Discoverypoint Faculty & Owner

Darin has been a teacher with Discoverypoint for over 8 years. Darin graduated from Discoverypoint in 2013, then returned a year later as a TA (Teaching Assistant) in a hands-on massage class taught by Pat Archer. Under her mentorship, and with mentoring by Lisa Nelson, Darin began assisting and teaching additional classes, until he became a Lead Instructor in 2016. In addition to teaching, he supported the school by performing many administrative tasks, graphic design projects, social media & marketing efforts, event planning, and curriculum development. Prior to his career in massage, Darin worked in the graphic design and high-tech industry, with positions ranging from print production & packaging design to international localization and project management. In his new role as a School Director, Darin is able to integrate his technical and project management skills with his love for massage and education.

Michael graduated from the Stillpoint Center School of Massage in MA in 1996 and began teaching at the Brenneke School of Massage in 1998. He has practiced massage as a sole-proprietor and as an employee, and has worked in a variety of settings: clinics, day spas, hospitals, and clinical research organizations. Michael was certified in the Trager® Approach in 2005, orthopedic massage in 2008, and as a yoga instructor in 2010. At Discoverypoint, Michael teaches musculoskeletal anatomy, kinesiology and clinical and outcome based massage. His passion for helping students discover the human body and how it moves makes him a demanding musculoskeletal anatomy instructor. However, Michael’s sharp wit, a keen appreciation for fun, and commitment to creativity make him a student favorite. He enjoys supporting students as they practice and gain confidence in critical thinking, treatment, and professional communication skills.

Laurie has been an educator for over 25 years. She graduated from Brenneke School of Massage in Seattle, WA in 1997, after earning a counseling degree. She intended to return to counseling full-time, but saw her first cadaver and fell in love. Laurie maintains a private massage practice specializing in injury, pregnancy and injured pregnant people, and is also a certified birth doula, birth doula trainer and childbirth educator. Laurie has taught anatomy and physiology in college/university and vocational settings. She is passionate about people learning how their bodies work and strives to make content come alive with professional and personal applications.

Growing up encouraged to dance and explore movement patterns, Abby knew she had unique experience to be in a therapeutic and rehabilitation field. She came to Washington to pursue medicine, found massage, and  has never looked back. Graduating from Cortiva School of Massage in 2010, Abby has developed her career with the mentorship of physical therapist, occupational therapists and chiropractors. She became a Certified Manual Lymphatic Drainage Therapist (CMLDT) in 2020, and a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) in 2022. At Discoverypoint, Abby teaches Lymphatic Facilitation, Outcome Based Massage, First Aid/CPR, and Student Clinic. When she isn’t working, you can find her walking her dog Kiko and enjoying the Pacific Northwest scenery.

A graduate of Discoverypoint herself, Sarah specializes in subtle, pain-free treatment techniques. Sarah firmly believes that every single person is powerful and deserving of healing. Long before studying massage, her work as a doula and background in dance instilled her with a sense of awe at the body’s inherent wisdom and incredible power. Sarah has taught in many capacities to a wide variety of age groups throughout her career. Her passion as an educator is rooted in her own curiosity and love for learning. She believes education is most effective as collaboration between students and teachers, and supports her students in finding the path that suits them best.

Before becoming a massage therapist and massage therapy educator, Brian taught middle school science in Las Vegas, NV. He continues to bring his curiosity and spirit of critical thinking, tempered by warmth, to his classroom teaching. Brian teaches Ethics and Communication, Introduction to Swedish Massage, and the introductory anatomy/physiology classes at Discoverypoint. In his free time, Brian likes to cultivate less of a monkey-mind by meditating, reading philosophy and psychology books, and taking random classes for fun (cooking, self-defense, karaoke, salsa dancing, improv… you name it!) He is also doing research with other massage educators in the city to explore how intuition can be taught and enhanced, despite its oftentimes mysterious and ineffable nature.