Meet Our Massage Instructors

Each of Georgia Massage School’s massage instructors holds experience not only within massage therapy education, but also within practical, hands-on massage therapy and academic work in personal businesses, for sports teams, and at research institutes in Atlanta and throughout the nation.

The experience of our directors in massage therapy education is unparalleled in the state of Georgia.

Laurie Craig, Owner/Director Georgia Massage School, B.S., M.S., Biology, University of South Carolina; 2007 American Massage Therapy Association National Teacher of the Year; 2011 American Massage Conference National Educator of the Year.

Laurie Craig is a respected health science educator, well known amongst massage instructors for her teaching style and ability to apply the sciences to massage therapy. During her extensive teaching career she has brought basic sciences to life for chiropractic, nursing, dental hygiene, and general biology students. She has over 25 years of experience in massage education, is the recipient of the 2011 American Massage Conference National Educator of the Year Award, and is the 2007 recipient of the prestigious Jerome Perlinski American Massage Therapy Association National Teacher of the Year award. Laurie combines her rare combination of teaching skills with a comedic edge that students remember and embrace years after experiencing her classes at Georgia Massage School’s Atlanta-area campus.

She was one of the first professionally trained massage instructors, credentialed by the Georgia Board of Regents, to bring her subject matter expertise to a Georgia massage therapy school. She developed the first college level Anatomy & Physiology course for massage therapists in the state of Georgia and has served as a subject matter expert for the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards and the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. She has worked in all levels of massage education and school management including School Director. She is dedicated to creating a quality experience both in the classroom and in the overall school environment.

Rick Garbowski, Owner/Director Georgia Massage School, Massage Therapy Certification, Licensed Massage Therapist (20 years occupational experience and years of training from leading massage instructors), Advanced Certifications: Clinical Sports Massage, Neuromuscular Therapy, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Orthopedic Massage.

Rick Garbowski is a State Licensed professional massage therapist who has held the positions of Lead Instructor, Director of Education, and Division Director during his 20 year career as a massage therapy educator. For the past 14 years his responsibilities included writing and managing curriculum and hiring, training, and managing massage faculty in Atlanta. He has a gift for massage education, and has the unique ability to tailor his presentation style to meet the specific needs of his students. Rick solved his greatest challenge, teaching massage therapy to a student who had suffered a closed head injury, by outlining a special treatment sequence, recording a taped version to lead the student through the sequence, and designing and building a custom tool which allowed the student to monitor and track his progress through each massage therapy session.

Rick's personal experience was influential in forming his belief that a firm foundation is essential to a successful career. His education in the fundamentals of massage therapy is second to none. Rick spent years working and training with four of the most prominent massage instructors in the field of massage education:

• Laurie Craig - Anatomy and Physiology: 2011 American Massage Conference National Educator of the Year, and 2007 American Massage Therapy Association National Teacher of the Year.
• Donald W. Scheumann (dec'd 2006) - Deep Tissue Massage Therapy: 2001 American Massage Therapy Association National Teacher of the Year, author of "The Balanced Body: A Guide to Deep Tissue and Neuromuscular Therapy".
• Benny Vaughn - Clinical Sports Massage Therapy: International Lecturer, Certified Athletic Trainer (NATA), Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA), Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCTMB). Mr. Vaughn was on the sports medicine staff of the USA Track and Field team for the 2003 World Championships in Paris, France; the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece; and the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, and served as Program Manager, Athlete Services Medical Planning-Operations for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. He is one of the area’s leading sports massage instructors.
• Whitney Lowe - Orthopedic Massage Therapy: Director of the Orthopedic Massage Education Research Institute (OMERI), International Lecturer, author of "Orthopedic Massage: Theory and Technique", and "Orthopedic Assessment in Massage Therapy". Rick also works as a Senior Instructor in Whitney Lowe's Orthopedic Massage Therapy continuing education workshop series.