Informed Choice - Finding a Massage School

So, I went to massage school 6 years ago. This is not an awfully long time ago, but it is enough time to observe a huge change in the education industry. The three major massage schools in my state have all changed ownership, been sold, or been eaten by a monster company. I have people who ask me where they should go for massage school. Well, I have no idea! When I went to massage school, I looked at massage schools all over the country. Since I was moving, and was not exactly set on where, this was no problem for me. Luckily for normal people, most states have more than one choice of school. Even with many of the schools being owned by the same company, every school is different. The schools philosophy and the individual people who teach there will have the greatest impact on the education you walk away with.
When I started school, I knew I wanted to do something that looked more like treatment/medical massage. Thus, I considered the curriculum of each school, the internships available, AND the cost. I am far from provided for, and some schools require you provide a lot of your own equipment early on. This can get pricey since you have no idea if bamboo fiber sheets are really that much better than flannel, or if you will really use that extra low table feature....ever. Some schools are farther left in the world of natural healing than others. What matters is finding the school that is marching to your own little beat.
This worked out for me.
I picked the school that seemed to focus the most on the treatment of injuries and maintenance of the body. I went through a full year of anatomy, physiology, and knesiology (instead of the 6mo some schools provide). Also, I got to intern at a hospital. These extra learning experiences made all the difference when it came to my confidence in treating clients and my eventual move into training and managing other therapists.
Another thought to consider beyond what I wanted to do in my practice, was where I wanted to do my practice in ten years. Since massage is not regulated at the national level, every state has its own set of requirements. My way around this was to attend school in a state that had some of the highest standards, that way when I moved again (nomadic much?) I would not be finding myself back in school. Thankfully, there is the National Board Certification which also covers folks who find themselves less rooted.
The truth is, you can find a school almost anywhere. The key is to find YOUR school. Mine, unfortunately, is gone. Sold, then sold again, I can no longer herd seekers that way with confidence. Ah well, in the words of Tori, "all will find its way in time". She probably means us, too.

An Introduction of Sorts - Beginning Thoughts from A Student of Physical Therapy, Massage, and Furthering Education

You never notice how much you do until something grabs hold of you and makes you stop doing what you do. The realization comes once you are put back down and find yourself lost in the race to catch up. Oy...

My mom came into town this past weekend to visit me. Much like any parental visit it was filled with moments of glee for experiencing what I have missed, deep reflection on the possible implications behind the fact that you look EXACTLY like them, and the overwhelming relief of driving them very far away from your house. Today, I put her on a plane headed home and have spent the last four hours staring at my desk wondering how the hell I got myself into school, work, and a relationship, all at the same time. As of now, I have 51.5 hours to complete a summary of the human digestive system, get really good at the physics of sound, and polish up a workshop on how massage therapists can most effectively communicate with their clients. .......35.3 hours, minus sleep and travel time.


For those of you who do not know me, I am a three quarter time massage therapist, full time physiology student, overtime girlfriend, and aspiring physical therapist. I accept gifts of stolen spoons, dark chocolate, and mathematical advice from physicists. The physicists part, I thought I would never hear myself say. I went from four years of theatre to three years of massage therapy and no one ever asked me the intensity of a sound wave bouncing off of a moth from 3 meters away. In truth, it is kind of fun. I find I do not mind that in order to get into any school of Physical Therapy, anywhere, you have to study physics for a year. I moved to Seattle to study massage therapy because it is one of the better places in the country to do so. I enjoyed the education I received here. I sat up on warm Arizona nights searching the Natural Healers website for schools (as folks in Phoenix need the Internet to find anything natural) and landed myself in Seattle, where I was taught that the body is just a very impressive tower of levers. I fell in love with all the mechanics of the body and I let that affection carry me all the way back to a big university that now requires me to examine that love from molecule to radian. It is true that love can deepen with knowledge.


Speaking of knowledge, I have an exam in 58.84 hours. My mom called to let me know she landed safely. My sister called to ask me how things went with mom. My girlfriend called to let me know she has safely arrived at her business hotel. My cat would like dinner. And I hear 8 hours of sleep is a good thing.