History
    
Curties-Overzet Publications started from conversations between Debra Curties and Jerry Overzet, who were friends and co-owners at Sutherland-Chan School. As massage therapy educators they had an awareness of the dearth of textbooks and other educational materials in our profession. Their idea of becoming active in publishing was galvanized by difficulties Debra experienced in 1997 in interesting publishers in a book she was writing based on breast massage. Discussions with colleagues led her to believe that she was not the only one finding it difficult to work with mainstream publishers on projects on the frontier of massage therapy education. "I guess I'm going to have to consider self-publishing," progressed to thoughts of starting a publishing company.

Curties-Overzet Publications came into existence in 1998. Its initial activities involved publishing two books of Debra's -- Breast Massage and Massage Therapy and Cancer. Jerry organized the business office and sales system while Debra worked on editing, book production, and advertising.

In the meantime, Jerry moved to New Brunswick and was running the company's office from his home. As Curties-Overzet business increased and he became more active in life in his new environment, Jerry felt he needed to make a choice. In 2001 he sold his shares to Sutherland-Chan School. A formal office with a staff person opened at the Sutherland-Chan location in Toronto in 2001.

Consistent with its mission of publishing cutting edge massage therapy education materials, Curties-Overzet has begun to work with new writers. Generally speaking, these are individuals with a great deal of experience as educators and practitioners. Massage Therapy & Medications by Randal Persad came onto the market in the fall of 2001, Martha Brown Menard's Making Sense of Research is hot off the press, and two other writers are in various stages of manuscript preparation.

Curties-Overzet Publications has grown quickly in its first five years. The enthusiastic response to our products has confirmed our founders' instinct that the massage therapy profession was ready for its own publishing house.

Mission Statement

Curties-Overzet's mission is to provide educational texts and materials for the massage therapy profession that set a high standard for content and innovation, make a contribution to the expansion of the available catalogue of materials, and are accessible to students and practicing therapists alike.