2026 AMTA-MA Chapter Meritorious Award Recipient

Sarah Ernst-Edwards was recognized as the Massachusetts Chapter's 2026 Meritorious Award recipient at the Volunteer Awards and Milestone Anniversary Breakfast at National Convention in Denver on August 26.

Sarah has been a massage therapist for twenty-one years and an AMTA volunteer for seven, serving on the Education Committee. She co-owns 360 NeuroMuscular Therapy in Waltham, a practice built around an in- house mentorship program that elevates the skills of newer therapists, and she teaches for Precision Neuromuscular Therapy Seminars and Myopain Seminars.

Ask her what she brings and she will say patience, kindness, and a love of learning. “I love learning more about the human body every day,” she says. “It is a fascinating and mystifying thing, this body we live and move in. My favorite part about my massage therapy career is that there's always more to know.”

She started volunteering simply to give back. What keeps her is bigger: being part of the movement to elevate the field, helping plan the continuing education this chapter brings to Massachusetts, and being a resource for newer therapists building their skills and their businesses. She would like to see entry-level therapists leave school with a stronger base education — solid enough to treat people in pain competently and safely — at a time when schools are closing and demand for our work is growing.

Talking with Sarah after Denver, what came through was pride: in the work itself, and in being able to give back to the massage community that shaped her career.

Her advice to anyone considering volunteering: “Absolutely join us. It may feel a little awkward at first as you build friendships and relationships but the rewards are worth it. We'd love to have your help!”