In Memoriam

The massage profession has lost a trusted voice and advocate in the July 18th passing of Nina McIntosh, author of The Educated Heart and longtime columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. Her 18-month struggle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) ended peacefully in the presence of friends and bodyworkers at her Asheville, North Carolina home. A memorial service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, July 24, at the Brooks Howell Home, 266 Merrimon Ave., Asheville. A second service will be held August 14 in Memphis, Tennessee (details pending).

After graduating from the Tulane University School of Social Work in 1970, Nina worked as a psychiatric social worker for several years, graduated from the Boulder College of Massage Therapy in 1978, and became a certified Rolfer in 1981. Her 1999 book, The Educated Heart, was highly revered within the profession and quickly became (and remains) the ethics and boundaries textbook for many massage educators. In 2001, Nina brought her unique wit and professionalism to the pages of Massage & Bodywork in her ethics column, The Heart of Bodywork, which lasted until she put away her pen in December 2009. Along with several other industry leaders, Nina also partnered with Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals in 2008 for the writing of Teaching Massage: Fundamental Principles in Adult Education for Massage Program Instructors, an educator’s resource manual.
Honored with a Humanitarian Award from the World Massage Festival in 2010, Nina always strove to bring a new level of professional ethics and attitudes to the profession she loved.

A favorite quote from her book speaks volumes to the message she tried to impart:
“Professionalism doesn’t mean acting stuffy or keeping our clients at arms’ length. It simply means that, when we’re working, our focus is on our clients. We pay attention to them, we’re sensitive to their vulnerability. Being professional is just an educated way of being kind.”

Contributions in her honor can be made to the Massage Therapy Foundation, 500 Davis Street, Suite 900, Evanston, Illinois, 60201, or online at www.massagetherapyfoundation.org.