Spotlight: Nancy Dail BCTMB, LMT

Please provide your full name, current location, and current job title.

Nancy W. Dail, BA, LMT, BCTMB, Waldoboro, Maine, Director and Owner, Downeast School of Massage, Instructor, Author, CE provider.

Provide one fun fact about you.

I used to backpack horses into the Carson National Forest in New Mexico in the 70’s

What are your hobbies?

Crocheting, reading, walking, bird watching, grandchildren

How did you discover the massage therapy profession? What motivated you to pursue massage therapy as a career?

I studied with Jay Victor Scherer in the early 70’s at the same time with Sensei Nakazono. The two incredible men inspired me and led me to begin my career path.

How did you develop your passion?

I graduated from massage school in 1974 and immediately went to my first AMTA convention in Scottsdale, AZ. I met Perry Plouffe who put her arm around me and the next thing I knew I was secretary of the AMTA-ME chapter. That was the beginning of a long career of volunteer and pioneering work. I started my private practice in Maine in 1974 and worked with a chiropractor until 1980 when I founded the Downeast School of Massage.  At the Nashville AMTA convention I met other like-minded individuals and helped birth the Council of Schools. Along the way I have served on the National Board of the AMTA, the board of the Council of Schools, as National Ethics chair of the AMTA, on every committee to birth COMTA and was the last president before the commission was elected. I helped birth the New England Conference (NEC) and was on that committee for 10 years, taught at multiple conferences and was the last key note presenter for the NEC. Multiple other committees later, I was a founding member of the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education and chaired the planning conference committee for over 9 years.

How has your massage career evolved?

I have been in private practice since 1974. Our school now is over 41 years old and we have survived the pandemic! I have authored Kinesiology for Manual Therapies and have written 2 online courses for the AMTA and multiple journal articles. I have taught nationally and internationally on subjects ranging from kinesiology, massage and ethics to how to give public presentations. I have promoted massage therapy my entire career. My career still excites me, feeds my soul and I am passionate about my clients, students, and family.

When did you first become NCBTMB Certified?

It was so long ago…I think it was in the nineties.

Why did you elect to become NCBTMB Certified?

I supported the concept from the beginning when we pioneered the project and knew I would certify.

Why have you maintained your NCBTMB Certification all these years?

This is the only national credential and it is the responsibility of the massage therapists to support credentialing.

How has NCBTMB Certification elevated your career?  What doors did it open for you?

I have volunteered for the NCB on numerous occasions to support the organization and build the profession. It is our responsibility!  Through my career, I have had the privilege to work with my peers for this process. The reward is undeniable.

What would you say to a fellow massage therapist contemplating Board Certification?

Your career path is up to the individual. Attain the highest credential in our field. Become board certified.

How has your practice and/or employment been affected by COVID-19?

I shut down my practice from March until May of 2020 and the school for the same period. We inched back adhering to strict protocols and still operate under those protocols. We have not brought back our continuing ed programs and conducted many virtual classes that were lecture, making up the hands-on as we rescheduled over and over again. Now with vaccination, our clinic is in full swing and over 75% are vaccinated as are most massage therapists in Maine. Hopefully, this is behind us!

If you are not working or unable to work during the pandemic, what are you doing during this time to prepare yourself for future work?

I never sit around idly! I wrote an online course for the AMTA, became recertified, ran the school and my practice. I have a son and a daughter in the profession who are a vital part of the Downeast School of Massage and they both have their own private practice and specialties. We are working for the future!

What would you suggest a fellow massage therapist do during this time to prepare for future success?

All of the above! Continuing education will keep you fresh. Be a part of the profession and volunteer to help the profession grow.

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To apply for Board Certification, click here.