Vice Presidents

Sylvia Muiznieks

Vice President for Academic Studies
IBA Academic Committee

Sylvia MuiznieksA Calgary resident since 1981, Sylvia enjoyed her childhood and university days in Waterloo, Ontario. Her greatest passion over the years (other than her husband, two sons and dogs) has been her teaching — ranging from ballet and modern dance classes in her late teens; to family life education, massage technique and anatomy and physiology courses early in her career, to BodyTalk and Mindscape training today. Sylvia became a Certified BodyTalk Practitioner in September 2000, a Certified BodyTalk Instructor in January 2002, a Senior Instructor in September 2003 and is now an Advanced Senior Instructor. She is also a MindScape Instructor.

In her role as Vice President of Academic Studies, she creates and oversees various subcommittees to manage manual upgrades, instructor applications and specific research projects and articles, and works in conjunction with the Vice President for Academic Development in advancing the BodyTalk curriculum. The Academic Committee and its subgroups are responsible for ensuring that instructors are provided with the tools and support they need to deliver high-quality BodyTalk courses. Their mission is to work closely with the IBA office to increase both the quality and the quantity of IBA coursework and supporting material.


Ben Manalo

Vice President for Members

Ben Manalo

Ben Manalo is the Vice President for Members of the International BodyTalk Association (IBA). He is an Advanced Certified BodyTalk Instructor (AdvCBI), Advanced Certified BodyTalk Practitioner (AdvCBP) and BreakThrough Instructor (BrI) & has been a member of the IBA since 2001.

Ben has been practicing The BodyTalk System since 2001 and teaching BodyTalk workshops in the Chicago area, across the U.S., and internationally since 2005. He feels fortunate to have received all his initial basic and advanced BodyTalk trainings from BodyTalk's developer, Dr John Veltheim. In addition to seeing clients at his clinic in Chicago, Ben is currently actively involved in the study, research, and development of Advanced BodyTalk as a student of PaRama College having completed PaRama Mindcrystals and PaRama Units 1 & 2.

After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Teaching English from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and teaching English as a Second Language in Kenya, East Africa as a volunteer in the United States Peace Corps, Ben taught Massage Therapy at the Chicago School of Massage Therapy for nearly 5 years. As a result he brings over a dozen years of teaching experience to his BodyTalk classes which incorporate a lively mix of lecture, discussion, hands-on practice and experiential learning.


Tatjana Kramer

German Member Representative

Todd and Angela Adkins Tatjana graduated University in 1994 and worked 10 years as a teacher in a secondary school. While working in education, Tatjana become a mother to Liljana. Tatjana also trained and studyied martial arts, yoga, dance, sports rehabilitation, specific personal training. In 2005 Tatjana completed studies and qualified as a Naturopath in Munich, Germany.

Tatjana became a CBP in 2004 and has completed all advanced BodyTalk courses including PaRama BodyTalk. In 2007, Tatjana graduated as a BodyTalk Access trainer and in 2009 became a Certified BodyTalk Instructor teaching BodyTalk Fundamentals and BodyTalk Fundamentals Integration.

In October 2010, Tatjana was appointed to be the spokesperson of the German-speaking IBA members and is working closely with the VP for members, Todd and Angela Adkins.


Andrea Carter and Lynn Teachworth

Vice President for Instructors

Andrea Carter and Lynn Teachworth

Andrea Carter and Lynn Teachworth jointly represent and advocate for the IBA Instructors.

Andrea Carter

Andrea D. Carter began her career in health care after completing her degree in Psychology at Bishop's University in Lennoxville, Quebec. While attending University, Andrea worked at the Bishop's Sports Medicine clinic as a junior athletic therapist for 4 years. She worked directly with varsity teams and always noticed the integration of injury and negative thought patterns.

Upon completion of her psychology degree, Andrea attended Foothills College of Massage Therapy and completed the highest level of training, the 2,200 hour program, and built a full-time practice simultaneously.

Andrea has been teaching the BodyTalk System with professional athletes, specifically the Canadian Football League and has been seeing incredible results!! She has also been working with IRON MAN competitors, triathletes, cyclists, marathon runners, boxers, hockey players, and swimmers. Athletes that Andrea has worked with have noticed specific results in their events and huge improvements in their physical endurance, trainning, and pain thresholds.

She has also found herself working with various different illness and diseases, from children (ADD, ADHD, allergies, croup, vaccinations, learning difficulties and abuse) to adults (Anxiety, depression, abuse, cancer, sleep difficulties, chronic pain, motor vehicle accident pains, headaches, migraines, IBS, digestive disorders, pregnancy, infertility...to name a few), to the elderly (alzheimers, depression, arthritis, allergies).

Lynn Teachworth

Lynn has been in the body work profession since 1991. He has advanced certifications in Structural Integration, Neuromuscular Therapy, Crainial Sacral Therapy, Myofascial Release, Strain-counter strain and muscle energy techniques as well as advanced training in Applied Kiniesiology, Visceral Manipulation, Acupuncture and is also a Reiki Master. Lynn's forte is blending all styles together for quick and effective results. Body Talk is his "go to" technique and he is looking forward to helping bring advanced sports injury and performance techniques to Body Talk. He has also taken Parama 1 and 2 and is considered one of the most experienced practitioners.

Lynn is best known for working with sports injuries, chronic pain and sports performance. Lynn has over 200 athlete clients in the sports world. Including the NBA, NFL, PGA, LPGA, ATP as well as pro waterskiing and wakeboarding.

Although Lynn is best known for working with sports injuries he spends most of his clinical time working with "stubborn" health issues of all types. Including chronic pain, mobility issues, allergies, children with disabilities and just about any major disease and dysfunction. "Working with athletes is fun and sometimes glamorous, but it is no different from treating anyone else. Everyones body works the same, athletes just tend to gravitate to what really works for their physical, mental and emotional recovery and optimization. They tend to seek out what are the fastest and most effective means of healing. In the sports world, performance and health are everything."

Lynn also has many articles published on Body Talk and other massage techniques. He is currently on the advisory board for Golf Fitness magazine and has monthly articles appearing there.


Dr. Jennifer Harrison

Co-VP of Access (for the Americas)

Ms. Katharina Hirsch Jennifer works as a Certified Athletic Therapist, Chiropractor, CBP and ParBP in a multidisciplinary clinic in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She is also an educator and teaches manual therapy techniques to athletic therapists, physiotherapists and registered massage therapists across Canada. Jennifer first started studying BodyTalk in 2001, became a CBP in 2002 and a ParBP in 2006. In 2007 Jennifer also became an Access Trainer after completing her training with Sylvia Muiznieks.

Jennifer is very honoured to have been chosen to be the IBA co-VP of Access. Morag Bromfield has been the Access VP since 2007 and Jennifer has been amazed and inspired by the work Morag has done in South Africa (and beyond) promoting BodyTalk and particularly Access. It’s a great privilege for Jennifer to be working in tandem with her. Jennifer sees accepting this new role within the IBA Matrix as a great opportunity to further support and promote Access.


Morag Bromfield

Vice President for Access

Morag Bromfield Vice President Morag Bromfield is charged with overseeing and representing BodyTalk Access, a growing IBA discipline designed to allow more persons to learn about, and use, BodyTalk.

Morag trained as a Registered General Nurse and Midwife and has practiced as such for more than 20 years. Realizing the importance of complementary healthcare, she completed a Reflexology Diploma in 1993 and a Holistic Massage Diploma in 1994; she became a Reiki Master in 1997 and has been teaching Reiki for several years. In 2003, she became a Certified BodyTalk Practitioner and in December 2006, she qualified as a BodyTalk Instructor for BodyTalk Fundamentals and is also an Access Trainer. She has a full-time practice in Westville, Durban, KZN, South Africa. Morag has been instrumental in bringing BodyTalk Access into the countryside of Kwazulu Natal province of South Africa. In her position as Vice President for Access she will be working to promote Access in other third world settings around the globe as well as in homes and schools everywhere.


Kristy Kenny

Vice President for Life Sciences

Kristy Kenny Vice President Kristy Kenny is charged with overseeing and representing the BreakThrough, MindScape and Freefall courses within the BodyTalk System. Currently, she is the IBA’s only Instructor qualified to teach BodyTalk, MindScape, BreakThrough and FreeFall.

Kristy graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.A. in “Psychology” and Special Interest Rehabilitative Medicine (Speech Pathology and Audiology). She entered into bodywork as a massage therapist and later became an instructor for accredited massage colleges in both Alberta and British Columbia. Her focus as Vice President for Life Sciences is to represent and promote these valuable personal growth disciplines around the world.