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The Thinking Practitioner

Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe
Manual Therapy
Massage Therapy
Pain Management
Fascia
Grief
Proprioception
Bodywork
Anatomy
Neuroscience
Vagus Nerve
Baker's Cysts
Low Back Pain
Oncology Massage
Nerve Tour
Knee Pain
Chronic Cough
Trauma
Nervous System
Physical Therapy
Therapeutic Alliance

For the practitioner who’s never stopped being curious. Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe bring together leading researchers, master clinicians, and big questions from across bodywork, massage, and manual therapy — exploring not just what we do with our hands, but why it works and how to do it better. Smart, grounded, and genuinely useful conversations for the somatic arts and sciences.

For professiona... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes174Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Health & FitnessAlternative HealthEducationCourses

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Artwork for The Thinking Practitioner

Latest Episodes

🎙 How to Bend Time (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)

There’s a moment in many good sessions when the clock stops mattering — breathing deepens, your hands settle, and time itself seems to change. Til recently wrote about this as “bending time,” and ... more

🎙 Recognizing & Touching Trauma (with Dr. Peter Levine)

By popular demand! Originally aired as Episode 108, Til’s conversation with Dr. Peter Levine quickly became one of our most listened-to episodes ever — and it’s easy to hear why. The developer... more

YouTube

🎙 Lateral Hip Pain: Stop Blaming the Bursa (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)

Til and Whitney unpack why the old “trochanteric bursitis” diagnosis is almost always wrong—and what that means for your hands-on treatment.

✨ Topics discussed include:

... more

YouTube

🎙 The Most Skipped Step in Assessment and Why It Matters Most 

What if the most important part of your assessment never involves touching your client? In this solo episode, Whitney dives deep into the client history — the most critical yet frequent... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Dr. Tina Wang
Board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician with a focus on fascia; founder of The Brain Cell
Brain Cell Seminars/The Brain Cell
Episode: 170: Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos, Fascia, and Pain (with Tina Wang) Listener Favorite
Joi Edwards
Doctor of Physical Therapy, massage therapist and cupping instructor
Owlchemy Education
Episode: 167: Cupping & the Nervous System (with Joi Edwards)
Bodhi Haraldsson
Clinician and researcher focused on manual therapy, Cochrane collaboration involvement
Cochrane Collaboration; NLFI Rehabilitation Hospital; Canadian Therapeutic College (former)
Episode: 166: Does Research Support What We Do? (with Bodhi Haraldsson)
Deborah Persinger
Executive Director of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards
Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB)
Episode: 165: Multi-State Massage License: Coming Soon? (with Debra Persinger)
Art Riggs
Certified raw fur massage therapist and creator of influential instructional videos in the field.
Episode: 164: Dizziness Roundtable (with Ruth Werner, Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)
Paul Ingraham
Publisher of painscience.com, former massage therapist, and science writer from Vancouver, British Columbia.
painscience.com
Episode: 161: Science, Skepticism, & Keeping Heart (with Paul Ingraham)
Christopher DaPrato
Physical therapist from UCSF
UCSF
Episode: 159: Can You Really Palpate the Psoas? (with Christopher DaPrato)
Professor Werner Klingler
A physician, anesthesiologist, and fascia researcher with expertise in muscle physiology and pain medicine.
Ulm University
Episode: 157: What Happens When the Body Lets Go? (with Werner Klingler)
Benny Vaughn
Massage therapist with 50 years of experience and a pioneer in integrating massage therapy into sports performance care.
Episode: 156: Lessons from 50 Years (with Benny Vaughn)

Hosts

Whitney Lowe
Co-host of The Thinking Practitioner; educator in massage therapy and bodywork with involvement in multiple organizations and ongoing education initiatives.
Til Luchau
Co-host and co-creator of the show; educator in manual therapy and bodywork with extensive teaching and publishing history.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 287 ratings
  • Ignite!

    With 20 years and counting as a massage therapist, this is one of many ways I keep my spark for the work aglow. These conversations help me refine my ‘why’ and keep me in the loop around current thinking in the bodywork field. Much appreciated Til and Whitney!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    hands of julie
    United Statesa year ago
  • Wonderful podcast!

    It is refreshing to hear thoughtful, intelligent conversations in the field of massage. Til and Whitney are friendly, compassionate and fun to listen to. Thank you both for putting your hard work into this podcast, and for providing such meaningful and helpful content for us all.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    naturebodyconnection
    United States2 years ago
  • So thankful for this podcast!

    A great resource

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Gtaplayer47
    United States2 years ago
  • A must listen for massage therapists and more

    I’ve been listening to this podcast since inception and every episode I learn something new. I especially like the fact that it’s grounded with scientific evidence which helps our industry be taken more seriously in the medical world

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    We4ver
    United Kingdom2 years ago
  • Brain food

    Love this podcast; always interesting and thought provoking

    I love the subjects and guests and always learn something new

    Thank you!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    cridgie
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some praise the evidence-based approach and guest expertise, though a few note pacing or script concerns.
Listeners appreciate thoughtful, intelligent conversations and the mix of clinical insight with practical relevance.
Overall, the show is considered a valuable resource for clinicians seeking professional development.
The hosts' depth, clarity, and ability to connect theory with practice are frequently highlighted.
Episodes are seen as a high-quality resource for staying current in massage and manual therapy.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

167: Cupping & the Nervous System (with Joi Edwards)
Q: Can you give us a basic physiological rundown of what's happening with cupping and why the red circles appear?
From a physical therapy perspective, cupping creates decompression after initial placement, draws tissues into the cup via suction, and produces a space that may reduce protective tissue patterns; the marks are likely localized capillary dilation and minor rupture in some cases, but cupping itself is not typically painful and the practitioner's technique greatly influences comfort and outcomes.
163: A Master in Plain Sight (with Art Riggs)
Q: What surprised you about what experienced practitioners get out of the material versus newcomers?
Many experienced practitioners find they can still learn valuable techniques, while newcomers often discover a passion for the work and open their eyes to new possibilities.
162: AI in Massage: Thinking Partner, Threat, or Crutch? (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)
Q: How do you see AI potentially personalizing learning experiences in manual therapy education?
AI could tailor educational content to fit various experience levels among practitioners.
162: AI in Massage: Thinking Partner, Threat, or Crutch? (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)
Q: What do you think most massage therapists associate with AI?
Many therapists use it simply as a search engine, not fully exploring its capabilities.
161: Science, Skepticism, & Keeping Heart (with Paul Ingraham)
Q: How can you, as a practitioner, separate who you are from the things that you were taught?
You can't ultimately separate your identity from what you do; behavior defines identity.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Thinking Practitioner

What is The Thinking Practitioner about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on advanced manual therapy, bodywork, and massage education through conversations between two seasoned educators. Episodes frequently tackle clinical reasoning, evidence-based practice, and the translation of research into hands-on care, often featuring guest experts who contribute clinical, anatomical, or methodological perspectives. Notable strengths include a strong emphasis on critical thinking, safety, patient communication, and the evolving intersection of science and practice. The format combines practical demonstrations, expert interviews, and thoughtful debate, making it valuable for practitioners seeking to deepen their understanding, stay current, and apply rigorous thinking to their craft.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Thinking Practitioner?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Thinking Practitioner. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Thinking Practitioner and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Thinking Practitioner get?

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What are the audience demographics for The Thinking Practitioner?

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To see how many followers or subscribers The Thinking Practitioner has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Thinking Practitioner?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Thinking Practitioner:

1. The ABMP Podcast | Speaking With the Massage & Bodywork Profession
2. The Exam Room by the Physicians Committee
3. Move Your DNA with Katy Bowman
4. Commune with Jeff Krasno
5. Align Podcast

How many episodes of The Thinking Practitioner are there?

The Thinking Practitioner launched 7 years ago and published 174 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Thinking Practitioner?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on The Thinking Practitioner?

Recent guests on The Thinking Practitioner include:

1. Dr. Tina Wang
2. Joi Edwards
3. Bodhi Haraldsson
4. Deborah Persinger
5. Art Riggs
6. Paul Ingraham
7. Christopher DaPrato
8. Professor Werner Klingler

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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