Three Decades and Hundreds of Thousands of Clients Later, Lauterstein-Conway Massage School is Still Helping Austinites Relax
On February 22, 2019 the Lauterstein-Conway Massage School (TLC) celebrates its 30th year educating massage therapists and operating its student-run clinic in Austin, Texas.
With thousands of students, interns and graduates providing massage in practice, TLC estimates it provides massage therapy to hundreds of thousands clients.
The school was founded in 1989 by John Conway and David Lauterstein. The co-founders met as teachers in 1985 at the Texas School of Massage Studies, one of the first massage schools in Texas.
At the time, Conway taught and specialized in sports massage and Lauterstein in structural bodywork and deep massage.
Through their teaching, they saw the need for a higher level of massage training for Texas massage therapists.
“We wanted to run a school that was run a manner as healing as the subjects [it taught],” said Lauterstein, Co-founder.
That’s when Lauterstein-Conway Massage School was born, and the business model has proved successful.
Over the last three decades, the school’s innovative approach to massage education won TLC nationally recognition.
“When therapists own a school rather than a corporation the quality is strikingly different,” said Dr. Ben Benjamin, co-author of The Ethics of Touch, author of Listen to Your Pain and Founder of the Muscular Therapy Institute. ”The Lauterstein-Conway Massage School is one of the best schools in the country.”
In 2009, TLC was nominated “U.S. School of the Year” at the World Massage Festival.
Locally, TLC is also a two-time recipient of the Armadillo Award from Austin Independent Business Alliance.
“Graduates of TLC who I have encountered have the highest levels of scientific preparation without sacrificing the equally as potent artistic and philosophic aspects of the touch therapies,” said Carole Osborne of BodyTherapy Education.
Lauterstein recognized as “Educator of the Year” by the American Massage Therapy Association and the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education.
Lauterstein also offers workshops in England, Wales, Costa Rica and throughout the U.S.
To celebrate its 30th year, each month TLC will sponsor special events for the Austin community.
In January the massage school will host a nationally recognized Oncology Massage Certification training for interested massage therapists.
On Friday, February 22, the school will host a public celebration for the Austin wellness community. The event will include free chair massages, food and live music.
The school’s own Iliotibial Band will perform. Band members include Hector Munoz, Jake Lauterstein, Mark Dauenhauer, David Lauterstein, Craig Matthews and John Conway.
All are invited to come to this party celebrating TLC’s 30-year contribution to making Austin what some say is the “Relaxation Capital of the World” through the quantity and quality of therapists here.
