About Kali Institute

The Premier Massage Therapy School in Ventura, CA

Kali Institute for Massage & Somatic Therapies is an educational and clinical center for the advancement of somatic therapies through post secondary academic programs, public education and therapeutic services. We are located in beautiful San Buena Ventura, just three blocks from the California shore at 746 E. Main Street.

Kali Institute offers a variety of programs and classes designed to provide you with life-changing personal growth experiences and sound professional training in a variety of alternative healthcare modalities. Our programs are based on the delivery of superior clinical/scientific curriculum in an environment which nurtures the development of individual communication, touch, intuition and style. Emphasis is also placed on the marketing and business skills necessary to successfully meet your career goals. Our faculty includes the finest experts in their fields and class size is limited to insure small teacher-student ratios. Per-classroom hour tuition is affordable and easy payment plans are available.

This institution is a private institution approved to operate by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education. Approval to operate means the institution is compliant with the minimum standards contained in the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009 (as amended) and Division 7.5 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.

Administrative Staff

Patty Flanagan Executive Director

Abby Nielsen Director of Academics

Amanda "Mandy" Miller Administrative Director

Jessica Savoy Marketing and Web Design

Nancy DeLucrezia Founder

Photography by Marc Timmons

Open Houses for Massage Therapy Programs

Upcoming Open House Dates & Times: May 5th and June 23rd 2024 1:30pm-3pm

We encourage potential students to attend our Open Houses held in the upstairs classrooms at the school. An informational overview of our philosophy and massage programs will be presented. Students are encouraged to ask plenty of questions. It is also a great opportunity to meet other new students and start forming friendships.

RSVP for Open House by emailing: kali.institute@gmail.com

Faculty Bios

MICHAEL GIBIAN is the founder and director of the Gibian Wellness Center. Drawing from over 18 years of international teaching experience, Michael has developed the Buddha Palm approach to Thai Bodywork. He is also an instructor of circulatory massage, deep tissue, neuromuscular therapies, bodhassage, chi nei tsang, sexual qigong, acupressure, hatha yoga, taoist qigong, anatomy & physiology, mindfulness, vipassana meditation and breathwork. Michael is the author of texts for Thai Massage, Stretching for Bodyworkers and Bodhassage. He is a practicing Buddhist and is trained in Hakomi and Re-Creation of the Self, models of body-centered psychotherapy.

ABBY NIELSEN is the Director of Academics at Kali Institute for Massage and Somatic Therapies where she has completed over 750 hours and received an Advanced Somatic Therapist Certification. She maintains a successful private practice for therapeutic bodywork in Ventura called Embody Wellness, where she specializes in pain management and subcontracts to eight other Kali graduates. Abby also teaches massage and business classes at Kali Institute where her practice and teachings are based on her passion for giving and receiving regular bodywork. Her philosophy is that everyone needs regular bodywork to prevent body breakdown and maintain mobility and health. Abby strives to educate her clients and students that living in daily pain and accepting that pain as "normal" is unacceptable.

PATTY URIBE graduated from Bellingham Vocational Technical Institute in 1977 and worked as an LVN until 1997. She then attended Kali Institute for Massage and Somatic Therapies and began teaching at Kali from 2000-2008. She continued on to teach at Alive Institute from 2008-2010. Patty has had her own massage practice since 1997 and has specialized in pregnancy massage for almost 20 years. She also practices, Swedish, Deep Tissue and Energy Love.

LISA BUCKLEY received her B.S in Kinesiology from UCLA and her Master's degree from CSUN. She has taught classes such as Diabetes empowerment and Matter of Balance for the Camarillo Healthcare District and Advanced anatomy, reflexology and Pregnancy Massage at A to Z health in Thousand Oaks. Her passion for teaching infuses each lessons with unforgettable details.

PATTY FLANAGAN bought Kali Institute for Massage & Somatic Therapies in July of 2018. Patty used her Kali powers to vanquish the demon “addiction.” Now 30 years sober, she is the owner of two massage schools in Southern California. Patty’s goal is to send one thousand healers out into the world.

OCEANNA KIDDIE brings 13 years of practice into her Lomilomi trainings. Living on the islands in deep transition points, her association with the aina and teachers there have been profound. As an artist, dancer, and bodyworker, the sense of beauty in space and presentation is considered an important piece of Lomilomi. This practice is her meditation and joy of offering. “Come, hele mai, I would love to dance with you.”

TIM HARRIS, CMP is a certified Neuro-Structural Bodyworker and has practiced massage and bodywork for fifteen years. In 1990 he received certification in massage from the Institute for Holistic Studies in Ventura, CA and completed the Sports Massage Clinic at the Monterey Institute of Touch serving as the events coordinator for the Ventura County Sports Massage Team. Since then he has also trained in Myofascial Release, Touch for Health, Soft Tissue Release and Shiatsu, and is a Certified Restorative Exercise Practitioner. In addition to Neuro-Structural bodywork he currently teaches musculoskeletal anatomy and sports massage. He also practices yoga, Ta’I Chi and is an avid cyclist.

Amanda "Mandy" Miller is our administrator. She is originally from Oklahoma and moved to California to start a new life. She has been through many health challenges and had to endure painful recovery processes. She found bodywork and massage to be the key to unlocking a life without chronic pain.