Regina Cobb

Regina Cobb, MSW, BCMT is the Program Director and Associate Professor of the Therapeutic Massage Program  at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI).  She is also the Program Director, Dedicated Visionary and Coordinator for the CCRI Center for Workforce and Continuing Education (CWCE) Hospital-based Oncology Massage Therapy Program that is held twice yearly at Roger Williams Medical Center, Providence, R.I. and Saint Anne’s Hospital, Fall River, Mass.  

Regina received her Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from Simmons College and her Bachelor of Arts Degree in both Criminal Justice and Psychology from C.W. Post University.

Always wanting to do more for her community, Regina pursued an alternate career in Massage Therapy and graduated from the Muscular Therapy Institute in Cambridge, Mass.  This was the beginning of numerous educational workshops and trainings as evidenced by the curriculum Regina has developed and spearheaded for the Therapeutic Massage Program at CCRI.  Due to her leadership, dedication and perseverance, CCRI is the premiere Massage Therapy School in New England.

Regina holds many certifications in the Massage Therapy profession; however it is the last two that have given her the motivation and background to move the Massage Therapy profession into another direction – the medical world.  Adding to her incredible resume she decided to become a Oncology Massage Therapist and a Certified Manual Lymphatic Drainage Therapist.  Realizing the potential for training licensed Massage Therapists to develop invaluable skills and knowledge in another discipline, in 2012 Regina created a Hospital-based Oncology Massage Program through CCRI’s Center for Workforce and Continuing Education (CWCE) organization. The only program in New England, it is now at two major medical institutions - Roger Williams Medical Center, Providence, RI and Saint Anne’s Hospital, Fall River, MA.  As a result of Regina’s efforts she has been able to increase the awareness to health care professionals regarding the importance of therapeutic touch.  The programs have been very successful and both medical facilities have asked for more participation due to the excellent results their patients have experienced.

  Regina is a founding member of the Alliance for Clinical Oncology Massage (ACOM), an organization established in 2014.  ACOM was created to promote the increasing need for Massage Therapists to obtain and reinforce the education, hands-on skills, knowledge, and research needed to meet the changing health demands of the growing population of cancer patients and survivors through Oncology Massage and future Continuing Education Opportunities .  ( http://www.aforcom.org/ )

Regina is constantly striving to keep both of her personal educational backgrounds, Social Work and Massage Therapy, current and maintains up to date information pertaining to the changing trends in both.  To that end she took a sabbatical from her Program Director’s position at CCRI in the fall of 2015 and enrolled in an intensive Graduate Certificate program at Smith College, Northampton Mass.  After six months of handling two intense activities – Directorship of the Hospital-based Oncology Massage Programs and a full time Social Services Internship with the Palliative Care Team at Roger Williams Medical Center, Regina completed the Certificate Program in Palliative Care and End-of-Life. The experience, knowledge and insight gained will enhance both educational programs she directs for many years to come.

In March of 2016 Regina was awarded the American Massage Therapy Association’s (AMTA) Jerome Perlinski Teacher of the Year Award.  Each year AMTA presents this award to an instructor in an AMTA member school who demonstrates exceptional teaching abilities and a commitment to high standards of education in Massage Therapy.  This award honors the memory of Jerome Perlinski, an extraordinary educator and much loved leader.  AMTA’s Jerome Perlinski Award is one way AMTA recognized the importance of a quality Massage Therapy education to continually advance the next generation of Massage Therapists.  “Regina is clearly dedicated to giving massage students at CCRI the highest level of initial Massage Therapy education,” says AMTA President Nathan Nordstrom.

Regina will receive her award during the AMTA 2016 National Convention, to be held October 26-29 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  She will also be recognized during a celebration luncheon on Teachers Day Friday October 28.

Regina has practiced massage for over 17 years and has been an instructor for over 14 years. She has her own Massage Therapy practice in Providence RI.