About Johanna Hattendorf
If you’ve found your way to this page, you are probably wondering about who I am, where I’ve been, and what my credentials are. At the bottom of this page, you’ll find all the relevant dates and facts about my training and credentials—there’s a lot of info there (just give me the facts). But, here it is in a nutshell:
I’m an ordained minister, licensed certified massage therapist, certified self-defense and tai chi instructor. I’ve been a guest lecturer at Harvard University and have taught and led classes, workshops and retreats at national conferences as well as locally on a variety of subjects. I guess you could say I’ve been preaching, teaching and healing since 1984.
Preaching
When I went to seminary, I thought I wanted to be a Pastoral Counselor—for those of you who don’t know, that’s someone who is trained to be a therapist, but who also has training in “God-talk”. I pursued post-masters education in pastoral psychology and completed a 3-year internship in Pastoral Counseling. But, 3+ years of sitting and listening convinced me that my ministry was going to have to take a different turn. I still kept “preaching” though—eventually spending 21 years serving as a pastor to churches in NH and MA.
Healing
Those years of sitting in a chair listening helped me understand healing takes place at many levels. My interest in a multi-dimensional approach to deep healing led to my training as a massage therapist in 1992. At first it was all about deep tissue massage. But that changed for me when I began to heal my own history of trauma and abuse. Through bodywork I began to reconnect with my body. With martial arts and self-defense I began to reclaim my power. With Tai Chi, I found a new way to connect with the universe around me. With Craniosacral therapy I found a framework to understand all the disparate elements of my own journey. Over time all the pieces came together—a deeper understanding of trauma as it is held in the body, as well as how to heal myself and others in a safe and supportive way—body, mind and spirit.
Teaching
I’ve been teaching since I was a kid with a toy blackboard and my stuffed animals as students. Everything I learn I want to pass on to others. I got my bachelors degree in education back in 1979. As a pastor, I taught kids, teens, adults, and led countless workshops, seminars and retreats all over New England and at national conferences and events. I taught Theory and Technique at the Massage Institute of New England, Self-Defense at Impact Boston, Tai Chi and self-defense in my own studio, and now Craniosacral Therapy with the Craniosacral Therapy Alliance.
What’s next? I don’t know, but I hope you’ll join me on the journey.
Ministry
Master of Divinity Degree, Boston University School of Theology, 1984
Clinical Pastoral Education, Danvers State Mental Hospital, 1984
Ordained Minister, United Church of Christ/Congregational, 1984 to present
Pastoral Counselor, Pastoral Counseling Services, Manchester, NH 1984 – 1988
Parish Pastor, churches in NH and Mass., 1984 - 2006
Craniosacral Therapy and Massage
Nationally certified by the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (618635-12)
Licensed by the state of Massachusetts (1364)
Reiki I, 1988
Reiki II, 1991
Massage Institute of New England, 1992
American Massage Therapy Association, Professional Member since 1992
Cranio-Sacral Therapy, and SomatoEmotional Release, Upledger Institute 2008 - 2010
Trauma First Aid, Training in trauma awareness, 2009
Advanced Craniosacral Therapy training, Craniosacral Therapy Alliance 2010 - present
Staff, Craniosacral Therapy Alliance, 2012 to present
Tai Chi and Self-Defense Credentials
1st Degree Black Belt in Kung Fu, United Martial Arts Center, Danvers, MA 2004
2nd Degree Black Belt in Kung Fu, United Martial Arts Center, Danvers, MA 2006
Nationally Certified Self-Defense Instructor, National Women’s Martial Arts Federation, 2005
Self-Defense Instructor with Impact Boston 2005 - 2012
Tai Chi Instructor, 2005 – present
Self-Defense Instructor, 2005 - present