Meet Our Instructors
The RMSAAM Instructors
Tracy Vroom
Executive Director and Instructor
Tracy serves as the executive director for RMSAAM in addition to teaching all levels of the canine and equine massage program and her personal programs: canine and equine craniosacral therapy, herbalism, essential oils, and shamanic healing.
She founded her company The CranioConnection 20 years ago. She specializes in providing healing solutions for her animal clients. A big part is that process is to support their guardians by working with them to figure out the root causes of physical, emotional, and behavioral challenges. She has a broad range of certifications including massage, trigger point therapy, the Tellington TTouch Method, herbalism, essential oils, Reiki, shamanic healing, biomechanics, animal communication, and kinesiotape.
She is a forever student and is always adding to her toolbox. Tracy has shared her stories as a contributing author in books and magazines and done many radio and tv interviews over the years. Animals and nature have been her most profound teachers. She loves sharing her knowledge with her clients and students to help make a difference in the world and is passionate about the welfare of all living beings on the planet.
Lynn Fagerstrom
Canine Instructor
My journey began many years ago, while rescuing dogs from the Mile High Weimaraner rescue. I found out quickly that every rescue dog comes with some form of anxiety or trauma.
I began seeking holistic therapies to meet each dog’s special requirements. Tracy Vroom was one of the practitioners that had worked with several of my dogs. I believe she saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself, she encouraged me to attend the school.
I completed both canine and equine programs at RMSAAM and continued to study various other modalities to enhance my skills. I have been teaching at the school for about 8 years. I am very passionate about helping my students acquire the tools needed to be the best practitioner possible.
I currently collaborate with several Denver area holistic Veterinarians and Chiropractors which keeps me in tune with what is best for everyone I work with. I also like to volunteer my services at The Longhopes Donkey sanctuary.
Megan Steele
Equine Instructor
Megan was born and raised in Arvada, Colorado. She first found her passion for horses when she started riding lessons at the age of 8. She attended Colorado State University and studied in their Equine Science Program. While attending CSU she worked as an Animal Care Technician at the Equine Orthopaedic Research Center and also completed internships at two equine rehabilitation facilities and began to gain experience in the field of equine therapy.
In December of 2015, after completing an independent study in a variety of equine therapies and writing her Senior Honors Thesis, she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Science in Equine Science. She continued to explore her passion in equine therapy and rehabilitation by attending Rocky Mountain School of Animal Acupressure and Massage and obtained her certifications in Equine Therapeutic Massage, Equine Sports Massage and Equine Advanced Massage in October 2016. One month later she created her business Flights of Angels Equine Therapy LLC.
Megan has been an instructor with our school since March 2019 and over the last few years, she has expanded her skills taking classes in kinesiology taping, acupressure, canine massage and most recently became certified in Manual Lymphatic Drainage massage in July 2024. Her long-term goals include continuing to share her knowledge with new students and establishing a rehabilitation program for her own clients.
When she is not busy massaging horses, you can find Megan watching Marvel movies, attending concerts for some of her favorite bands, and most importantly caring for her two horses, Kaya and Smoke.
Gene Devine
Equine and Canine Instructor
Gene has been passionate about animals for over 50 years. After retiring as an Army Intelligence Officer in 2007, Gene pursued his passion as a professional equine photographer and college photography instructor in Arizona. Frequent travels to Sedona fueled a desire to learn about the effects of energy on people and horses from both spiritual and physiological perspectives.
While training as a barefoot hoof trimmer in 2013, Gene learned all about the wild mustangs of the Great Basin. This education stoked a desire to learn all he could about equine behavior, health, wellness, and balance. Gene received certification in Bio-Energy Analysis and Release from Dr. Regan Golob in 2018, Equine and Canine Massage from RMSAAM in 2019. In June of 2019, he began his own business, Devine Equine Bodywork, and enjoys trail riding in the mountains of Colorado. He is currently working on his Acupressure, Craniosacral Therapy, and Tuning Fork certifications.
Beth Pelosa
Acupressure Instructor
Beth has always loved being a student. Her education includes an A.A.S. Degree in Architecture, 2nd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. She is a Certified Large and Small Animal Acupressure and Massage Practitioner and Instructor. Beth is also an FRCC Certified Equine Management and Training Professional, and completed the WDDA Western Dressage Train the Trainer Program. Beth has also studied many alternative modalities including Animal Reiki, Essential Oils, Aromatherapy, Photonic Light Therapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Human Acupressure, homeopathies, essential oils, Bach Flowers, Yoga , QiGong, Chakra, and Meridian Balancing Therapy.
Throughout her career, Beth has been a teacher. After leaving the corporate world, Beth started her own business, Equine Energy Works, LLC. Her business includes instructing Animal Acupressure for practitioners for Rocky Mountain School of Animal Acupressure and Massage, and performing animal acupressure for dogs, cats, and horses for private clients. She lives at her horse boarding and training facility, and teaches Western Dressage riding.
Her boarding facility is also the location for RMSAAM’s Animal Acupressure course which Beth teaches, and is also used for many of RMSAAM’s Equine Massage courses.
Liz Cottrell
RMSAAM Instructor
I grew up in a small town in Indiana with a lifelong love for animals. I was always the kid bringing home strays and begging my parents for just one more critter. Caring for animals has been part of who I am for as long as I can remember.
I originally went to college for psychology, but it never quite felt aligned. In my early 20s, I moved to Minnesota and spent three years working in mental healthcare, where I began to realize my true calling lay elsewhere. In 2016, my husband and I moved to Colorado after purchasing a small sandwich shop, and it was there that everything finally clicked. I began working at a horse rescue—and found my path.
I’ve been part of the equine rescue world for the past 10 years. During that time, I became an advanced equine massage therapist, completed my Masters in Visionary Equine Craniosacral Therapy and got certified in multiple KT taping methods. My work is rooted in both technical skill and deep respect for the horse as a whole being—mind, body, and nervous system.
I'm also a mom to a busy little boy, have two wonderful senior Labrador retrievers, am lucky to share life with two lovely chestnut Quarter Horse mares and of course my incredibly supportive husband, Aaron.
Sequoia Serenity Equine Wellness is named after my heart horse and reflects my mission: to support horses through thoughtful, intuitive bodywork while continuing to learn, grow, and share my knowledge with others. I’m excited to expand my practice, teach, and help horses feel their very best—inside and out.
Holly Cerlan
Office Manager
On staff since January of 2019, Holly is the behind-the-scenes gal at RMSAAM! She answers student queries, handles admissions, records, bookkeeping, and much more.
Years of studies in deep personal work and etheric healing led her away from the corporate world and into the softer energies of alternative therapies…and RMSAAM. Here, she continues to grow with her studies and certifications, as she soaks up every valuable bit of generously shared knowledge. Each day, humans, animals, and nature teach her something new. She is continually in awe of what is out there when she quiets herself to listen and observe.
Holly has lived in Colorado her entire life. She has a great interest in medicinal herbs and food gardening and enjoys the challenge of growing hard to cultivate plants. She shares her life with her spouse, Robert, plus many wise cats, dogs, horses, chickens, and goats.
Guest Instructors
Ken Bain
Canine Trigger Point Therapy
Ken Bain is a Texas Licensed Massage Therapist and Massage Therapy Instructor, specializing in non-invasive trigger point therapy using massage techniques. Ken is a graduate of the Texas School of Massage, the Institute of Trigger Point Therapy, Pet Massage in Toledo, OH, Massage Awareness in Wellington, FL, and is credentialed in Colorado as a graduate from the Rocky Mountain School of Animal Acupressure and Massage. He is a member of the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals.
Ken has been training and competing with canine athletes since 1993 and realized the importance of massage in keeping these athletes in peak condition. In 2006, Ken started developing trigger point therapy for canines through several years of working on the canine athletes (agility, flyball, and Frisbee competitors). Since 2010, he has been teaching canine trigger point therapy techniques, changing the way canine massage therapists work with their clients.
Besides teaching, Ken has a full-time hands-on practice including working regional, national, and international competitions. Since 2016, Ken has traveled to Europe with 9 of the USA World Agility Teams as the teams’ therapist. He has also been selected as a speaker in multiple national and international educational conferences. Ken has been providing bodywork for the canine athlete since 2003.
Gillian Edwards
Holistic Healing
A Colorado-based animal communicator, Karuna / Reiki Master/Teacher and a canine massage / conditioning practitioner, International best selling author, and guest instructor at the Rocky Mountain School of Animal Acupressure and Massage, Gillian provides long term big-picture holistic healing solutions for pets to activate their natural ability to balance and heal their physical, emotional and mental well-being. With the belief that holistic therapy is centered on love, empathy and respect, Gillian uses her knowledge and skills to help improve an animal’s health and happiness, which can strengthen and deepen their connections to their human companions.
Growing up in England and living on three continents provided Gillian with an understanding of how traditional, alternative and holistic therapies can work together to help heal the mind, body and spirit. Thus after a long, successful, 25 year executive career in corporate America, she began her dream career in 2014 practicing Reiki on human clients before realizing that animals needed her gifts more so. She graduated in 2017 from Rocky Mountain School of Animal Acupressure and Massage and started her own animal practice Four Paws Holistic Therapy. She is now fully focused on helping pets achieve a longer quality of life by spreading the knowledge of collaborative pet health benefits through educational seminars and pop-up clinics.
Gillian is a professed animal lover, volunteer, and adoption advocate, rescuing numerous pets throughout her lifetime. This includes Zena, a 10-year young Rotti/Lab/Aussie mix.
Elena Bajona
Applied Equine Behavior
Elena is an equine applied behaviorist & therapist, specializing in equine welfare, cognitive-behavioral therapies, and massage for horses. Her work in the rehab and physiotherapy field addresses both physical and psychological issues. She is a talented trainer with strong international experience in the horse industry.
With extensive experiences abroad (USA, Canada, Saudi Arabia, UK, and Germany) in 2002, she founded Animantia, a private Academy of equine behavior studies based in Italy with a branch in Idaho. As a teacher and Applied Equine Behaviorist, she dedicated 18 years to teaching equine behavior through specialized courses for individuals and professionals. At the same time, she founded the first ethological equine facility in Italy where she worked with thousands of horses: training, natural foal taming, and problem-solving through behavioral therapies. She attended the Academy of Equine Dentistry in Idaho as a free-lance professional supporting the education of equine dentistry students. She organized specialized courses for equine applied behavior in relation to horse management during dental work.
Since 2004 she organized Wild Horse safaris, in natural pristine settings, open to researchers/students and wild horse enthusiasts. In 2010 she discovered some wild horses in Italy. She spent years within the herds teaching natural behavior to her students. The focus was on the importance of observation and study of wild horses in their natural environment. This was a unique way to understand their behavior and emotional/social lives.
A fervent believer of the preservation of all creatures in the wild she cooperates with Return to Freedom Wild Horse Sanctuary to share her knowledge and experience in order to improve the welfare and quality of life of all rescued Wild American Mustangs. In 2020 she joined RMSAAM as a guest instructor to continue spreading her knowledge to help people and horses. www.animantia.it
Lori Bridges
Animal Frequency Balancing Equine Program
Though she considers herself to be a lifelong student committed to learning, investigating, questioning and always aspiring to new ways of being, Lori currently maintains the following credentials: Certified Biofield Tuning Practitioner; Shamanic Mesa Carrier, initiated in the ancient teachings of the Andes; Ordained Minister; Certified Visionary Equine Craniosacral Therapist; Certified in Equine Jin Shin; Herbalism; and Stone Medicine. Additionally, she has studied Biomechanics, Equine Nutrition, the Equine Nervous System, Endocrine System, and Lymphatic System, and Animal Communication. She has had the honor of working with and learning from teachers in disciplines such as Dressage, Connected Riding, Straightness Training, Connection Training, Liberty, TTeam and Masterson Method. She has also studied anatomy, movement (equine, canine and human), homeopathy and essential oils.
In 2019, Lori became a Certified Biofield Tuning Practitioner for humans and her life and healing practice shifted gears. While she found great joy in working with humans, the horses and dogs took the stage. She developed a program called Animal Frequency Balancing™. This program teaches others how to use Sound, Frequency and Vibration to facilitate healing and well-being in horses and dogs. Most recently, Lori completed and published a 4-year long project called Spirit Horse Medicine® that she co-wrote with her horse Alibi.
The People Behind RMSAAM
The faculty at RMSAAM includes our experienced instructors and guest speakers, as well as administrative and student services staff. Regardless of your path of study, you will find the RMSAAM staff friendly, professional, and committed to your success.
