Collaborative Connections Podcast | Conversations on Cancer Care for Oncology Massage Therapists & Estheticians

What does it take to build a sustainable, compassionate practice in oncology massage — not just for clients, but for practitioners too?
In this special Healing Summit Speaker Series episode, we sit down with Cara Thurman to explore the power of collaboration, the importance of support systems in clinical work, and what it really looks like to integrate massage therapy into healthcare settings.
This conversation is part of our lead-up to the 2026 Virtual Oncology Massage & Esthetics Healing Summit.

🔹 WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
How personal health experiences can shape a career in oncology care
Why collaboration is essential for sustainability in this work
The emotional and professional realities of working with medically fragile clients
What intentional support looks like inside a clinical practice
How advocacy is evolving within the massage therapy profession

🔹 ABOUT THE GUEST
Cara Thurman is the founder of Vinings Massage and Wellness in Atlanta and an NCBTMB-certified educator in oncology massage therapy. She has built programs that integrate massage into hospital systems and works to create sustainable, supportive environments for therapists in clinical settings.

🔹 CONNECT TO SUMMIT
This conversation continues at the 2026 Virtual Oncology Massage & Esthetics Healing Summit
🗓 April 26, 2026
🕐 1:00–7:30 PM ET
👉 Explore the full summit + agenda:
https://www.s4om.org/education/virtual-in-person-summits/2026-oncology-massage-esthetics-healing-summit/

To learn more about the Society for Oncology Massage (S4OM) visit http://www.s4om.org

Follow S4OM on your favorite social media platforms!
Facebook: Society for Oncology Massage (S4OM) | Auburn ME (facebook.com)
Instagram: Society for Oncology Massage (@s4om_org) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter: S4OM_Org (@s4om_org) / Twitter
LinkedIn: Society for Oncology Massage | LinkedIn

What role does mindful awareness play in how we support the body through cancer care?

In this special Healing Summit Speaker Series episode, we sit down with Cynthia Price to explore how interoceptive awareness can deepen clinical practice, support healing, and transform the way we show up for our clients.

This conversation is part of our lead-up to the 2026 Virtual Oncology Massage & Esthetics Healing Summit.

🔹 WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
What interoceptive awareness is — and why it matters in body-oriented therapies
How mindfulness can support clients navigating cancer and recovery
Practical ways to integrate awareness-based approaches into your sessions
The connection between presence, regulation, and therapeutic outcomes
🔹 ABOUT THE GUEST
Cynthia Price, PhD, MA, LMT, is a researcher, educator, and massage therapist known for her work in interoceptive awareness and body-oriented therapies. Her research focuses on the role of mindfulness and body awareness in health, healing, and clinical outcomes.
🔹 CONNECT TO SUMMIT (CTA)
This conversation continues at the 2026 Virtual Oncology Massage & Esthetics Healing Summit
🗓 April 26, 2026
🕐 1:00–7:30 PM ET
👉 Explore the full summit + agenda:
https://www.s4om.org/education/virtual-in-person-summits/2026-oncology-massage-esthetics-healing-summit/
🔹 LISTEN TO MORE IN THE SERIES
New episodes are released weekly leading up to the summit.
👉 Follow the series on your favorite podcast platform
👉 Or explore more at S4OM.org

To learn more about the Society for Oncology Massage (S4OM) visit http://www.s4om.org

Follow S4OM on your favorite social media platforms!
Facebook: Society for Oncology Massage (S4OM) | Auburn ME (facebook.com)
Instagram: Society for Oncology Massage (@s4om_org) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter: S4OM_Org (@s4om_org) / Twitter
LinkedIn: Society for Oncology Massage | LinkedIn

Imagine being able to feel tissue changes caused by radiation therapy—without seeing the patient or knowing their medical history. That is exactly what today’s guest, Holly McMillan, M.C.D., CCC-SLP, LMP, CLT, demonstrated in her groundbreaking research collaboration with Dr. Geoff Bove at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

In this episode, Holly shares her extraordinary journey from licensed massage therapist to Senior Research Speech Language Pathologist and Co-Director of the Trismus Clinic at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She discusses her expertise in fibrosis, lymphedema management, and head and neck cancer rehabilitation, and why manual therapy is emerging as a critical tool in oncology survivorship. As a doctoral candidate and NIH-funded clinical trial collaborator, Holly is at the forefront of evidence-based approaches that integrate touch, research, and patient empowerment.
Listeners will hear insights from Holly’s recently published studies, including safety and feasibility findings on manual therapy in head and neck cancer, and her remarkable work showing that trained therapists can palpate physiologic tissue changes after radiation—even under blinded conditions. This episode uncovers the science behind what oncology massage therapists have long known: the hands can detect what machines cannot, and healing begins with informed touch.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:
The clinical value of manual therapy in head and neck cancer rehabilitation
How radiation affects tissue structure, lymphatics, and healing
Blinded research findings on palpating irradiated tissue
Empowering patients through at-home fibrosis and lymphedema protocols
Intraoral manual therapy: safety, lubrication, and function restoration
Debunking the myth that mature scars cannot change

View extended shownotes here

To learn more about the Society for Oncology Massage (S4OM) visit http://www.s4om.org

Follow S4OM on your favorite social media platforms!
Facebook: Society for Oncology Massage (S4OM) | Auburn ME (facebook.com)
Instagram: Society for Oncology Massage (@s4om_org) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter: S4OM_Org (@s4om_org) / Twitter
LinkedIn: Society for Oncology Massage | LinkedIn

Discover how oncology massage and palliative care are transforming patient well-being in Italy—and why these healing therapies may change lives worldwide. In this inspiring episode of Collaborative Connections, host Ericka Clinton sits down with Daniela Panzeri, Italy’s sole regional champion for the Society for Oncology Massage, to explore her groundbreaking work integrating massage therapy into hospice and palliative care settings.
Daniela shares her journey from the Netherlands to Italy, detailing her unique role as the only massage therapist across three hospices, and reveals how compassionate touch can bring profound comfort to patients facing cancer, dementia, and chronic illness. You’ll learn about the collaborative power of combining oncology massage with music therapy, how Daniela is bridging the gap between healthcare professions, and her mission to educate both practitioners and the public—including writing a powerful new book that captures moving patient stories.
If you’re passionate about holistic cancer care, integrative therapies, or seeking inspiration from real-world innovators making a difference, this episode is packed with insights, encouragement, and hope for the future of supportive care. Tune in to find out how one woman’s dedication is shaping a new standard of care in Italy and beyond!
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
Expanding oncology massage in Italy
Integrative care for palliative patients
Collaboration with oncology aesthetics professionals
Sharing patient stories through literature
Education and networking in oncology massage

Click here to view extended shownotes

To learn more about the Society for Oncology Massage (S4OM) visit http://www.s4om.org

Follow S4OM on your favorite social media platforms!
Facebook: Society for Oncology Massage (S4OM) | Auburn ME (facebook.com)
Instagram: Society for Oncology Massage (@s4om_org) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter: S4OM_Org (@s4om_org) / Twitter
LinkedIn: Society for Oncology Massage | LinkedIn

In this episode of ‘Collaborative Connections,’ hosted by Ericka Clinton and sponsored by the Society for Oncology Massage and the Society for Oncology Esthetics, we feature Jill Cole, a licensed massage therapist and PhD candidate at the University of Kentucky.
Jill shares her journey of becoming a PhD candidate in Rehabilitation and Health Science, focusing on her research in oncology massage, particularly a feasibility study she is conducting at the UK Healthcare Integrative Medicine and Health. She explains the crossover randomized control trial of massage therapy during cancer treatment and discusses the importance and challenges of touch therapy research.
Throughout the conversation, Jill emphasizes the need for more biological and large-scale studies in the field and how empirical evidence can support the growth of the massage therapy profession. She highlights the collaborative nature of research and the critical role of massage therapists in advancing the profession through evidence-based practices.

Topics discussed:
Innovative oncology massage research
Understanding the feasibility study framework
Effects of massage on pain and anxiety
Benefits of interdisciplinary PhD programs
Importance of touch therapy research
Research and growth in massage therapy

Click here to read the extended shownotes

To learn more about the Society for Oncology Massage (S4OM) visit http://www.s4om.org

Follow S4OM on your favorite social media platforms!
Facebook: Society for Oncology Massage (S4OM) | Auburn ME (facebook.com)
Instagram: Society for Oncology Massage (@s4om_org) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter: S4OM_Org (@s4om_org) / Twitter
LinkedIn: Society for Oncology Massage | LinkedIn