Our Team

Admissions & Financial Aid Manager, comes from a background of Administration. She started with Lexington Healing Arts Academy in 2005 as a receptionist in our clinic. She moved to Office Manager in 2006 and then to Director of Admissions/Financial Aid in 2008 to 2013. She relocated to Nashville in 2013 and was employed by Moltow State Community College where she worked in the Admission/Records office and the Business Office. She then returned to the Lexington area in 2018. Carol was elected as a Tennessee Promise Mentor from 2014-2018. Carol has received training in FERPA, Identity Theft Prevention, GLBA Information Security, Discrimination and Harassment Prevention for Higher Education, Title VI, Title IV Administration, and IT Security.

In her spare time, Carol enjoys hiking and spending time with her family and friends. Carol has two sons and lives in Nicholasville, KY.

Zackery Sneed, Assistant Registrar. Zack is pursuing his bachelor’s in science degree in psychology at the University of Kentucky. He is new to the LHAA team & is excited to learn more about massage therapy and yoga. Zack’s hobbies consist of gaming, anime, tennis, working out and going to his weekly bowling league!

Ali has always had a passion for the sciences and has a bachelor’s degree in biology. She spent six years doing biomedical research at the University of Kentucky prior to becoming a massage therapist. After graduating from Lexington Healing Arts Academy in 2001 she began teaching human anatomy, physiology, and pathology in the massage therapy program in 2004 and in the yoga teacher training program in 2019. She has a private practice in Lexington, KY focusing on pain relief and management. In her spare time, she loves being out in nature, hiking, backpacking, kayaking, and canoeing.

Matt was a member of the first class to graduate from Lexington Healing Arts. He has been practicing massage professionally for 20 years and is an instructor of Massage Fundamentals. He also graduated from the first Yoga Teacher Training offered by LHAA and now teaches yoga philosophy and meditation in this program. A long-time student of meditation and the martial arts, Matt has taught classes in Yoga and Tai Chi at the college level and is a certified qigong Instructor through Rising Lotus Qigong. He assists Master Ding Mingye in designing and teaching the Tai Chi workshops at LHAA. He has explored perspectives on the relationship between the body, healing and spirituality from a variety of cultures and is a professor of World Religions and Ethics at Midway University. Matt brings a passion for teaching and a love for the somatic arts to his various roles at LHAA.

Joe Cinquina is a licensed and Board Certified massage therapist and a graduate of the Lexington Healing Arts Academy, where he has been a faculty member since 2010. He teaches Fundamentals of Massage 1 and 2, Career Development, and Thought Patterns for a Successful Career, and he also assists in Kinesiology. Joe is certified in Integrated Manual Therapy and Orthopedic Massage by James Waslaski’s Center For Pain Management, and he co-owns Soular Massage Pain Management with his wife, Cynthia. As a hot stone specialist, he teaches continuing education courses in hot stone massage at LHAA and has also taught deep tissue therapeutic massage for the KY chapter of the AMTA.

Aside from massage, Joe also has a second career as a professional freelance musician and church music director. He is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Composition and a Master’s Degree in Music Theory from the University of South Florida. He is the author of “The Practical Fundamentals of Music Theory.” Joe says one of his great passions is for teaching, whether it be massage or music.

Beth joined the LHAA teaching team for the yoga teacher training in 2017, taking on the role of co-lead trainer. Since that time, Beth has helped update the curriculum to make it more integrated and learner-focused. During the Covid pandemic, she was responsible for adapting the curriculum when the program had to shift temporarily to instruction over Zoom.

Beth’s pedagogical experience extends beyond the studio. She has a doctorate in English and has taught college-level writing, rhetoric, public speaking, and literature since 2001. In that capacity, she has trained and mentored new teachers for more than 15 years.

Rebecca Elliott, a native of Lexington, KY, relocated to Georgetown six years ago with her husband, Dave. They share their home with two children, Kaitlyn and Chase, both residing in Lexington. Kaitlyn recently blessed Rebecca with the title of GiGi upon the arrival of sweet Ryleigh Kate, while Chase pursued a finance degree in UK as a senior. Married for nearly eight years, Rebecca and Dave also share their lives with two dogs, Bailey and Lady, four cats – Boopie, Fred, Little Miss, and Ittles – and a 60-gallon fish tank.

With over 25 years in the home mortgage industry, Rebecca acknowledges the stress inherent in her career, seeking solace and balance through yoga. She finds respite on her deck and patio, enjoys family time, indulges in music, and relishes bourbon distillery tours.

Rebecca’s journey toward becoming a yoga instructor commenced in early 2022. Despite sporadic yoga practice in her 30s and 40s, she had yet to fully appreciate its transformative potential. Motivated by a health journey initiated in 2020, resulting in a significant weight loss, Rebecca still felt physically and mentally unfulfilled. Encouraged by the positive impact of yoga and meditation classes at The Studio, especially in improving her sleep quality and alleviating aches and pains, Rebecca embraced yoga wholeheartedly. Recognizing the opportunity to become an instructor as a chance to deepen her practice and share its benefits, she embarked on an enlightening journey. Now equipped with a profound understanding of yoga’s history, its diverse forms, and its holistic benefits, Rebecca is eager to impart the gift of yoga to her students, aspiring to foster wellness in both body and mind.

Justin Gibson received his master’s degree in Biomechanics and his Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of Kentucky and has been a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association since 2012. During this time, he has worked with stroke survivors, multiple sclerosis patients, back pain sufferers, post-op knee replacements, and a host of other factors needing quality training and guidance to let people live and perform at their best. He has taught science courses for LHAA graduates of the Fitness and Nutrition Training Program, and now teaches for both the Massage Therapy and Fitness & Nutrition Coaching programs. He has competed in both bodybuilding and powerlifting and has a fondness for racket sports despite his sore lack of coordination.

Gregory has over twenty-eight years in the bodywork industry and is a true student of many modalities. He is a seasoned teacher and practitioner of Shiatsu, CranioSacral Therapy, Reiki, Polarity, Tai Chi Chih, Lomi Ha’a Mauli Ola (traditional Hawaiian body work). His passion is in education and is evidenced by his life’s trail. The trail includes: Co-creating Crystal Mountain Apprenticeship in the Healing Arts in Albuquerque, NM and Lexington Healing Arts Academy in Lexington, KY.

For 18 years, Gregory has provided classroom instruction in Anatomy and Physiology and in CranioSacral Therapy, specific therapeutic treatments (e.g., whiplash, sciatica), active and passive stretching techniques, and integrating various modalities into a customized treatment. For 30 years he delivered movement classes as a certified teacher in Tai Chi Chih, Yoga, and Qi Gong and this enable students to reach centering, flexibility, improved health. Currently he is a practitioner and trainer of Lomi Ha’a Mauli Ola and Cranial Sacral Therapy.

Robyn began her career with Lexington Healing Arts Academy in May of 2000 as an Office and Clinic Manager. In her time with LHAA, Robyn has served in many capacities. She graduated from the Massage program in 2001 and the Yoga program in 2008. In 2003 she added Fundamentals Instructor and Ethics Instructor to her duties. She is now the Clinical Director. Robyn has a full-time private practice in Lexington. Her practice includes Craniosacral and Lymphatic modalities.

Scott Jordan has been practicing massage since 1999, after graduating from the Flint School of Therapeutic Massage. Having worked in spa and clinical settings he enjoys creating a blend of the two in order to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of his clients. In 2016 he graduated from the 200 Hour Yoga Teacher training at Om Bodies yoga studio in Mount Pleasant, MI. He ran a successful massage and yoga business in his home town of Saginaw, MI before moving to Lexington in 2018. He currently runs a small startup studio with plans to expand in early 2021. His other passions include caring for his dog and cat, as well as growing and breeding orchids.

​Teresa has more than 30 years’ experience as a health care professional and educator. She began her career as a registered nurse in 1980. After 12 years clinical practice, Teresa began teaching Health Sciences. She completed her bachelor’s degree, with an emphasis in Vocational Education, at Morehead State University, a master’s degree in Special Education at Campbellsville University before earnings a Rank I.

Additionally, Teresa is a Registered Yoga Teacher and is certified by both Yoga Alliance and the International Association of Yoga Therapists. She completed her 200-hour certification at Evansville Yoga Center and her 300-hour certification at the Yoga Teacher’s School of Excellence in Jackson, Tennessee. Teresa currently teaches at Falling Springs in Versailles, KY.

Joyce was an instructor at LHAA when it was first founded in 1999. She received her massage training from the New Hampshire Institute for Therapeutic Arts. Joyce has advanced training in Reflexology and Neuromuscular massage. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience with students. Joyce teaches Kinesiology.

Lauren is a Licensed Massage Therapist and a 4th generation organic baker. She’s been involved with the Healing arts and holistic therapies since 2002 and has taught holistic modalities since 2003. She is a Certified Teacher for the Vedic Conservatory, as well as a Certified Reiki and Yoga instructor. Lauren offers a variety of therapeutic modalities including Movement Re-Education, Visceral Manipulation, Visionary Cranial Sacral therapy, Vedic Thai Yoga Massage, Acupressure & a variety of Eastern modalities, Zero-Balancing, and more. Since childhood, Lauren has wanted to help people feel better, and through her own challenges sought alternatives to traditional allopathic practices and traditions. Being told she had a “gift” with her hands, she went to massage school. That experience opened many doors and began a wonderful journey for her own inner healing and ability to help others. Anything that helped her in her own healing process, she went and got more training. “I am honored to be in service,” says Lauren.

Jason graduated from the Louisville School of Massage in 2009 and started practicing massage in 2010. Since then he has continued his education and attended Eastern Kentucky University, graduating in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Science, and then again in 2018 with a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. He has continued his massage career throughout the entirety of this time, completing extensive training in a variety of modalities. He currently specializes in injury rehabilitation and oncology. He is now a Certified Lymphedema Therapist and began teaching at Lexington Healing Arts Academy in 2022.

2013 LHAA Massage Therapy Graduate and Certified Personal Trainer with multiple specializations through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. After graduating from LHAA, Sarah opened her own private practice in 2013 and has won the “Best In Business” award three times in 2016, 2017, and 2020 from the Advocate Messenger’s Reader’s Choice Awards. Sarah was nominated “Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2014 and won “Best New Business” in 2014 from the Liberty Chamber of Commerce. She uses her combined education as a corrective exercise specialist, a massage therapist, and a certified nutrition coach to help her clients achieve holistic wellness on and off the table.

Jeff graduated from the Lexington Healing Arts Academy in 2015. During his professional career as a massage therapist, Jeff has worked in a variety of employment settings. Jeff has managed his own practice and he currently works for Massage Envy where he was the therapist of the year in 2021. Jeff brings his wealth of his experiences enthusiastically to our Career and Business class. Jeff was born and raised in southern West Virginia. Residing in Lexington now he shares his home with his 400 house plants!