Faculty and Staff

Shala Worsley ~ Director; Energy Anatomy, Yoga, and Ethics Instructor

Shala graduated with Honors in Anthropology from Wesleyan University in 1996. Her life-long interest in multi-cultural and natural forms of healing led her to pursue a career in massage therapy and yoga. Retired from her 10-year massage therapy practice, Shala currently directs the school, and teaches massage students about ethics, energy anatomy, and yoga. She also teaches weekly yoga classes and facilitates yoga teacher training programs as a lead instructor at the Asheville Yoga Center. Shala enjoys integrating her passions for organic movement, personality exploration, and self-care into her classes.

 

Stephanie Pinkston ~ School Administrator; Swedish, Spa, and Integrated Massage Instructor; Self Care, Yoga, and Supervised Student Clinic Instructor

Stephanie has been a massage therapist and yoga instructor since 1998. Her presence is infused with knowledge gained during her experience working with hockey schools, competitive gymnasts, and women’s health organizations. Her delightful and approachable personality helps students feel comfortable and confident in the student clinic setting and their base knowledge of Swedish massage.

 

 

Susanne Wilson MS ~ Dean of Students, Registrar; Supervised Student Clinic Instructor

Sue received her BS in Business and an MS in Human Resources, Training & Development from National Louis University. After completing two certifications - Yoga Instruction and Nurturing the Teacher Within, she decided Massage School was the natural fit, and graduated with the first class from the Asheville School of Massage and Yoga Massage Therapy program. She is a nationally certified massage therapist with an integrated massage practice, blending myofascial, deep tissue, medi-cupping and other modalities in her work.

 

 

Phyllis Velez ~ Dean of Education; Cranial Sacral Therapy and Swedish Massage Instructor

Phyllis is a Licensed Massage Therapist and has a full time massage practice in Asheville. She took her first Cranial Sacral Therapy class in 1994. She loved it and began to study more from many sources. She now works with her clients using cranial techniques in her practice daily. Phyllis taught at The Whole You School of Massage from 1997-2009. She began teaching at the Asheville School of Massage and Yoga in 2007. For her, teaching and helping students gain new skills and awareness, is a true joy.

 

 

Charlotte Gilreath Behrends ~ Deep Tissue, Trigger Point Therapy, and Integrated Massage Instructor; Supervised Student Clinic Instructor

Charlotte earned her B.A. from the University of Georgia in 1989 and her teaching certification in 1991. She taught in public schools for seven years before pursuing her massage training and continued to teach for six more years, incorporating yoga in the classroom and offering both massage and yoga to teachers. In the classroom, Charlotte enjoys trouble-shooting specific dysfunctions with deep tissue and trigger point massage, as well as active and passive stretching.

 

 

Marion Stone ~ Western Sciences for Massage Instructor; Myofascial Massage Instructor

Marion received her B.S. at Davidson College in 1989. After working as an outdoor leadership instructor, Marion was introduced to the Rolf Method of Structural Integration and became a certified practitioner in 1996. She completed an Associate’s Degree in Nursing from A-B Tech College and a Certification for Yoga Instruction from the Asheville Yoga Center in 1999. Students will learn about the human body through her hands-on experiential teaching style.

 

 

Bettina Freese ~ Sports, Hydrotherapy, Chair, Geriatric, and Integrated Massage Instructor; Business & Marketing Instructor

Bettina’s fund of knowledge concerning the body and its mechanics can be attributed to a career in the medical field as well as a lifetime dedicated to competitive sports and training. An avid cyclist and gymnast, she has catered her private massage practice of ten years to helping clients rehabilitate from injuries as well as recognize habitual body patterns and help prevent injury. Her forte is deep tissue work, using trigger point therapy, myofascial techniques, shiatsu, and even her feet with the help of overhead bars. She also has worked closely with clients in advanced age and relies heavily on hydrotherapy techniques for all of her clients. She is a 1997 graduate of the UNC Chapel Hill School of Journalism and a 2001 graduate of the Center for Massage and Natural Health.

 

Pripo Teplitsky MA, LPC ~ Somatic Psychology Instructor

Pripo offers a diverse practice that balances the connection between mind, body and spirit. He is a licensed and nationally certified massage and bodywork therapist. He also holds a master’s degree in counseling/psychology from Goddard College, in Vermont. He lived, studied and worked at Esalen Institute, a renowned human potential learning center in Big Sur, CA. He is a certified Esalen® massage practitioner. Pripo has a private counseling practice in Asheville, NC specializing in relationship issues. His main goal is to help support people to live with truth and authenticity.

 

Susan Grant ~ Mindfulness Instructor (Energy Anatomy)

Susan shares eighteen years of practical experience in mindfulness with her classes which explore the energetic interface between the mind and body. She graduated from Wake Forest University n 1975 with a BA in Religion and completed a Masters in Clinical Psychology at Western Carolina University in 1992. For over ten years she’s been leading mindfulness groups as an Inner Vision Introspective facilitator as well as seeing clients in her private practice. Susan also instructs mindfulness based stress classes at the Women’s Resource Center at Mission Hospital in Asheville as is a practicing lay minister in the Soto Zen Buddhism tradition.

 

Eric Aufdencamp LAc, MS ~ Shiatsu Instructor

Eric received his Master’s of Science in Oriental Medicine from Southwest Acupuncture College in New Mexico in 2001. He completed his massage therapy training at Crystal Mountain Massage Therapy School in 1997 in New Mexico. He trained in Shiatsu and tui na (Chinese massage) with major teachers in the field. For five years Eric taught tui na at Daoist Traditions College of Medical Arts. For ten years, he practiced at the Chinese Acupuncture and Herbology Clinic on Montford Ave. in Asheville, NC. Eric currently has a private practice in Greenville, SC where he incorporates bodywork into his treatments. He has been studying Chen style tai chi and qigong in Greenville, SC. Eric enjoys teaching the details of techniques unique to Eastern-style bodywork and seeing students ‘get’ techniques that were once a challenge.

 

Pete Whitridge ~ Business & Marketing Instructor

Peter is a licensed massage therapist in Florida and an approved provider for both the state of Florida and NCBTMB. He is the former Education Director at the Florida School of Massage in Gainesville. He teaches “Myofascial Components of Pain” workshops throughout the Southeast, as well as Florida law and business building classes. His training as an EM, a CPR instructor, and 30 years of teaching experience has given him many insights into the learning process. Pete incorporates visual, kinesthetic, and auditory learning aides to provide students with a well rounded class. Students receive individual attention and everyone is encouraged to HAVE FUN!

 

Robert Wootton PhD ~ Thai Massage Instructor

Robert has practiced Thai Massage for 25 years and taught workshops for 15. In his years of experience with clients he has developed a style that is less aggressive and safer for the general public. Bringing out the dance and meditative qualities of Thai he makes it more efficient, deeply effective, and nurturing. He lived and worked in Thailand and other Asian countries for six years. He speaks Thai and knows the culture and religion. He was one of the first Americans to train with Thai masters of Nuat Boran.

 

 

Marque Gritta ~ Supervised Student Clinic Instructor

Marque was a successful actor for 22 years during which time he touched people’s lives with his performances. In 1996 he became certified as a massage therapist in order to touch people’s lives in a more direct way. He moved to Asheville from Los Angeles, attending ASMY to gain NC certification and soon became a mentor for students in their practicums. He is now a clinic instructor and enjoys passing on a wealth of practical ‘hands-on’ knowledge to students in the program.