Small school.
High standards.

Katie Cunnagin, BA, LMT – Swedish Foundations Instructor

 Katie’s fascination with the human body grew from decades of experience coaching gymnastics. She was dedicated to learning as much as she could about strength and flexibility training to help her athletes perform their best and avoid injury.  While coaching full time in Seattle, she developed her own overuse injury which led her to discover the amazing healing capabilities of massage.

In 2015, she moved with her husband to Bend and enrolled at Sage School of Massage.  What started as a science-minded career move evolved into a life-changing revolution in her entire way of thinking about health and wellness.  She has worked in various settings, including an injury/treatment-focused clinic, and a high-end spa. In her own practice, she focuses on helping her clients connect with their bodies and strives to empower them to actively participate in their healing process and wellness routine.

At Sage, Katie brings her passion for massage to the classroom and helps her students build strong foundations, develop good body mechanics, and encourages humility and kindness toward their clients… skills that will benefit their future practices for years.

Besides massage, she loves traveling, being outside, practicing yoga, growing food and flowers, and spending time with people who love her and inspire her to be her best, most authentic self.

Deby Grant, LMT, AAS Massage – Career Success II Instructor

Deby has 35 years of teaching experience and 25 years as a licensed massage therapist. She has developed successful private practices in Portland and Bend Oregon. Her primary focus is treating chronic pain conditions, auto injuries, and stress management.

She loves to teach because she loves to learn. Deby often says, “Teaching makes me a better therapist and my private practice makes me a better instructor”. She enjoys inspiring and motivating students to believe in themselves and their abilities to be the best massage therapist they can.

Her desire is to give the knowledge and skills she has learned in a fun, creative, learning environment. Students say she communicates the main objectives of a lesson clearly, so that they can understand the importance, for their own massage careers.

Diane Flowers, BS, LMT – Assessment & Treatment, Advanced Massage Program, and Nutrition Instructor

Diane attended massage school at the Healing Arts Institute in Fort Collins, CO while finishing her Bachelor of Science at Colorado State University. She graduated in 1996 and opened a private massage practice. After practicing for about a year, she decided to further explore her interest in the healing arts by spending fi ve years studying at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine. After fi nishing school in 2002, she moved to Bozeman, MT to open a practice. Before long, Diane met and fell in love with her husband and moved to Sisters, OR to marry him.

Diane now has a private massage practice in Sisters where she focuses primarily on injury treatment and rehabilitation. She continues to practice massage because of the benefi ts that her clients experience, the fulfi llment that she feels.  Diane also loves to run, mountain bike, rock climb, and occasionally compete in adventure racing.

Diane has taught in a number of settings in the past, and is very excited about teaching massage. Her main goal for teaching is communicating information that will be relevant to practice in the “real world” while having fun and cultivating a passion for massage.

 Christine Patrick, M.Ed., BS, RDH – Anatomy & Physiology

 Christine completed a Bachelor’s in Science at Oregon Institute of Technology and entered the healthcare field as a Dental Hygienist in 2003.  She discovered her passion for Anatomy and Physiology during her first pregnancy. Shortly after her son was born in 2005, she began teaching childbirth classes with an emphasis on natural birth, holistic care, and nutrition. Christine has always been a strong educator and went on to complete a Master’s in Education in 2014.

Christine prefers to teach with a variety of modalities including games, activities, and personal experiences.  She strives to adapt her teaching to different adult learning styles but particularly enjoys making the learning process personal and enjoyable for each student. Her goal is to help the students understand their role in the healthcare field; Emphasizing the big picture and demonstrating how massage will affect all the body systems.

Christine is a Bend native and loves all things outdoors.  Her desire is to influence her students toward health with an attitude of exercise, good nutrition, and positive relationships.

John Vinacci, BS, LMT, PTA – Anatomy & Physiology, Communication & Ethics, & Kinesiology I, II, III Instructor

With a keen interest in the human body, John began work in the Health and Wellness field over twenty four years ago as a personal trainer after leaving military service. Practicing massage since 1999 after graduating Tucson, Arizona’s acclaimed Desert Institute of the Healing Arts, John particularly enjoys the clinical aspects of massage, helping clients recover from injuries using a variety of techniques. Through his combination of knowledge, skill, and experience, John has sought to help people meet their physical wellness goals by combining the healing power of massage with physical therapy and effective self-care recommendations. Now, having been in the field for two decades, John has a strong desire to help train the next generation of massage therapists.

An avid fitness enthusiast, John is also an obstacle course racer, adventure hiker, musician and freelance writer who loves animals. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Philosophy from Portland State University.

Trish Kountchev, BA, LMT – Hydrotherapy & Spa Techniques

Starting in 2012 Patricia (Trish) became interested in the healing arts. While living in Europe, for over 25 years, she pursued Traditional Chinese Medicine at the school of Shen Ling becoming a certified acupuncturist and additionally learned to work with body energy as a healing method.  She has continued to pursue “alternative” healing methods to her skill sets, adding certifications in hypnotherapy, yoga and massage therapy.  With a wide knowledge of various healing methods, Trish has a unique ability to approach therapeutic treatments that are specific and targeted while understanding the body in a holistic way.

In teaching, she plans to pass on knowledge of essentials upgrades that LMTs can utilize within massage therapy which will include cupping, gua sha, reflexology, hot stones, body wraps, body scrubs, essential oils, hot towels, etc.

She likes to consider her class a “fun Class” while guiding students to discover additional possibilities for becoming more effective as therapists.

In her free time, she likes to garden and grow her own herbs which she converts into essential oils for self-use and loves spending time in the mountains hiking with her dog, or rock climbing.  As she is always looking to learn new things, she is in the process of also becoming certified in barefoot massage both with Ashiatsu and Sarga bodywork.

Marijane Boyd, Esthetician, LMT – Hydrotherapy & Spa Techniques, Clinic Supervisor

Marijane started her career as a Licensed Massage Therapist in 2010 after graduating from Sage School of Massage. As soon as she received her license she started working for a chiropractor, a spa, and an athletic club. Working in diverse environments helped her discover her passion in CranioSacral Therapy which is the primary modality she practices.

Having a strong desire for learning and the learning process, Marijane joined the faculty of Sage after several years of working as a teaching assistant in several classes. She enjoys being in the classroom and identifies with the students because she has been a student herself, and understands the journey well.

Raising four children as well as building a practice gives Marijane a wealth of experience to inspire and mentor her students.

Matthew Williams, KMI, LMT – Introduction to Myofascia Instructor

Matthew has specialized in therapeutic structural bodywork and soft-tissue injury treatment since graduating in 2000 from the 1000-hour professional licensing program at the Brian Utting School of Massage in Seattle WA. He went on to work at several world class spas in Sedona, Arizona including Mii Amo at Enchantment Resort.

In 2005 he completed the Anatomy Trains Structural Integration training with Tom Myers, author of Anatomy Trains. After this 500-hour advanced training he passed the rigorous BCSI exam to become the first Board Certified Structural Integrator (BCSI) in Central Oregon.

Matthew says, “I am a fascia guy. Fascia is the stuff that houses and surrounds everything in the body: Abiquitous, mucopolysaccharide, stretchy, fibrous, web-like connective tissue matrix. If you want to create lasting change to the human form, then you better address the fascia.”

In teaching students, his goals are not only to introduce knowledge and techniques, but also to
train the students to see into bodies in a new way. Matthew uses Thomas Myers “Anatomy Trains” as a map to show where common compensations and dysfunctions develop. When you can SEE an imbalance within a structure it becomes much easier to work with it.

Rayenell Turner, LMT – Clinic Supervisor

Rayenell’s gentle personality has always drawn her towards therapeutic interests. After hearing an ad on the radio in 2009,  Rayenell walked into a career day at Sage School of Massage on a Thursday, fell in love with the transformation and healing that takes place through massage, then signed up for the class starting the following Monday, and has loved it ever since!

Deeply interested in learning about the effects of stress on the mind and body, she has taken Somatic Experiencing and Resilience & Regulation Training, as well as CranioSacral Therapy Training to address calming the nervous system.

Rayenell has worked in chiropractic offices & a spa, as well as her own private practice and enjoys mentoring students preparing for a professional workplace environment.

When not working she says there are walks to take by the river, books to read or listen to, outdoor concerts with dancing, and cooking tasty, healthy meals. She loves NAPS and spending time with friends and family.