Providing Massage Education to the Highest Standard

Building confidence in our students is our passion.
Raising the Bar

Our Story

Harpers Ferry School of Massage does more than meet the demand for licensed massage therapists in and around Jefferson County, WV. Our curriculum and instructor training focus on holding our students and the massage industry as a whole to a higher standard. Our vision is for massage therapy to be a universally accepted element of health care and wellness practice. To that end, our therapists need to enter the profession understanding the language and standards of health care, and with the curiosity and flexibility of mind to stay up to date with our developing understanding of the body and mind. It's an exciting time to be working and learning in this field as it matures and gains respect. We are thrilled to share the journey with our clients, our students, and our collegues in the health care world.
"The best massage therapists are defined by attentive curiosity: about the body on the table, new developments in our field, and how we affect change with every subtle touch, word, and act."
Sam Makita
Founder
Our Philosophy
As massage therapists, we have a responsibility to our clients to have a thorough understanding of how massage affects them and to be able to deliver on their highest expectations. It's our job at HFSM to prepare future therapists to hold themselves to that standard.
Success Key
Practice, practice, practice. Built on a thorough intellectual understanding of the body, the mind, and the traditions and science of massage, what really makes a massage therapist great is intuition that can only be gained through many hours of hands-on work. Our curriculum is built around getting hands-on early and often.
Our Vision
We envision our new therapists entering the professional world with confidence, and the competence to back it up. We want to see our students providing excellent massage therapy to clients who seek them out to help them be healthier and do more good work in their own lives.

Our Instructors

Sam Makita
Program Director
Sam is the founder of HFSM and profoundly passionate about enabling a new generation of massage therapists to enter the field prepared and able to represent our profession well. She has been learning and practicing and learning some more about massage therapy since 2019, and loves to surround herself with professionals who are excited to share their insights and wisdom and always humbly open and actively seeking new perspectives to enhace their understanding.
Wendy Barker
Massage Instructor
Wendy Barker has been a licensed massage therapy professional since 2009. She has shared the benefits of bodywork with children and adults, helping them understand how to improve the quality of their lives and believes that life-affirming relaxation and pain relief is not only possible, it is a right, and can be made accessible to all through massage therapy. We are so fortunate to have Wendy at Harpers Ferry Wellness Institute in their mission to co-create a more balanced world.
Chandler harmon
Massage Instructor
Chandler is dedicated to delivering evidence-based care while emphasizing professionalism. He is passionate about sharing his skills and knowledge with aspiring therapists, aiming to instill in them the importance of empathetic touch and an open mind to new approaches. Through teaching, he strives to empower students to provide high-quality care and contribute positively to the field of massage therapy. Continuously learning and refining his own craft, Chandler is committed to guiding and mentoring the next generation of therapists, prioritizing the creation of a safe and enjoyable learning environment and fostering intuitive touch and technique.
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