"Top Places to Study Massage"
If you have decided that there is absolutely no way that you can go on with your life without rushing out to become a professional massage therapist yourself now, I would just like to say...congratulations! You have made a very wise and dynamic career choice that will take you places you've never dreamed of before, places that your mother might call "different," and that your friends and colleagues might refer to as "interesting."
One of the very first places this decision will take you is bound to be a massage school of some kind or another. Massage schools each have their own personality, history, reputation, strong points, weak points, etc., and choosing the right one to spend some important, life-transforming time in over a period of several months or a year is not a decision you should enter into lightly. You want to get to know the school you're considering, just like you'd want to get to know a new person before you begin calling him a friend.
In the same way that we end up making friends with the people we are physically close to (in school, at work, as part of white house internship programs, etc.), we usually end up choosing a massage school that is somewhere in the vicinity of our house or apartment. However, if you have the luxury of mobility and can consider schools in a variety of locations, I've compiled a list here that might help. Keep in mind that these schools are some of my personal favorites and those recommended by colleagues and friends. There are many, many other fine schools around. In the U.S. alone, for example, approximately 800 massage schools dot the landscape, and the number just keeps growing.
TIP
If you'd like to see a much more extensive list of schools, might I suggest
the TOUCH TRAINING DIRECTORY, published by Associated Bodywork and Massage
Professionals? It costs about $15, and you can get it by calling (800)458-2267
or visiting www.abmp.com.
And now, if you'd like to consider some really dreamy places to attend massage school in the U.S., places that will become an indelible part of your personal history, places where you'll make lifelong friends, enjoy a stimulating environment, and be able to immerse yourself in a whole new world, check out the following suggestions.
TIP
Keep in mind that you can go experience a weekend workshop
or a week-long intensive class before deciding to commit to a full course
of study at many of the schools listed here. This is a highly recommended
way to get to know your prospective fellow students, faculty, and the
facility itself. Call each school to receive a catalogue of workshops.
| Down East School of Massage
-- Waldoboro, Maine Imagine a private reserve in the woods of Maine, complete with a pond and one dirt road called Moose Meadow Lane. Then add a modern, 3 story school building, a devoted, caring owner, and a topnotch, fully accredited massage training program, and you've got the ingredients for an intense yet tranquil massage learning experience in one of the most beautiful settings anywhere. PO Box 24, Waldoboro, ME 04572-0024, (207)832-5531, www.midcoast.com/~dsm |
| Scherer Institute of Natural
Healing -- Santa Fe, New Mexico If you're going to go to massage school someplace, why not gorgeous New Mexico, where you can hike, ski, soak in hot pools in the desert, and eat some of the best Mexican food anywhere? The Scherer Institute has gotten nothing but rave reviews from friends who've gone there and from the press as well. Now with a second facility in Taos, they offer a holistic experience that is unsurpassed. 935 Alto Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505)982-8398, www.schererinstitute.com |
| Heartwood Institute -- Garberville,
California "A school that is more accurately lived than simply attended" is the way this campus set on 240 acres of rolling mountains, meadows and forests is described. Located way way way up in northern California, this is the place to go if you want to experience the "whole enchilada" during your massage training experience. There's organic food, fresh air, stunning views, and a comprehensive holistic philosophy that will permeate your time here, making it one of the most unforgettable episodes in your life. 220 Harmony Lane, Garberville, CA 95542 (707)923-5000, www.heartwoodinstitute.com |
| Esalen Institute -- Big Sur,
California As touted in Chapter 2, Esalen can be considered a kind of epicenter for massage consciousness in the U.S.. Situated on the dramatic northern California coastline, it acts as a magnet for some of the best teachers in the world. They've developed their own particular massage style there (not surprisingly called Esalen Massage) which you can learn while in residence. Not a bad way to spend your school days. TIP If you consider studying at Esalen, it will help a lot if you don't get squeamish at the sight of naked bodies, 'cause you'll see plenty of them wandering around while you're there. Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93920, (408)667-3000, www.esalen.org |
| Suncoast School of Massage --
Tampa, Florida All right, I admit it, Suncoast is my alma mater, and the owners, Dan and Telka Ulrich, are long-time friends. I may indeed be somewhat biased about this school, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't consider going there, because it's excellent. The program has consistently turned out highly skilled and competent therapists, some of whom even go on to write books about massage. 4910 Cypress Street, Tampa, FL 33607-3802, (813)287-1099 |
| Kripalu Center for Yoga &
Health -- Lenox, Massachusetts Set on a hill overlooking a lake in the Berkshire mountains of western Massachusetts, Kripalu has had a long illustrious history of training massage practitioners, especially those interested in the "spiritual" side of massage. Instructors at this residential facility practice a lot of yoga and meditation, making them the perfect peaceful practitioners to teach stressed-out folks from the big city. You might want to test the waters at this somewhat eclectic place before you commit, though, especially if chanting in Sanskrit at 6 a.m. is not your cup of tea. Kripalu Center, PO Box 793, Lenox, MA 01240, (413)448-3400, www.kripalushop.org/kripalu |
| Educating Hands -- Miami, Florida
This is another school I'm rather biased about, right here in my own home town. Educating Hands has been around for many years, and owner Iris Burman has dedicated herself to graduating students who use their hands to express their hearts. It's a fun, yet comprehensive, fully accredited program, and the beach is only 10 minutes away. Educating Hands, 120 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33130, (305)285-6991, www.educatinghands.com |
| Swedish Institute, New York
City OK, so spending months out in the splendid beauties of nature at some massage school in the mountains eating nothing but organic fruit is not your idea of a good time. Perhaps you'd prefer the fast pace, career opportunities, excellent restaurants, and abundant night life of a major metropolitan area instead, and what metropolitan area is more major than New York City? In fact, one of the oldest massage schools in the country is located right in the heart of the big apple. This doesn't mean you can spend all your time pursuing that acting career or goofing off, though. The program is quite comprehensive and takes 1,224 hours to complete. 226 W. 26th Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10001, (212)924-5900 |
| California Healing Arts College
-- Santa Monica, California This school, run by a very together woman by the name of Lucinda, has a great referral system and graduate internship program. Students here get one of the best opportunities anywhere to transition themselves into the actual workplace, which is often a shock after spending several months in the rarefied and idealistic air of the massage school environment. The school takes advantage of its urban location in L.A. to get students ready for the real world. 12217 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 206, West Los Angeles, CA 90025, (310)826-7622, www.chacmassage.com |
| Atlanta School of Massage --
Atlanta, Georgia Like many massage schools, the Atlanta School of Massage started out small, as the dream in the minds of people who really liked doing massage themselves. Then it grew. And grew and grew. Now it has a management board of its own, and a large full time staff. In addition to traditional training programs in Swedish massage, sports massage, etc., ASM has developed one of the first extensive spa therapy training programs offered at any massage school in which students can receive certification for specialties in spa services (see chapter fifteen for more info on spa treatments). Atlanta, or "HotLanta" as natives like to refer to it, is a very happening place, with lots of opportunities for massage professionals. At last count, they had 92 day spas in town, a big destination spa right outside of town, a million stressed out yuppies in need of massage, many clinics utilizing massage pros, and a Superbowl football team with their own personal massage therapist on staff. 2300 Peachford Road, Suite 3200, Atlanta, GA 30338, (770)454-7167, www.atlantaschoolofmassage.com |
Therapeutic massage is growing in popularity outside the U.S. perhaps even faster than it is inside as many people around the world come to see the value of "alternative" therapies. Following are some neat schools in several countries.
| Institute of Thai Massage --
Chiang Mai, Thailand If you're like most people, the first time you receive a Thai style massage, you'll immediately want more, and you may even feel the desire to share the great pleasures and health benefits of this ancient art, called Nuad Bo-Rarn in Thailand, with others. Maybe that's why so many people make the pilgrimage to Chiang Mai to study with master Chongkol Setthakorn, head teacher at the Old Medicine Hospital there since 1985. Five levels of courses are available, each lasting 5 days (total 180 hours). 17/7 Morakot Road, Hah Yaek Santitham, Chiang Mai 50300 Thailand, tel. (66-53) 218632, www.infothai.com/itm |
| Northern Institute of Massage
-- Blackpool, England This school has been around since 1924, and they've graduated over 35,000 students (many of whom are still alive). They've spread out across the English speaking world to ply their hands-on trade. In the past ten years, the school has seen an upsurge in activity as more and more people in the U.K. become interested in alternative therapies. They've even opened branch offices in other countries, two in Ireland, and one in the Caribbean. Call if you're interested in schooling, or even if you're a visitor just traveling through -- workshops are open to everybody. The staff is extremely friendly. 100 Waterloo Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY4 1AW, tel. 44 1253 403548 |
| Clare Maxwell Hudson's Massage
-- London, England Clare Maxwell Hudson has written a number of popular books on massage, and she has a well known school in London as well. The school started out with basic courses in 1984 and has since evolved into a full-fledged training institute. Much of the class work can be completed part-time, on weekends, to allow for the schedules of busy professionals. Owner Hudson believes one of the most valuable parts of her training is the work placement in hospitals that students are offered each semester. This is a good place to get hands-on guidance from an internationally recognized expert. Clare Maxwell-Hudson School of Massage Lower Ground Floor, 20 Enford Street, London W1H 1DG Tel 020 7724 7198 email: admin@cmhmassage.co.uk web http://cmhmassage.co.uk |
| Karlsbad Spa Training -- Czechoslovakia
Dr. Jonathan Paul DeVierville, Ph.D. is a veritable fountain of information about water. In fact, he knows so much about water and hydrotherapy that he has decided to dedicate his life to sharing the healing message of spas. Each year in May he takes a small group of lucky students to Czechoslovakia with him to study the traditional forms of hydrotherapy and other healing methods used in the spas there. Dr. Jonathan Paul DeVierville, The Alamo Plaza Spa, 204 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, Texas 78205, U.S.. tel. (210)223-5772, www.karlsbadspa.cjb.net |
| South Australia Health Education
Center -- Adelaide, Australia If you'd like a massage school experience down on the south coast of Australia and you want to study with people serious about their massage (the principal and several instructors were invited to the Commonwealth Games to offer sports massage to the athletes), here's the school for you. South Australia Health Education Center, 6th Floor, 38 Currie Street, Adelaide SA, 5000, tel. (08) 8410 1975, www.massage.net.au |
| Australian School of Therapeutic
Massage -- Queensland, Australia Many massage schools in Australia receive extra assistance from the government so people can afford to get a massage education there. The Australian School of Therapeutic Massage offers a good basic course and is recommended by an Australian massage association. 104C Warrigal Rd, Burwood VIC 3125, Queensland, tel. 03 9830 0555 |
| West Coast College of Massage
Therapy -- Vancouver, Canada You have to get ready for some serious schooling if you study massage in Canada, which requires between 2,000 and 3,000 hours of training, depending on which province you live in. The direction & emphasis of training here is based on the medical model approach to health care, according to Ron Garvock, dean of massage therapy at this school in Vancouver, which also offers courses in herbal medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and more. Because massage is covered under the medical services plan of British Columbia, students have to be conversant with other health care professionals when they graduate. For the approximately 250 students enrolled at the school, getting a massage degree is not cheap. It's a three year program, costing $25,000 Canadian dollars, which perhaps makes it the highest standard in massage education in North America. They also have campuses in the Toronto area and are expanding into Victoria and Niagara as well. 555 West Hastings Street, 6th Floor, Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 4N4, (888)449-2242, www.collegeofmassage.com |
| Sutherland-Chan -- Toronto,
Canada If you'd like a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, cosmopolitan, experience while studying massage, in a peaceful, laid back Canadian city, Toronto may be the place for you, and the Sutherland-Chan School & Teaching Clinic might be the perfect school. It's located right in the middle of downtown Toronto, which features excellent housing and actual humans walking around at night. Sutherland-Chan has been around quite a while by massage school standards, since 1978. The program is a hefty 2200 hours, and fully 70% of the students already have a college degree when they arrive. What really sets the school apart is its intense clinical outreach program. In order to graduate, every student performs supervised clinical work in area hospitals. No longer an alternative treatment in Canada, massage therapy has gone mainstream, and professionals in the field work side by side with physical therapists and other medical personnel. People from all over the world (especially Eastern Europe) come to study at Sutherland-Chan, and many of them stay after graduation to work in this uniquely satisfying and stimulating professional environment. 330 Dupont Street, Suite 400, Toronto, Ontario M5R 1V9 Canada, 416-924-1107, www.sutherland-chan.com |
| Federation of masseurs -- Paris,
France The Federation of Masseurs Kinesitherapeutes is not actually a school. It's an organization that can lead you in the right direction when you're seeking massage training in France. Things are different in France for massage therapists, because their training is a part of the medical system, and graduates, known as kines (key-nays), are highly respected professionals within the medical community. If you're planning on studying at one of the schools in France, you'll need a keen desire to work in medical settings, and of course it helps if you know how to speak French. 24 rue des Petits Hotels, 75010, Paris, France, tel. 01 44 83 46 00 |
| Federazione dei Massofisioterapisti
-- Rome, Italy This is another network of people teaching and developing massage techniques. Working with the ministry of health to uphold professional standards, the Federazione Nazionale dei Collegi dei Massofisioterapisti also lists classes in many different massage modalities given all throughout Italy. Via Aosta 16, Trento, 38100 Rome, Italy, tel. 03 94 61 915 499 www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/2521 |
