What to Expect While in School

Life of a massage therapy student….

Massage therapy educational programs can take 6-12 months to complete. During massage therapy school, students will learn many hands-on modalities and techniques as well as anatomy, physiology, pathology, and professional development.  A massage student is not only a therapist-in-training but also acts as a client receiving massage therapy from fellow classmates.

A massage program focuses on basic massage theory, techniques and introduces students to anatomy and physiology.  The student learns about the human body through theory and physical exploration during the hands-on portions of the courses.

Massage students learn how to combine techniques and systems to address individual therapeutic needs.  Every massage therapist is unique in their approach and design of a massage treatment.  During the program, students will discover their own creative approach.

Typical classes included in a massage therapy education:

• Swedish massage - A relaxing massage using long-flowing strokes.
• Deep-tissue massage - A massage that uses deeper pressure that is beneficial in releasing chronic muscle tension.
• Trigger Point massage - A massage that focuses on releasing knots or tightness within a muscle.
• Sports massage - A massage geared towards athletes that focuses on overused and stressed muscles from repetitive usage.
• Reflexology - A therapeutic foot massage, from Asian cultures, where pressure is applied to the feet and ankles to relieve tension in the body.
• Chair massage - A massage that is typically performed at events or businesses, where client is clothed and seated in a specialized massage chair.
• Anatomy & Physiology - Studies that cover the structure and function of body parts
  and the body.
• Kinesiology - Study of human movement.
• Pathology - Study of diseases of the human body.
• Business & Ethics - A class focused on building a business and maintaining professional boundaries with clients.