Massage Practitioner	Massage Therapist	Holistic Healthcare Provider	Medical Qigong

Massage Practitioner Program (250 hours)

Our Massage Practitioner Program imparts essential methods for inducing relaxation, pain reduction and heightened states of peace and ease.  The training prepares graduates for California State Certification, and entry level employment in massage therapy. California State Certification allows graduates to practice anywhere in the state of California, superseding the local municipality requirements. For example, this allows practitioners to get State Certification and a business license with 250 hours of training for municipalities such as Goleta or Thousand Oaks which have 500 and 1000 hour requirements. 

The Practitioner Program comprises a foundational training in Swedish massage, Reflexology, Seated massage, anatomy and physiology, body mechanics, movement, ethics and setting up practice as well as two additional bodywork modules in student’s choice of modalities.  Hence 250 hour graduates will gain competence in four different bodywork modalities. Students meet twice weekly, mornings or evenings and one weekend nature retreat for Swedish instruction. Bodywork modules are offered in weekend, weekday, or weeknight formats, throughout the year, allowing multiple entry points into our program.  Students qualify to start working in the clinic once they have completed their first elective bodywork module or gain competency in their full body Swedish.

Massage Practitioner Program

Program Requirements Hours

LEVEL I BREAKDOWN

Level 1/Swedish

Our foundation course for all of our certificate programs is Level 1- Swedish. We begin with the essential methods of healing: gentle movement, massage, deep breathing and deep relaxation for benefit to self and others. Students are guided through a succession of exercises that deepen their capacity to transfer force, flow energy and hold presence. Once established in a state of presence, students engage in the giving and receiving of massage techniques: using gentle, big mitt contact, fluid pushing strokes, and warming, squeezing strokes. Students learn to flow progressively through each area of contact like water pouring over the body, penetrating the tissues and inducing states of deep relaxation.  Building on the relaxation techniques, students learn to warm, stretch and knead tissues with effective use of pressure to assist nutrient absorption, removal of metabolic wastes, and tissue mobilization.

Concurrent with their developing massage skills, students are guided through an applied understanding of the body systems emphasizing the nervous, circulatory, lymphatic, digestive, endocrine, respiratory and musculoskeletal systems in relationship to the stress response vs. rest, digest,  and  relaxation response. Students learn how to modulate techniques based on body type and presenting patterns as well as contraindications.  As students gain understanding and potency with their touch, they can effectively address a wide range of pain and tension profiles. Following evaluation, students then work with the general public within our clinic setting and community outreach events. The training also includes a weekend retreat at Rancho Osos in the Los Padres National Forest. The secluded indoor/outdoor setting allows students to deepen their contact with their intuitive sensory perception and deepen their bond and ease with fellow students. Our outdoor curriculum includes trust walks and sensory awareness exercises followed by blindfold massage, round Robyn massage and five element massage applications. Students often report that the body/mind shifts they experience in class have lasting impact in their daily lives, creating greater ease within themselves and harmony between family, friends and coworkers.

Ethics (choose 1)

Communication Skills for Bodyworkers (10hrs)

Offers compassionate communication skills towards connecting with needs, empathic listening and expressing boundaries. Techniques offered can be applied to a variety client/therapist issue: diffusing conflict, setting boundaries, establishing trust and emotional release.

Ethics, Boundaries and Professionalism for Bodyworkers (10 hrs)

Clarifies interpersonal exchanges surrounding the practice of professional massage.  Issues regarding sex, money, power and spiritual longing will be explored within the context of the massage practice. Students learn to define their own personal ethics while understanding industry standards.

Reflexology (choose 1)

Reflexology and Detoxification (20 hrs)

Offers effective techniques for addressing pain, low energy, immune dysfunction and detoxification. The course blends reflexology techniques with cleansing dietary measures- for a holistic approach to addressing a variety of common pathologies and pain profiles.  Reflexology involves distal stimulation on the feet and hands to release metabolic wastes in tissues that impede the flow of blood, lymph and chi to the vital organs, glands and lymph nodes.

Additional dietary measures will be offered for cleansing and building healthy tissue including: herbal botanicals and whole foods to enhance the elimination of wastes and recharging of the immune system. The course will address the influence of environmental toxins on the physiology and how to support the body’s capacity to flush chemicals, pesticides and heavy metals as well as metabolic wastes.

Reflexology and Stress Management (20hrs)

Offers reflex techniques for vitalizing the organs, glands and nervous system.  Reflexology involves distal stimulation on the feet and hands to release metabolic wastes that block and irritate the nerve terminals in the feet and hands.  The nerves in the body may be likened to an electrical system. Clearing congestion in the nerve terminals of the feet allows the body to make contact with the electricity or negative electrons in the ground and atmosphere that help power the organs and glands. Coupled with earthing practices (sustained skin contact with the earth) and dietary measures, Reflexology can dramatically reduce pain and inflammation, enhance vitality and address an assortment of stress related pathologies.

Access Energy Track (choose 80)

Access Energy I, II & III (20, 40 or 60 hrs) includes: Bars and MTVSS. Bars comprise gentle touch contact on 32 points on the head, feet and hands. Each head position is specific to clearing a mental/emotional stress pattern, and enhancing blood flow to the central nervous system. MTVSS or Molecular Terminal Valence Sloughing Systems is a frequency technique that allows the body to receive more oxygen and restructure itself on a molecular level. It can be applied anywhere on the body. Specific positions are recommended for enhancing the immune system. Repeated attendance (3 times) qualifies the student to teach Bars and MTVSS to the general public.

Access Body Processes I & II (20hrs) offers processes for addressing trauma, injury, scar tissue and detoxification. The course addresses trauma’s impact on the nervous system and mental/emotional states. Light touch techniques offered for releasing shock and trauma, detoxifying amalgams, and freeing scar tissue.

**The entire Massage Practitioner (CMP) options will only be available until December 31, 2015. After which it will be phased out and all new applicats must meet the requirements set by the Massage Therapist (CMT) options.**

Certified Massage Therapist:

1. 500 education Hrs with 250 of those Hrs from an approved school.

2. A passing score on either the MBLEx or the NCETMB/NCETM and documented work history for at least two years.

3. Holds a current license or certification from a U.S. state or Canadian province with greater or equal requirements to CA. (Policies pending regarding massage education in other countries.)

The best way to prepare for the NCETMB/NCETM or MBLEx is to take advantage of the 2900 plus massage questions that we have on our site. You get 24 hour access to our state of the art massage testing program that tracks each test for review. Study questions in 8 different categories from massage assessment and application to anatomy, physiology, and massage law. Go into your exam with confidence which you have gained from using our massage study aid.