Meet Our Teachers: Christopher Fritel

The teachers at The Lauterstein-Conway Massage School have skill, experience, and a true passion for Massage Therapy. Let’s take a moment to get to know one of the 500 hour program instructors.


Q&A with Christopher Fritel

11.01.FacultyHeadshotChristopherQ: When did you start your career in Massage Therapy?

A: I attended massage school here at The Lauterstein-Conway Massage School in May of 2000. I began as an instructor in 2002.

Q: Why did you decide to become a Massage Therapist?

A: I had just moved back to Texas after a year in New York City. I graduated the 4 month program at the Natural Gourmet Cookery School and worked for a family as a personal chef. I was still interested in working with my hands but wanted to have more diversity in my work. When I got back to Texas, a friend of mine had mentioned that she was a massage therapist and that I should be one too. She gave me a wonderful massage, my first, and told me that I should attend TLC rather than the place from which she had graduated. I moved to Austin and enrolled at TLC almost immediately.

Q: What training and experience do you have in Massage Therapy?

A: At TLC I was trained in Swedish, Stretches, Body Mobilization Techniques, Sports Massage, Deep Massage, and some Shiatsu and Structural Bodywork. Later I received training in Craniosacral Therapy from the Upledger Institute and Zero Balancing from TLC. I tend to use Craniosacral, Zero Balancing, and Deep Massage in my private practice.

Q: What was your favorite aspect of Massage School?

A: I did not expect to learn so much about myself, especially my mind and body. I really enjoyed the meditation of giving massage and the way both my client and I would feel after a session. It was the most self-supportive job I had ever had in my life.

Q: Do you have a favorite modality? If so, what is it?

A: When giving and receiving, I definitely prefer more subtle massage modalities such as Craniosacral, Zero Balancing, and Deep Massage. They seem to approach a massage session from the perspective of facilitating and working with the client’s self-regulatory and self-resolving nature rather than imposing change forcibly on the “client’s problem”.

Q: What is your approach to Massage Therapy?

A: Listen to the client and find a way to facilitate his or her needs for that session.

Q: What is your favorite color?

A: Seriously my favorite color was been orange for a long time. The color that I am thinking if is like a plain-jane orange crayon.

Q: What is your favorite food?

A: I love a good smoothie and will never turn down Indian food. I am currently obsessed with authentic Chinese food from Asia Cafe – such as spicy honey comb, sliced beef tendon in pickled pepper sauce, stir-fried salt and pepper squid, Szechuan style pork intestines, stir-fried snow pea leaves, and Singapore noodles.

Q: What kind of movies do you like?

A: I love sci-fi and foreign films. A recent favorite that fits both categories was Snowpiercer, but it’s very violent so don’t watch it if you blood makes you queasy. It is in English but it was made in Korea. Closely related to this film is the original version of Old Boy. I love movies that are weird and surprising and have a little violence.

Q: Why do you think Massage Therapy is important?

A: Massage Therapy represents a healthy and beneficial experience of touch which is so vital to physical, emotional, and mental wellness.


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