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In Memory of Jason Erickson: Patient Cultivator of Science-Based Massage
Tania Velásquez 
Our profession recently lost an important friend and educator who contributed greatly to science-based massage and DNM. He'll be missed by many.
In Memory of Jason Erickson:
Patient Cultivator of Science-Based Massage
I was saddened to learn of the recent passing of Jason Erickson and want take a moment to honor the lasting impact he's made on the massage therapy profession.
Long before “science-based massage” became a common phrase, Jason was laying the groundwork to bring it to the forefront of awareness.
He was one of the first massage therapists to create and moderate what many of us simply called the big massage group on Facebook (back in the heyday of FB).
It’s a science-forward discussion space, focused specifically on massage therapy, that reached tens of thousands of therapists at a time when questioning long‑held beliefs about how things worked was deeply unpopular and often met with backlash.
What made that space different was the tone he nurtured there.
Jason had a way of staying engaged without becoming adversarial. He challenged outdated ideas without shaming or triggering the people who held them. He didn’t take disagreement personally, and he didn’t rush people to conclusions.
One thoughtful comment, one Socratic clarification, one conversation at a time, he helped shift the kinds of discussions that were even possible in massage therapy and, in doing so, held the town hall for them in no small way.
Because of that, many therapists were introduced to evidence-based frameworks for the very first time, not through drawn-out lectures but through social conversation. Some didn’t even realize they were changing their minds, they simply felt enough camaraderie to think about things differently.
I TAed an AMTA-hosted DNM class for him in Baltimore in 2019, which, with his kind encouragement, became the launch point for me teaching DNM myself. I remember that we drove down from NYC, got lost in the dark trying to find the Airbnb, and ended up stuck outside fumbling with directions, unable to figure out how to get in for far longer than was reasonable. Through all of it, Jason stayed patient, good‑humored, and calm. No frustration, no urgency, just steady presence, and as jolly as ever.
In hindsight, that small moment captures his entire approach to practice, education, and communication. We got in eventually, of course, and a decade later, the profession is finally getting into evidence, just as he trusted it would.
His patience and good-faith approach to discussion rubbed off on me too and calmed my Latina excitability. He taught me there’s no need to keep pushing facts, because they’ll always be there whenever someone is ready for them.
Jason graciously challenged entrenched beliefs in massage therapy before it was fashionable or professionally safe to do so. And because he did, the profession is less insular, more connected, and better equipped to engage with science-based frameworks than it would have been otherwise.
Thank you Jason, for helping move massage therapy and DNM forward, for all the encouragement, and for the corny dad jokes along the way.🙏🏽
Categories: : DermoNeuroModulation (DNM), Tribute
In Memory of Jason Erickson: Patient Cultivator of Science-Based Massage
Our profession recently lost an important friend and educator who contributed greatly to science-based massage and DNM. He'll be missed by many.
In Memory of Jason Erickson:
Patient Cultivator of Science-Based Massage
I was saddened to learn of the recent passing of Jason Erickson and want take a moment to honor the lasting impact he's made on the massage therapy profession.
Long before “science-based massage” became a common phrase, Jason was laying the groundwork to bring it to the forefront of awareness.
He was one of the first massage therapists to create and moderate what many of us simply called the big massage group on Facebook (back in the heyday of FB).
It’s a science-forward discussion space, focused specifically on massage therapy, that reached tens of thousands of therapists at a time when questioning long‑held beliefs about how things worked was deeply unpopular and often met with backlash.
What made that space different was the tone he nurtured there.
Jason had a way of staying engaged without becoming adversarial. He challenged outdated ideas without shaming or triggering the people who held them. He didn’t take disagreement personally, and he didn’t rush people to conclusions.
One thoughtful comment, one Socratic clarification, one conversation at a time, he helped shift the kinds of discussions that were even possible in massage therapy and, in doing so, held the town hall for them in no small way.
Because of that, many therapists were introduced to evidence-based frameworks for the very first time, not through drawn-out lectures but through social conversation. Some didn’t even realize they were changing their minds, they simply felt enough camaraderie to think about things differently.
I TAed an AMTA-hosted DNM class for him in Baltimore in 2019, which, with his kind encouragement, became the launch point for me teaching DNM myself. I remember that we drove down from NYC, got lost in the dark trying to find the Airbnb, and ended up stuck outside fumbling with directions, unable to figure out how to get in for far longer than was reasonable. Through all of it, Jason stayed patient, good‑humored, and calm. No frustration, no urgency, just steady presence, and as jolly as ever.
In hindsight, that small moment captures his entire approach to practice, education, and communication. We got in eventually, of course, and a decade later, the profession is finally getting into evidence, just as he trusted it would.
His patience and good-faith approach to discussion rubbed off on me too and calmed my Latina excitability. He taught me there’s no need to keep pushing facts, because they’ll always be there whenever someone is ready for them.
Jason graciously challenged entrenched beliefs in massage therapy before it was fashionable or professionally safe to do so. And because he did, the profession is less insular, more connected, and better equipped to engage with science-based frameworks than it would have been otherwise.
Thank you Jason, for helping move massage therapy and DNM forward, for all the encouragement, and for the corny dad jokes along the way.🙏🏽
Categories: : DermoNeuroModulation (DNM), Tribute
🤖 This article was written by a human author. AI tools are used only for formatting, transcription, image generation, and editing.
All clinical perspectives and content reflect the author's original voice, language, and professional experience.
