(917) 843-8609(917) 843-8609(917) 843-8609
J.D. ELDER, MA, LMT
Comfort is always an Option

About JD


Joseph David (JD) Elder is a graduate of The Swedish Institute College for Health Sciences (1984).  He received a New York State Massage Therapy License (1984).

He received a Reiki Advanced Practitioner certification from Memorial Sloan Kettering (2008),Therapeutic Yoga Certification from Integral Yoga (2008), Vodder Method Manual Lymphatic Drainage Certification (Basic Level) from The Swedish Institute (2006), and Personal Trainer certification from Marymount College (1997).

Mr. Elder received a Bachelor of Science (2003) and a Master of Arts degree (2010) from the State University of New York, Empire State College. His studies included issues in community health and the affect of mindfulness, and human nature on health. 

Mr. Elder has been a student, and subsequently a teacher of stress reduction and mindfulness-based meditation practices since 1972. He has a personal and professional interest in how habits of mind and mindfulness influence physical, and mental health and wellbeing. 

JD founded and coordinated the activities of the Massage Therapy Program and the Complementary Therapies Program at the Hertzberg Palliative Care Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, where he offered  comfort-focused massage therapy, therapeutic positioning and therapeutic mindfulness/stress reduction to chronically and seriously ill geriatric and palliative care patients from 2000-2023.

He also co-developed and facilitated the annual education program “Hospital-based massage therapy for seriously ill patients” for massage therapists wishing to work with seriously ill and hospitalized patients. Hertzberg Palliative Care Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai  (2006-2016).

Awards, Publications and Posters

  • Mr. Elder received Mount Sinai’s “Team Service Award” (2002), and he received a “Recognition of Excellence” Service Award (2005).
  • He received Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine's "Spotlight on Excellence" recognition (in 2016, and again in 2023). Spotlight on Excellence
  • JD featured in article:  Massage Today Magazine / Palliative Massage
  • Published Master's Degree: Mindfulness: A Potentially Good Idea by Elder, J.D., State University of New York Empire State College, 2010, 72 pages; 1483074    “Mindfulness: A Potentially Good Idea”
  • Deborah Matza, RN, MPH, C-IAYT, Suzanne Goldhirsch MA, MsED, JD Elder, MA, LMT, Karen Hiensch, ANP-BC and Emily Chai, MD. Feasibility of Yoga Therapy/Mindfulness Program for Heart Failure Patients. 2019.
  • Jyoti Sharma, MD, Rabbi Edith M. Meyerson, DMin, BCC, Diane Farquher, LCSW, ACSW, JD Elder, MA, LMT, Allen D. Andrade, MD. Healing the Healer: Managing Countertransference and Grief Among Healthcare Providers. 2019.
  • Devin Gilhuly MD, MS, Jay R Horton Ph.D., Lauren Fleming LMSW, JD Elder MA, LMT, Deborah Matza RN, MPH, C-IAYT and Noelle Marie Javier. The Tipping Point: Utilizing Comprehensive Pain Management in the Era of the National Opioid Epidemic. 2018.
  • Bridget Tracy, MD, Allison Stark, MD, MBA, and JD Elder, MA, LMT “Mindful Touch: Easing Suffering In Patients For Whom Medical Therapies Fail.”Presented at American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. NewOrleans, Louisiana, 2013.
  • Jane Morris, RN, LMT, J. D. Elder, LMT, Diane E. Meier, MD and R. Sean Morrison, MD.  “Non-Pharmacologic Management of Distressing Symptoms: Impact of a Massage Therapy Program.” Presented at American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine annual meeting in 2003
  •  J.D. Elder, LMT Diane E. Meier, MD R. Sean Morrison, MD Cynthia X. Pan, MD, Jane Morris, MS, RN, LMT. “New Concepts in Caring: Introducing Massage Therapy into the Academic Medical Center” presented at 14th annual American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine meeting in Palm Springs, CA, 2002

JD has been a member of American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) since 2011.

Abridged Employment History

  • Assistant Coordinator of Fellows Integrative Medicine Elective, Mount Sinai Hospital, Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine (2017--2023).

  • Coordinator of Complementary Therapies, Hertzberg Palliative Care Institute, Mount Sinai Medical Center. His role expanded to include supervising and assisting with the yoga therapy program's development (2012-2023).
  • Massage Therapy Program Coordinator, Hertzberg Palliative Care Institute, Mt Sinai Medical Center.  Work included development, training and supervision of a hospital-based, palliative care-focused massage therapy program (2001-2023).
  • Massage Therapy and Stress Reduction Outpatient Clinic. JD developed, coordinated and cared for patients at this free monthly clinic at The Martha Stewart Center for Living, Mount Sinai Medical Center (2009-2023).
  • Palliative Massage Therapist: Mt Sinai Hospital, Work included using massage therapy and other non-pharmacological stress management modalities to assist seriously ill individuals—and their family caregivers (2001—2023).
  • Speaker, In-Service Education: Hertzberg Palliative Care Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. This work included educational workshops for clinical staff members, visiting doctors and medical students (2001—2023).
  • Speaker’s Bureau: Stress Management Workshops: Community Outreach Initiative, Hertzberg Palliative Care Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.  Work included educational and experiential workshops for community and senior centers about the therapeutic benefits of massage therapy and meditation (2002-2010).
  • Massage Therapist (Private Practice, physician referral). My work includes using a modified massage technique and guided meditation to support and comfort symptomatic, seriously and terminally ill individuals. This includes home environment stressor considerations and their reduction (1984-current).
  • Personal Trainer: New York Health and Racquet Club. JD worked specifically with older adults to maintain and improve health in relevant areas of fitness (cardio-respiratory, flexibility, strength and balance).  His work focused on functional fitness, muscular symmetry and stress management education (1997-2000).
  • Massage Therapist: New York Health and Racquet Club. Work included sports massage therapy and stress management consulting for fitness clientele (1984-2000).

Continuing Education

JD has been a New York state-licensed massage therapist working in stress reduction, health promotion and healthcare since 1984. His continuing education training is ongoing and extensive. It includes:

  • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Anxiety and Depression (8 week training) taught by Sarah Kinsley offered through the Mind and Health Institute (5/22-7/31, 2023).
  • Essential Mindfulness: A path to understanding our lives (9 month training program). Insight Meditation Society  (1/23-9/23). 
  • Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Training (MBSR 8 weeks): Systematic and secular approach to awareness and mindfulness training for symptoms and stress reduction. Brown University (4/12/22-5/31/22). 
  • Healthy Minds at work Master Class (Founders edition). The science and practice of mindfulness: scientific edition. Healthy Minds Innovations Inc. (10/13/21-11/17/21)
  • Dysfunctional Breathing: How to spot it and fix it”. Timothy McCall, MD. Integral Yoga Institute (10/9/21-10/23/21).
  • Well-Being is a Skill: with neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson New York Insight Meditation Center (5/20/21). 
  • Getting Over Your Self – A Buddhist Therapist’s Path to Freedom. Led by psychotherapist Mark Epstein. NY Insight Meditation Center (1/23/21). 
  • Advanced Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Widening the Window of Tolerance and Supporting Trauma Recovery. Advanced Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness Certification taught by David Treleaven. 25.5 training hours (1/06/2021).
  • Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness: The Introductory Guide to Recognizing Trauma, Responding Skillfully and Preventing Re-traumatization. Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness Certification taught by David Treleaven 13 training hours (11/15/2020).
  • Welcoming the Unwelcome: Mindfulness for Difficult Times. —-Pema Chodron (9/11/20-9/13/20). 
  • The Foundations of Mindfulness Certificate Training with Bhikkhu Analayo, Insight Meditation Society and Wisdom Experience (5/15/20-7/24/20).
  • Bearing Witness Together in Troubled Times with Roshi Joan and Frank Ostaseski. UPAYA Institute/Zen Center (4/27, 5/4, and 5/11/2020).
  • Ethics and Touch (workshop) Swedish Institute, NY, NY (4/20/18).
  • The Role of Integrative Medicine Therapies at the End of Life. Swedish Institute, NY (6/17/17)
  • MBSR Certificate 8 week training. Instructors: Saki F. Santorelli and Florence Meleo-Meyers (online training) (3/31/16—5/23/16).
  • Creating a Mindful Society conference: This conference explored ways that mindfulness can benefit our lives and transform our society. Society for Ethical Culture, New York (9/30–10/1, 2011).
  • Counter-Clockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of possibility (workshop: how our perspective affects the quality of our aging and our health). Dr. Ellen Langer. Kripalu, Massachusetts (11/13/2011).
  • Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Professional Training: directed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn and Dr. Saki F. Santorelli, Omega Institute, 5/29/2009—6/5/2009.
  •  Vodder Method, Manual Lymphatic Drainage Certification (Basic Level), Swedish Institute, NY. (2006).
  •  Touch Research Institutes: University of Miami School of Medicine. Two-day workshop involved research development strategies for massage study, Ellen Langer (2003).
  • Therapeutic Touch training: Swedish Institute, NY (11/2/1999).
  • Behavioral Vision Therapy Training: Center for Unlimited Vision, Extensive training involved natural ways to improve vision and reduce eye strain. (1/2/1988-10/7/1990).

For additional information, use contact JD link.