior or graduate to attend the annual American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) National Convention, providing the recipient with access to industry leaders, educ ..read more

La Graduada de NHI Sacramento, Zulma Portillo Martínez Desde 1979, innumerables graduados de NHI han seguido una carrera en terapia de masaje debido a su experiencia reveladora como cliente de terapia de masaje. Zulma Portillo Martínez, graduada de nuestro Programa de Terapia de Masaje Central del Campus de Sacramento es un ejemplo perfecto. Zulma se encontró con varios obstáculos, como dolor crónico, inseguridad debido al idioma y la edad, para poder tener un trabajo que ama. Aprende más sobre Zulma y su increíble viaje a continuación. NOTE | Click here to read the English translation of Zu ..read more

Zulma Portillo Martinez | NHI Sacramento Graduate Since 1979, countless NHI graduates have pursued a career in massage therapy because of their eye-opening experience as a massage therapy client. Zulma Portillo Martinez, a graduate of our Core Massage Therapy Program from the Sacramento Campus is a perfect example. Zulma encountered several obstacles such as chronic pain, insecurity due to language and age, in order to have work she loves. Learn more about Zulma and her amazing journey below. NOTE |  Click here to read Zulma’s story as she originally shared it with us, in Spanish. The M ..read more

Alicia Priebe | NHI graduate and instructor provides bodywork for a client Alicia Priebe, alumnus of the Core Massage Therapy and Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy (ANMT) programs at NHI shares her thoughts on the importance of continuing education for massage therapists. Learn more about Alicia by checking out her staff spotlight, and discover her 4 reasons why massage therapists need continuing education below. Practice Makes Perfect You may have heard the term, “Practice makes Perfect”. It leads me to ask – what is perfect? And more specifically, what does it mean to give the “perfect massag ..read more