The Lourdes Institute of Wholistic Studies, in Camden, invites you to get to know their staff and their school. Lourdes offers individual classes, as well as a comprehensive, spirituality-based certification degree program. Subjects offered include Wholistic Massage Practitioner, 200- and 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training, Reflexology, Herbal Medicine and Aromatherapy. 

Monica DeVaughn-Nobling
DeVaughn-Nobling believes that it’s the camaraderie among students and teachers that makes Lourdes such a unique place to study. Graduate students are allowed to sit in on classes anytime as a refresher. “The instructors continue to be an integral part of my life, my practice and the lives of my clients. The level of support they’ve extended is truly overwhelming. My clients express to me that they are thankful for those who have taught me because it makes a difference in my care for them. That is a powerful thing to hear.” 

Another great aspect of studying at Lourdes, she says, is that students are encouraged to learn at a pace that is comfortable for them, and not stress-inducing. “Our students and instructors come from many career and life backgrounds, and span all ages. Everyone is welcome. Come and experience how fulfilling learning together can be.”
 

Her main course is Business Management, but she also teaches various massage courses.

Dr. Dorothea Atkins
“Dottie” Atkins states that we have a crisis in America: an addiction to pain medication. She attests that our conventional health care is a symptom-relief medical business model, and that the healthcare system provides minimal discussions about health, wellness and self-care. She believes it doesn’t need to be this way and this is what the Lourdes Institute drives to change. 
 

“Lourdes is always looking for people who want to learn how to heal in a natural way,” she shares. “Often people retire from a job looking for a second career, or perhaps a person’s job downsized and they are in search of a new career. This profession is open to anyone who wants to lend a hand, use their hands, and provide a hands-on approach to health care.”
 

Atkins teaches various massage courses, including Self-Massage.

 

Andrea Finley
“My proudest moment was when the dean of our program told me that this is what my hands were always destined to do be doing,” Finley shares. “His constant support and guidance gave me the courage to trust my instincts and embrace my natural abilities. He was the very first person to call me a healer.”
 

When asked about the number one health problem she encounters, she certifies that it is stress. “Stress levels are out of control,” she says. Our bodies were not built to sustain the level of stress hormone that’s released in the average human on a daily basis. There is no cure for life, but you can take an active part in your future health and wellness. Reach out to holistic practitioners. Commit to giving something new a try. Take part in finding a solution for yourself.”
Finley is the clinic coordinator and teaches various massage courses.

 

Corinne Corcoran
Corcoran is committed to bring the wisdom of the Eastern healing systems to the West. “They offer non-invasive and natural approaches to healing, which can complement allopathic approaches, or be an alternative for those who cannot tolerate the side-effects of modern Western treatments,” she shares. “We need to appreciate our innate force that can be tapped into for reorganizing, strengthening, and healing the body and mind.” She affirms that many holistic modalities have succeeded at keeping her both present and vital for the demands of the world and its challenges. So has she been wowed and motivated by the research that validates reflexology’s beneficial effects on pain, immunity, the nervous system, and chemical imbalances.
 

She is the main Reflexology instructor, and she also teaches Ethics, and various massage courses.

David Egan
Egan is ambitious—he wants to be a part of the best school in the country, and he believes that Lourdes Institute of Wholistic Studies is just that. “We all take great pride in what we do,” he proclaims. “We are not just teachers. We are testing and improving every day when we work with our personal clients, and we all bring that back to our classrooms. We make our students better by continuing to learn ourselves and becoming the best at what we do.”
His favorite moments are when a student suddenly gets a concept, like a light bulb going off. “I live for those moments,” he shares. Egan’s main course is Environmental Management, but he also teaches various massage courses.

 

Michelle Carlino
Carlino believes her most important health advice is to “value bodies as a sacred dwelling, and to learn how to care for it well.” In her work, she finds that most ailments are stress related and the challenge of daily life is the major cause. “Hardly anyone knows how to manage stress, and that’s a big part of the problem.” She corroborates that there are many healing modalities taught at Lourdes Institute that can help to heal the body and mind in a natural way, and invites readers to come to an Open Day at Lourdes to explore these alternative methods.
 

She teaches various courses on the Yoga Teacher Training 200- and 300-hour programs.

For more information on The Lourdes Institute of Wholistic Studies is located at 1660 Haddon Ave., Camden, NJ. For more information, visit liws.org.