Developing your skills: massage schools and training programs

When you decide to go out massage-school hunting, the most important thing you'll need to do is find the right match for your needs and your personality. The school you choose has to fit like a finely tailored suit. After several years in this profession and experience teaching in several schools, my advice to you is the following: Undertake a thorough study of the owner of each prospective massage school as well as the people you are going to be spending most of your time with—the instructors and other students. Do this before you lay any of your hard-earned cash on the line. One excellent way to meet the owners and administrators of a school you are interested in is to attend the open houses that many of them offer. Alternately, ask to sit in on a class and observe from the back. You can only use this for an approximation of what your own class will be like, however, because massage classes have a tendency to be dramatically different from each other, even in the same school. Each class quickly develops its own unique "personality."

Since there are nearly 800 massage schools to choose from, you may feel a bit overwhelmed at first, but if you follow the steps below, you will quickly zero in on the one that's right for you. When you are ready to start checking out schools, begin by asking massage people for their recommendations. Check the yellow pages in your town under Schools and Vocational Institutes. Try studying the list in the back of any issue of Massage Therapy Journal. There you will find the programs of schools that have been accredited by the Commission on Massage Training Accreditation/Approval (COMTAA). To become eligible for accreditation, the programs must offer courses with a minimum of 500 hours of supervised class time, be at least six months in duration, and have been in business for at least two years, graduating two complete classes. The applicant school then completes a process of self-study before a peer team reviews the program with an on-site visit. The commission reviews the on-site report and makes a final decision on the school. Accreditation is a voluntary process.

Also, throughout the Massage Therapy Journal and Massage magazines, dozens of massage schools advertise their programs. You can also order a comprehensive guidebook, The Touch Training Directory, featuring over 700 somatic training institutions, which can be ordered for $15.95 from Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) at (800) 458-2267. ABMP has their own school accrediting agency, the International Massage & Somatic Therapies Accreditation Council.

Another tactic is to attend one of the professional organization meetings held periodically in different cities, on both the national and regional level. A number of the massage school owners and managers participate, often speaking in seminars or on panels. It's an excellent way to get to know them and see how they present themselves and their schools. You can also speak with other attendees and ask their opinion of the schools you have under consideration. Though growing rapidly, the massage community is still relatively tight-knit, and the reputation of each school is a matter of communal debate. Most people agree that certain schools are superior, and you should find out which ones they are.

During the several months that you are attending massage school, you'll be worshipping the gods of physiology, anatomy, technique, theory, and practice. Before you decide which altar to devote yourself to, consider the A.L.TA.R. Factors (Accreditation, Location, Tuition, Administration, Reputation) to see which school is best for you:

1. Accreditation: Not all schools are accredited by the COMTAA. Becoming accredited is voluntary procedures, which many excellent schools have not had the time or desire to undergo yet. However, most good schools are registered with local business associations such as the Chamber of Commerce or the Association of Vocational and Technical Schools. The key here is to look for how seriously the school takes itself as a business. As time goes on, more and more schools will become licensed, just like the trade schools in other professions. If your state does not yet have licensing for therapists or schools, check to make sure the curriculum will prepare you to pass the National Certification Exam. In this way, you'll be assured of an education that will prepare you for work in the real world. For example, in Maine, to be certified as a therapist you must either graduate from a COMTAA accredited program, or have taken the National Certification Exam. To take the exam, you have to graduate from a state-licensed school—unless, of course, there is no licensing in your state. You can see how tricky this issue gets. Most important for you, before you sign up for school, dig deep and verify the quality and acceptability of the program you're entering.

2. Location: The school closest to where you live will probably be the most convenient. Or perhaps you are ready to uproot yourself, and you are looking for the massage school with the most beautiful location available. In either case, you'll have to judge location along with all the other pros and cons.

3. Tuition: Is the school in your price range? Many offer financial assistance. Be sure to ask the enrollment officer. Sometimes, you get what you pay for in a massage school.

4. Administration: Are the people you speak with on the phone and deal with at the school's office courteous, friendly, and enthusiastic? If not, their sour attitude may point to deeper problems at the school that you would eventually uncover if you were to enroll. Also, job placement assistance is an important factor to consider. Does the administrative staff offer meaningful aid to the students after they've graduated and are looking for work?

5. Reputation: Ask, ask, ask. Word of mouth is the best advertisement for massage schools, and it is the most certain way for you to come up with some important data regarding the schools you are considering.

A perfect match doesn't come easily. You may find that the teacher that inspires you the most may live in another state. Or if you know of one school with a great reputation, it may turn out that they are too expensive. You'll have to weigh all these points carefully before making your final decision. Once it's finally made, though, you can relax because one of the most fun, memorable, transformative experiences of your life is about to begin.

Generally speaking, private massage schools founded and run by caring members of the profession offer more in-depth, comprehensive, and spirited curricula than vocational massage training programs found in some adult educational facilities throughout the country. This is not to say that many of the teachers at the vocational schools aren't excellent, dedicated people. But the private schools usually have better facilities and a more upbeat atmosphere.

On the downside, private schools are generally more expensive. If price is a definite concern for you, and you're determined to study hard and become a great therapist no matter where you get your basic training, just make sure to sit in on a class or two at the vocational school and ask a few graduates their opinion of the program before you enroll. Also, make sure the school offers an officially recognized program so that you'll be able to use your transcript to obtain a license after graduation, if licensing is required in your state.
    
Since the profession of massage therapy has been growing at such an astonishing rate lately, the number of massage schools has grown tremendously, too. The vast majority of them are run by fine, upstanding people who invest their heart and soul in the business. But some are not. Several entrepreneurs, having spotted a trend and decided to capitalize upon it, have set up schools without either heart or soul. You can tell which ones they are by the "assembly line" feel you get when you visit them. They may be large, and they may be successful, and many of their students may find paid employment after graduation. But ask yourself if you want to invest some of the most transformative months of your life in such an impersonal atmosphere. For some people the anonymity of such a school may be alluring. But then, if you feel that way, ask yourself again why it was you've decided to go to massage school. If you really want to grow and become a new person with new skills, you will seek out like-minded, inspiring individuals to help you get there. The world of massage is filled with such people. When you find yourself in a classroom full of them, you'll feel right at home.

The Importance of Finding a Mentor
Massage therapy lends itself well to the traditional practice of mentoring, and this is a subject that is attracting more and more attention in the massage profession. In the same way that young interns learn from experienced physicians as they make their rounds through a hospital ward, you can pick up much valuable information by observing a longtime practitioner and opening a dialog with him. By doing so, you will learn more than just techniques. As in all systems where new members become the "apprentice" to an older member, you learn about lifestyle, hardships, rewards, possibilities, and personal growth, as well.

How can you find a mentor? It appears that, to recoin a phrase, "When the massage therapist is ready, the mentor will appear." You may find yourself seeking the counsel of one of the faculty at the massage school you attend. Or an established practitioner in your town will find time to share with you. Perhaps a supervisor at the first establishment where you find work as a therapist will give you some guidance. Or an article you read in a massage journal will inspire you to contact and seek out the author. You will usually feel an attraction or bond to your mentor without knowing why at first. Intuitively, you know that this person can offer you just the right wisdom and advice. Usually the mentor's technique and personality will be similar to your own, and you may think to yourself that you'd like to be in a similar position when you reach a later stage in your own career.

Conversely, the mentor will most likely feel a similar bond with you, or the situation won't be profitable to both partners. The mentor might see a youthful version of himself reflected in you and be inspired by the image. In any case, the relationship works as a two-way street and should always remain so or it will become unbalanced.

The best way to initiate a relationship with a mentor is by giving something, not asking for something. One natural gift to give is a massage, of course. Offer a free treatment to someone you think may be mentor material. Tell them you're doing so to get feedback on your technique and, frankly, to be in their presence and open a dialogue. I had the opportunity to offer Dr. Andrew Weil a massage at his home in Tucson once, and in return I got the honor of spending a couple hours with him and having a tour of his organic garden.

A relationship with a mentor may last just two hours, or it could last many years. If you come to the relationship in the spirit of giving and mutual exchange, you'll automatically be lifted up to a new level through the sharing of ideas, motivation, experience, and commitment. Finding a mentor is definitely worth the temporary embarrassment you may feel at first when approaching experienced therapists you don't know. Go for it.

Another respected therapist, Mark Beck, author of Milady's Theory and Practice of Therapeutic Massage, is also interested in mentoring. He offered a workshop called Mentorship: Revitalizing the Ancient Way at the AMTA national convention in November 1997.