Veronica Yap is the director and founder of Masso Institute. She has been a medical healthcare specialist for 24 years and counting, and is now certified in a number of notable areas associated with Lymphatic Disorders, her speciality.

With understanding and sensitivity, she's been helping patients regain their physical and emotional sense of self, even if it's only for a short time.

Over the course of her career, her patients have come from many backgrounds, and have come to her with many hard to treat and chronic conditions. It's the experience and practical qualifications below that have helped

Aromatherapy

Veronica is an aromatherapist first and foremost, and this heavily influences her methods and applications of treatment. She has been a full time Clinical Aromatherapist for 23 years.

Back in 1996, she studied at and graduated from the Joanna Hoare Institute of Aromatherapy in the United Kingdom. She later passed the International Federation of Aromatherapy, U.K. (IFA) Diploma examination with Distinction. 

She is Aromatherapy Organisation Council (AOC) Registered. 

She also graduated in Advanced Aromatherapy from the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy (with a Distinction), and since 2002 has been under the mentorship of Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt, a prominent and revered aromatherapist living and working near San Francisco. He is the famous author of Advanced Aromatherapy, Medical Aromatherapy, and The Healing Intelligence of Essential Oils books.

She completed the following certifications in 2019 with the esteemed author of Safety of Essential Oils,  Robert Tisserand—the UK authority on Aromatherapy, and founder of the Tisserand Institute:

1. Fundamentals of Essential Oil Chemistry

2. Essential Oil Safety Masterclass

3. Essential Oils for Healthy Skin

4. The Science Behind Essential OIls

5. Essential Oil Products Formulations

In 2015, she wrote, presented, and published her paper, Lymphoedema Cellulitis – The Aromatherapy Solution, in the 8th Scientific Aromatherapy Conference book. She shared and discussed her discoveries and formula after a 9-year study of patients who had lymphoedema-related cellulitis infections. This was her own way of helping patient to re-establish control.

Manual Lymph Drainage

Veronica graduated as a Dr. Vodder Manual Lymph Drainage & Combined Decongestive Therapist with the highest qualification in 2006. Around that time, she decided to specialize in Lymphoedema Therapy; the majority of her patients today are cancer survivors dealing with the post-treatment complications of Lymphoedema. 

She took advanced studies in Medical Lymph Drainage techniques under Leduc UK, graduating in Sep 2009, further enhancing her abilities in handling complex lymphology cases. She is currently a member of the International Society of Lymphology. 

In 2011, she extended her expertise by becoming a certified level 3 Kinesiotaping therapist from the KTA (Kinesio Taping Association). By using Kinesiotaping and support/compression garments, she's found she can provide additional and better support for her patients.

In 2015, Veronica became a Fluoroscopy Guided MLD Therapist, graduating from the Lymphoedema Training Academy in the U.K.

In this same year Veronica trained with Juzo in Germany to become a burns and Lymphoedema Compression Garment specialist in custom fitting patients into the right level of compression with the right style and comfort that is effective and increases patient compliance in garment donning.

In 2017, Veronica further trained in specalised Lymphoedema taping techniques with Medical Training Concepts and became their Singapore representative for Cure Tape and Crosslinq products.

In 2018-2019, Veronica became the assistant trainer to Jane Wigg from Lymphoedema Training Academy to co-teach the Fill and Flush FG MLD techniques in Singapore and in China

In 2019, Veronica furthered her training in complex bandaging with Cizeta Medicali in Milan and brought in the Italian brand of garments and bandaging materials, method and other phlebology supplies for complex fibrosis solution expanding on her range of options for complex lymphoedema swelling patients.

Remedial Massage Therapy

Veronica graduated in Health Science from ESTT College of Natural Medicine (Melbourne, Australia) in 2002. After further studies, she became a state-recognized Remedial Massage Therapist. She graduated from Health Schools Australia (in Queensland) in 2005, specializing in Remedial Therapy for muscular-skeletal disorders, with a special interest in back and shoulder problems.

Further Qualifications and Practical Experience

Veronica started a retail consultancy at The Changi General Hospital Pharmacy in 1999. She now sells her own customized products direct to her customers and patients.

The practice and use of essential oils in healing and ritualistic purposes goes back to several ancient cultures, including the Chinese, Indians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. However, Aromatherapy was not well-known in Singapore at the time, and Veronica recognized a need in the community. She was convinced from this early stage that not just her patients, but the general public at large, could really benefit from the information she'd been taught. 

From 1999 to 2005, she taught weekly sessions at the Marine Parade Community Club, and then at the main school in Serangoon Garden. She conducted Aromatherapy workshops for corporations, universities, and organizations: 

• IBM 

• TNT

• Changi Hospital

• SMU (Singapore Management University)

• Bizlink (as a volunteer teacher)

• Pentacost Methodist Church (for fundraising)

• Estee Lauder

• Academy of Singapore Teachers (2009) / (2017/18)

• Civil Service College (2014)

More recently in Breast Cancer Foundation & Singapore Cancer Society (Lymphoedema Awareness), Veronica had been the Singapore Teacher Representative for:

• Health Schools Australia (Queensland, Australia) 2005-2010.

• Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy (USA), from 2006 to present. In April 2018 together with Kurt Schnaubelt and Monika Hass, we launched the 4th edition of the PIA Aromatherapy Certification Course with a Course Seminar to Masso Institute participants in Singapore. Kurt and Monika presented the course book with Serial Number 0001 to Veronica—what a great honour and privilege to be the first to receive their book in the world. On their behalf, she runs the school’s curriculum as a satellite tutor in Singapore.

At Masso Institute, education is an integral and major part of therapy; the treatment tends to be more effective when patients (and caregivers) better understand their condition and the processes of healing. 

Today, Veron organizes and teaches classes and seminars (both in Singapore and internationally) on: 

• Basic and advanced topics on aromatherapy for non-professional users

• Lymphoedema workshops and courses for professionals, patients group and caregiver groups

• Professional compression garment custom measurement and fitting

• Professional compression bandaging 

Masso Institute has also welcomed international experts and practitioners to speak and pass on their knowledge in an effort to improve the standards of learning in Singapore. A good example is Dr Kurt Schnaubelt, who has been coming to Singapore from the USA quite regularly. His expertise has given students an opportunity to learn Advanced Medical Aromatherapy knowledge and practices.

In 2013, Veronica completed the Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA). This means that she is a certified trainer under the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) framework, assured for quality by the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) of Singapore. The WSQ is "… a national continuing education and training system designed for adult workers which complements the formal education system for students."

Since 2018-2020, she has been studying to become a trainer for Lymphoedema Training Academy to teach Lymphoedema professionally to health care practitioners. Her training stint has taken her to China where her 20+ years of therapist experience and her bilingual abilities were found to be most useful as an assistant teacher to Jane Wigg (the founder of LTA).

She hopes to develop a proper curriculum for training home care givers, for follow-up management of their loved ones between therapy sessions.