Jill Berkana

Jill Kristin Berkana, LMT, BCTMB, is the Founder and Academic Dean of the Berkana Institute of Massage Therapy. She founded the Institute in 2011. She served as a Board Director for the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) and was the Board Liaison for the NCBTMB Ethics and Standards Committee. Ms. Berkana is the original creator of the Berkana Institute’s Style of Bodywork and designed the 682-hour comprehensive curriculum. She is the chief advisor for all Berkana Institute’s operational, student and faculty affairs. In 2005 she founded the Costa Rica School of Massage Therapy (CRSMT) and was the Curriculum Architect, Acting Director, Academic Dean, and Senior Bodywork Instructor until 2011. She is the originator of the 250-hour training in a mindfulness-based bodywork approach known as Mindful Expressionism®. She has been deeply invested in the massage therapy profession as a leader and pioneer for over three decades. She spends most of her professional focus on operations and mentoring her 450+ graduates worldwide. She is a published author, professional business consultant, expert panelist, and expert witness for the state of Colorado. Ms. Berkana is an advocate for massage therapists and a passionate defender of appropriate compensation. Her platform focuses on the promotion of ethical and hygienic standards, investment in research, and a trauma-informed, holistic approach to massage therapy education. Ms. Berkana has acquired savant syndrome from a traumatic brain injury she sustained from a car accident 1995. Her blog is located at https://bodywork-art.com/www.bodywork-art.com.