Training in Costa Rica
Join Tom Myers and Ben Benjamin, leading experts in therapeutic bodywork, to learn two unique, complementary approaches to shoulder pain and movement integration in beautiful Costa Rica..

Learn.
Because the shoulder has great mobility it also has vulnerability to pain and injury. The intricate anatomy of the joint, fascia, muscles, tendons and ligaments requires precise work, guided by a clear understanding of the mechanisms of injury and the hallmarks of good function. An increased level of skill and knowledge in this area could greatly benefit you and your clients. Next January you will have a rare opportunity to receive intensive training on the shoulder from two leading experts who will teach in tandem. Ben Benjamin and Tom Myers will share their expertise on shoulder injury assessment, treatment and integration with two complementary approaches honed over decades of teaching and practice.

From Tom Myers, learn the Anatomy Trains perspective.
Our shoulders and arms are a unique part of what makes us human. Poised above the rib cage, there is plenty of opportunity for misuse and dysfunction. In this course, you will learn to assess and access the core myofasciae that determine shoulder position and integrated function, as well techniques for the more superficial coordinating muscles. You will learn and utilize the four Anatomy Trains Myofascial Meridians that traverse the arm and the Functional Lines that anchor the shoulders to the hips. You'll walk away with an integrated understanding of how the shoulder points the hand, and how to work at some distance from the site of pain or injury to affect permanent change.

From Ben Benjamin, learn the Orthopedic Massage perspective.
Dr. Benjamin's teaching will focus in on the specific shoulder structures that are most commonly injured. You'll learn how to differentiate muscle-tendon injuries within the fascial network from joint and bursa inflammations, and you'll fine-tune your palpation skills and hands-on treatment techniques. This portion of the training includes five major components: 1. Anatomy (locating and palpating the relevant musculoskeletal structures)
2. Assessment (practicing assessment tests for specific injuries)
3. Theory (using the history, assessment test findings, and palpation to determine which structures are injured)
4. Integration (integrating the theoretical background and assessment procedures through hands-on learning games and mock clinics)
5. Technique (discussing, practicing, and reviewing detailed treatment techniques to eliminate adhesive scar tissue).

By the end of the course, you will have developed a rich new foundation of knowledge and skills for working with the shoulder in ways you never thought possible.

Managing Challenging Conversations in Your Professional Life (Optional) Problems with communication present one of the greatest difficulties faced in interpersonal relationships, whether they are personal or professional. Each day we encounter people in our lives who have widely varying ways of communicating. We are faced with both our own and others’ communication challenges and frustrations.

Creating a positive, safe, and healthy therapeutic environment for clients requires strong communication skills and the ability to set and maintain boundaries. By building expertise in these areas, we can avoid a great deal of anxiety and frustration, provide a better experience for our clients, and gain increased satisfaction from our work.

Participants will walk away from this 4-hour workshop with a heightened awareness of their own habitual patterns of communication, both productive and nonproductive. Through a straightforward approach and targeted exercises, participants will have the opportunity to analyze why communication fails, how failures can be spotted, stopped turned around.

The techniques presented in this workshop are based on the book Conversation Transformation: Recognize and Overcome the 6 Most Destructive Communication Patterns by Ben E. Benjamin, Ph.D., Amy Yeager, and Anita Simon, Ed.D.

The remaining 2-hours required to meet the 6-hour Ethics requirement will be available through the Benjamin Institute “Ethics of Touch” webinar series. As part of this presentation, you will receive two webinars of your choice from this series. Details will be presented the day of this workshop.

Rest and renew.
All participants will be housed on-site at the tranquil Pura Vida Retreat and Spa, located on a gorgeous private mountaintop estate. Stay in your choice of accommodation, from a luxury tent to a deluxe private suite. Take a relaxing yoga class, indulge in a range of spa treatments, or take advantage of the swimming pool, hot tub, and Watsu pool—all with incredible views of the valley. With average temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees during the day and 50 to 65 degrees at night, this is the perfect location for a tropical winter getaway.

Play and explore.
For those who prefer more active pursuits, the spectacular Costa Rican landscape provides a wide range of options—from walking through waterfall gardens and hiking on a volcano to zip-lining and white water rafting. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the many natural wonders of this unique environment.

Schedule: The 24-hour training will take place over 4 days (6 hours each day). You will have the remainder of these days, plus two full free days, to spend however you would like-either at Pura Vida, on organized excursions, or out on your own. You can also opt to take the 6 hour ethics course Managing Challenging Conversations in Your Professional Life on the last full day of the trip.

Costs: The total cost for course tuition, lovely simple housing, delicious meals, and airport pickup is $1595. (Accommodation upgrades are also available.)

To register or get more information:
Call toll-free 866-331-7246 or 617-576-0777 (7 days a week, 8am to 8pm Eastern Time).