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Mary Kathleen Rose

       Mary Kathleen Rose has been actively involved in the holistic health movement since the 1970s. A pioneer in the field of touch therapies for the elderly and the ill, she is an advocate for the needs of special populations. She graduated from the Boulder College of Massage Therapy in 1985 and has a B.A. in Integrative Healing with a minor in Art from Metropolitan State University of Denver.

       The developer of Comfort Touch®, Mary has worked as a nationally known consultant for massage training and research in medical settings. She has contributed to NIH-funded studies for people with spinal cord injuries, cancer, sickle cell anemia, and other studies involving diabetes and hospice care. Since 1991 she has presented workshops in Comfort Touch® nationwide for massage therapists and other healthcare professionals. Her classes have been sponsored by numerous massage schools, senior communities, the Health Education Network, and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.

       Mary Kathleen Rose is the author of the textbook Comfort Touch® Nurturing Acupressure; Comfort Touch® of the Hands & Feet: A Guide for Family Caregivers; Bereavement: Dealing with Grief & Loss; and the producer of the video Comfort Touch®: Massage for the Elderly & the Ill. She is also a contributing author of Teaching Massage (LWW 2009), as well as numerous magazine articles.

       She is fascinated by the creative process, and shares her art and music in The Children's Tarot: The Road is a RiverWild Roses is a recording of her improvisational piano music. She facilitates community drum circles and classes, and is a member of the performing group "DjO" - Djembe Orchestra. She enjoys spending time with her partner, Fred, in their home and garden in Longmont, Colorado.

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