Happy retirement, Dr. Tim! Dr. Tim Resichman, director of the Massage Therapy program, has given three decades of his life to the field of massage therapy, including 10 years of service to South Piedmont.
In his retirement, Dr. Tim plans to publish children’s books, start a greeting card company, continue to be involved in massage therapy, and spend time with his beloved wife, Dr. Grace.
South Piedmont will celebrate his career with an event from noon to 2 p.m. on May 8 at the Main Building on the Old Charlotte Highway campus. Alumni, current students, faculty, staff, and friends of South Piedmont are invited to attend and share their favorite memories of Dr. Tim.
To get the reminiscing started, we asked Dr. Tim to share his top-5 career highlights. Here’s what he had to say:
- Discovering a field that changed his way of life: Dr. Tim was an arts education major at Kent State University, making a 45-minute commute from his home to campus twice a day when he began having back pain. He went to a chiropractor who adjusted his spine, relieved his pain, and forever changed the course of his life. “I woke up without any pain and went to bed without any pain. I wanted to do for others what my chiropractor did for me,” he said.
- Falling in love over a dead body: Dr. Tim transferred to Logan University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in human anatomy and his Doctor of Chiropractic. He also met his wife, Dr. Grace. He heard her sing at a dinner party, and on his walk home, said to himself, “I just met my wife, but I don’t even know her name.” A few months later, he and Dr. Grace were dissecting cadavers as part of a class assignment, and the sparks started to fly. In the months that followed, he proposed five times until she finally said yes. They’ve now been married almost 40 years.
- Choosing to specialize in massage therapy: As he studied chiropractic, Dr. Tim understood more and more the importance of the muscles. “The more balanced your muscles, the longer your adjustments will hold. Massaging the muscles is how you make the most impact for people.” He and Dr. Grace began giving massages while at Logan, and they’ve never looked back. Dr. Tim has worked for several colleges in North Carolina, as well as his own practice. A highlight of his career is building the South Piedmont program in 2000; in 2020, he returned to revitalize the program. He estimates he’s taught 1,000 students in his career.
- Learning the “secrets of muscles”: Muscles hold emotions and memories, Dr. Tim said, and if you learn to talk to them, they’ll tell you much about a person. “A muscle that has been hurt or abused will be very guarded,” he said. Dr. Tim teaches his students to “approach, not attack” the body, to build trust with the muscles and reduce their tension. Dr. Tim plans to write a book titled “The Secret Life of Muscles” after he retires.
- Giving others the gift of physical touch: The goal of every massage is to induce a parasympathetic state, or “rest and digest,” Dr. Tim said. “That’s when our patients feel safe to let themselves go. They completely relax, and they go home and sleep well for the next several days.” Dr. Tim is also aware that some of his patients are rarely touched unless it’s on the massage table. “Physical touch produces endorphins and enkephalins, which make us feel calm. Being able to give that to others is a gift.” Dr. Tim hopes he’s instilled in all his students the importance of being compassionate and using their hands to heal.
South Piedmont’s two-semester, 660-hour Massage Therapy program prepares graduates to work in direct client care settings, including health care facilities, chiropractors’ offices, spas, health and sports clubs, and private practices. For more information, visit spcc.edu/massage-therapy.