In this episode of the Student to Therapist Massage Therapy Podcast, David Sol and Timur Lokshin talk with massage student and community leader Sharon Feliciano about turning passion into service. Sharon shares how she left a 20-year career in real estate to pursue massage therapy, as well as her work in homelessness prevention, seasonal donation drives, and her vision for an affordable community wellness center. She opens up about time management, setting boundaries as a mom and student, and the support she’s found in school. Sharon also reflects on earning a scholarship for her service work and the guiding intention behind her journey: “Do the thing that sets your soul on fire.”

In this episode of the Student to Therapist Massage Therapy podcast, David Sol and Timur Lokshin sit down with longtime educator and perinatal massage specialist Kiera Nagle, LMT, founder of MaMassage Brooklyn, to explore what it really takes to safely and confidently support pregnant and postpartum clients through massage therapy. Kiera shares her journey from a public school teacher and patient to a hospital-based practitioner and clinic owner, and breaks down common myths about first-trimester massage, appropriate perinatal care, and working within medical and interdisciplinary teams.

Listeners will learn how trauma‑informed intake, clear communication, and skillful side‑lying and abdominal work can reduce musculoskeletal strain, support lactation, and help clients navigate birth, postpartum recovery, and even obstetric trauma with more agency and ease. Kiera also offers practical advice for massage students and new therapists on building perinatal skills, entering hospital and clinical settings, and creating sustainable, community‑centered practices that prioritize access, equity, and therapist well‑being.

To learn more about Kiera’s work, training, and resources, visit www.mamassage.org (MaMassage Brooklyn). You can also connect with her practice directly through the contact information on the MaMassage website for questions about appointments, continuing education, and trauma‑informed perinatal care.

In the first half of this episode, David and Timur walk you through how to actually use your ABMP and AMTA student memberships right now—from liability insurance and exam prep tools to discounts, mentoring, and career support after graduation. In the second half, they shift into burnout prevention, explaining why massage students are at unique risk and offering the SUSTAIN self‑care framework so you can protect your body, mind, and heart while you move from student clinic to confident professional therapist.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I too old to go back to school and become a massage therapist?”, this episode is for you. David and Timur talk candidly about career changers in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and even 70s who find new purpose in massage therapy, and how life experience, a clear “why,” and practical planning turn fear into a sustainable second (or third) career.

Massage student and wellness creator Rayn shares her journey from retail burnout to soul-aligned healing work, weaving together massage, somatic practices, and her Afro‑Guyanese holistic roots. She breaks down her Language of the Body workshops, nature and art retreats, and a new safe-space club that helps overwhelmed students and seekers use journaling, movement, and community to turn a “hot mess” world into embodied healing and connection.

Are you following protocols—or truly transforming lives? In this essential conversation, hosts David Sol and Timur Lokshin explore what separates exceptional massage therapists from those who simply go through the motions.

Discover why knowing your anatomy, pathology, and assessment skills isn't just academic—it's the difference between becoming a facilitator of real positive change and someone who applies the same techniques to every client, hoping for results. David and Timur break down the critical distinction between diagnosis (outside our scope) and assessment (our superpower), showing you how to identify specific structures, understand tissue-level changes, and create individualized treatment plans that work.

What You'll Learn:

• The intake interview secrets that reveal what's really causing your client's pain—even when “Dr. Google” has already convinced them they have sciatica
• How to navigate talkative clients while gathering essential information using tools like LOPQRST without losing half your treatment time
• Why the words your clients choose, “sharp” vs. “sore,” “pinpoint” vs. “diffuse”—reveal which structures are involved and what techniques will help
• The humility paradox: Why saying “I don't know” builds trust and makes you a better practitioner
• Real-world examples from hospice care that prove sometimes presence matters more than pressure

Whether you're a student overwhelmed by anatomy class or an experienced practitioner ready to elevate your work, this episode will shift how you think about every client arriving at your table. Learn to meet people where they are, communicate with medical professionals using proper terminology, and embrace the reality that you're not a healer, you're a facilitator helping the body's own intelligence do what it does best.

Perfect for: Massage therapy students, new graduates, and seasoned practitioners seeking to deepen their therapeutic approach and clinical reasoning skills.

Stepping into a rigorous, hands-on healthcare program can feel overwhelming, especially when you are juggling work, family, and your own healing journey. In this episode, David Sol and Timur Lokshin sit down with Dr. Ashley Kowal, Vice President of Student Services at Pacific College of Health Science, to reveal how student services, tutoring, and WellConnect can transform that stress into sustainable success.

Dr. Kowal shares what the student service department is all about, how accommodations work under the Americans with Disabilities Act (including for neurodivergent students, chronic illness, pregnancy, and temporary injuries), and why there is no shame in asking for support. You will hear concrete examples of exam and classroom accommodations, how confidentiality is protected, and when faculty can (and cannot) challenge an accommodation request.

We also dive into the real-life challenges non-traditional students face—time management, burnout, and returning to school after years away—and walk through practical strategies for studying smarter, not harder. You will learn how to build a realistic weekly schedule, use tutoring for both content and study skills, and turn everyday life into a classroom using posture analysis, SOAP notes, and client communication practice.

Whether you are just starting at Pacific College of Health and Science or are halfway through your program, this episode will help you reconnect with your “why,” communicate earlier when life gets messy, and use every tool available—student advisors, WellConnect, tutors, and simple planning systems—to stay on track without sacrificing your health. Listen in if you are ready to stop white-knuckling your way through school and start treating it like the professional training and personal transformation it truly is.

Starting massage school can feel exciting, overwhelming, and a little terrifying—so in this episode, David Sol and Timur Lokshin share what they wish they had known in their first term. They talk about the shock of the science load, why “more pressure” isn’t better, the power of slowing down and building rapport, and how struggling students can still become thriving, successful therapists if they remember their why and lean on their community.