About John & His Work
A certified massage therapist specialized in trauma, John is Quaker healer with a gift for releasing physical and emotional pain and has worked with many different types of people. Sharing his gift also includes teaching in diverse settings and in many places as well as writing to better understand how we can heal ourselves and others. John was the founding convener of The Quaker Initiative to End Torture and is married to Marshall Brewer.
Quaker Healer & Massage Therapist
A massage therapist by training with a specialization in trauma, John began with women survivors of sexual assault. Later, he worked with people with AIDS, inmates, tortured refugees, ritual abuse survivors, addicts, veterans, and hospice.
Certified by the Boulder School of Massage Therapy in 1984 and recognized as a Quaker with a spiritual gift for releasing the physical and emotional pain that follow trauma, John is faithful to his leading. This work also led him as the founding convener of The Quaker Initiative to End Torture (2005-2014).
John’s calling is consistent with other Quakers, who have a long history of healing work, and was recognized by his Quaker meeting as a Released Friend for 15 years. Given this background, John’s work has been embraced by many different kinds of groups, individuals, and their caregivers.
Teacher
As a teenager, John began with teaching young children how to swim. He later taught Montessori 3- to 6-year-olds. He now teaches people working in crisis how to avoid burnout.
John has taught in six countries, five prisons, and 14 yearly meetings of Quakers. His workshops are attended by people working in extreme conditions, including health care professionals, clergy, and families where pain is abundant and resources are few.
Frequent topics of teaching have included disciplines for making compassion pragmatic, avoiding burnout for caregivers, massage and energy work for trauma and deep relaxation, traumatic experience and healing from it, healing life’s wounds in the dance between hope and fear, spiritual disciplines for the tasks of healing, and the uses of reverence and humor amidst great pain.
Author
Looking back on decades of witnessing extreme experience, John writes in order to understand. From this personal desire to seek meaning has come much writing and two books, The Dance between Hope and Fear (2013) and How Far Have You Traveled? (2019).
John’s song, “The Ones Who Aren’t Here,” was first recorded by Meg Christian at Carnegie Hall in 1982 and is often heard at gay memorials and weddings.
About the Quaker Initiative to End Torture (Q.U.I.T.)
The Quaker Initiative to End Torture (Q.U.I.T.) is a spiritual work to end the worst that humans do to one another. Founded in 2005, it was formally laid down in 2024.
After almost 20 years of advocacy, the members of Q.U.I.T. laid the group down in 2024. Their work focused on education and outreach, encouraging concerned citizens to be informed, get involved, and contact their representatives to advocate for transparency and against U.S.-sponsored torture.
Although Q.U.I.T. is no longer active, the issues remain. The website and Facebook page remain active, but donations are no longer being accepted.
“Quaker Initiative to End Torture Laid Down After Nearly 20 Years of Advocacy,” Friends Journal (November 25, 2024).
Timeline
1952
Born May 14, grew up on grandmother’s farm (Connecticut)
1975-83
Summers, Taught guitar, banjo, dulcimer
Killooleet Summer Camp (Hancock, VT)
1981
Song recorded by Meg Christian
“The Ones Who Aren’t Here” (Carnegie Hall concert)
1982
Began trauma work, people who were drugged, abducted, raped/tortured
1983
October, Began work with people with AIDS
1984
April, Graduated from Boulder School of Massage Therapy (Boulder, CO)
1985
Begin prison work
5 locations in US & Canada
AIDS education, massage, deep relaxation
1985
Song recorded by Kim Wallach
“French Fries”
1987
Song recorded by The Short Sisters
“A Little Gracefulness” (title cut)
1987-2002
Recognized as a Released Friend by Putney Meeting (Putney, VT)
1987-2016
Taught at annual Friends General Conference
(U.S.)
1988
Song recorded by Suede
“The Ones Who Aren’t Here”
1988
July, Invited performance of original song, main stage, Cincinnati Gay Pride (Cincinnati, OH)
1989
Married Marshall Brewer under the care of Putney Meeting, August 26
1990
Friends General Conference Plenary Address
(St. Paul, MN)
1990-2019
Taught at Pendle Hill, various workshops and programs (Wallingford, PA)
1990-2020
Taught at New England Yearly Meeting (New England)
1990-2025
Taught at Vermont People with AIDS Coalition events (Vermont)
1993
June 26, Invited performance of original song, Vermont Gay Pride March (Burlington, VT)
2005
Founded convener of Quaker Initiative to End Torture (Q.U.I.T.)
2011
Friends General Conference Plenary Address
(Grinnell, IA)
2013
First book published
The Dance Between Hope and Fear
2019
Second book published
How Far Have You Travled?
