Tappan's Handbook of Healing Massage Techniques (5th Edition)
Patricia J. Benjamin, PhD, NCTMB, is a licensed massagetherapist, educator, author, and appreciative massage andbodywork client. She has a deep respect for massage therapyas an art, science, and wellness practice. She has studiedits traditions and watches for trends in the massagetherapy profession today.Building on her earlier background in sports and fitness,Dr. Benjamin graduated from the Chicago School ofMassage Therapy in the mid-1980s. She was drawn to massageas an active, hands-on therapy whose foundationsdovetail with her former career in health, physical education,and recreation.After having a full-time massage therapypractice, she gravitated back to education, first as anassociation education director, and then as a teacher andmassage school administrator. Over the years, she hasserved on various committees involved in the developmentof ethical standards and national certification for massagetherapists, and the accreditation of massage programs.Dr. Benjamin has taught at the high school and collegelevels, and enjoys developing curriculum materials for thecareer-oriented courses offered in vocational programs.She holds master’s and advanced study degrees in educationwith a specialty in curriculum development fromNorthern Illinois University. A doctorate in recreationand leisure studies from Purdue University has deepenedher appreciation of the many facets of wellness andgrounded her in a variety of research methods.Frances M.Tappan approached Patricia Benjamin tojoin her as coauthor ofHealing Massage Techniquesfor its3rd edition (1998). Since Dr.Tappan’s passing in 1999,Dr. Benjamin has continued to update and improveTappan’s Handbook of Healing Massage Techniques, and itremains a standard in the field today. Dr. BenjaminauthoredProfessional Foundations for Massage Therapists(2009) as a resource for students to learn about the profession,its history, varied competencies, ethics, and businesspractices.In her leisure time, Dr. Benjamin enjoys reading historicalfiction and nonfiction, gardening, tai chi and qigong, Zen archery, and swimming. Her outdoor pursuitsinclude hiking, canoeing, and a new interest in birding.She currently resides in Chicago, Illinois.