Choosing the right massage therapy school for you is extremely important. This investment is not just money and time, it is also the foundation of your new massage career.
Consider how quickly someone responded to your request for information, how friendly were
they? Were they encouraging and able to meet your schedule requirements? Request a tour. Is the class room clean? Was the staff friendly? Were the students happy?
Your Massage education will provide you with a foundation to build upon as you practice over the years; therefore, understanding what the curriculum has to offer is extremely important. The admissions manager should be able to answer all of the following questions.
- Are day and night classes offered?
- How many hours is the entire program, and how do those hours break down on a weekly basis.
- What are the state requirements to practice massage and/or receive licensure or certification?
- If you are planning on moving, will the hours stand up to the requirements of the other state?
- How are hours split up into subject matter (anatomy & physiology, pathology and modality specific training such as Swedish Massage)
- Are specialty courses included in the main program or do they cost extra; such as, reflexology, Deep Tissue, pregnancy massage, acupressure, sports massage?
- Does the program offer business and ethics classes?
- Does the school operate a clinic in which the students practice what they are learning on the general public?
- Does the school market for clients or are the students responsible for bringing in friends and family?
- How much does it cost?
It is not important that you ask every single question, but it is important to have a basic understanding of the education you will receive and the commitment of the school staff. When you think back to compare the massage schools you visited, consider which school had staff you would feel comfortable reaching out to during the program should the need arise. Which school seemed to have the most staff members that were sincere and knowledgeable? All of these answers relate to choosing a massage school with great instructors and a supportive staff, and this is the ideal massage school.
Massage School Student Loan not necessary
Guest Blogger-Tina Meyer-CMT
This is such a fun class to teach. We get to play with wonderfully smelling essential oils all day, learn how they work in our bodies and all the wonderful, healing qualities they have. You get to leave with a “yummy potion” that you created yourself, plus get to try it out at the end of class with a nice relaxing aromatherapy massage!!!
In this that class we get to journey into the wonderful world of aromatherapy. A very interactive, fun and exciting class. We will be learning how essential oils work with our bodies and minds, the therapeutic and medicinal values of EO’s, how we can use them in our everyday life and even in our pets life. We will be learning about many of the more common essential oils: lavender, eucalyptus, lemon, grapefruit, sandalwood, patchouli, and bergamot just to name a few. We will look into their origin, how they are distilled and the different ways of distillation, application techniques either via skin or inhalation, blending techniques and so much more. We will also be given the tools to give an aromatherapy massage, learning how to interview your client and to create a special blend that will be created for their specific needs at that time. We will also be roll playing, so you will be able to create a blend for your client that day, “you”, that you will be able to take home with you. Bring your noses and an open mind and be prepared to have a fun time…
Saturday 03/24/2012 9-5pm
Call 805-495-1353
Touch is a wonderful therapy!
People today are much more comfortable touching each other! 
Today more and more people hug when they greet each other. Even guys will give each other a hug today whereas 30 years ago it would not have been an acceptable way of greeting each other.
The Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami’s research has shown that Massage Therapy can help people who suffer from a variety of problems:
Our skin is the largest organ in our bodies. So the massage therapy benefits of all those body parts is enormous.
Touch is a form of communication that brings about changes in our neural, glandular, muscular and mental systems. Touch also reassures, comforts and helps develop self-esteem. It's also pivotal in developing the ability to trust and understand the needs of others.
As a Massage Therapist you are healing people by touching people! You are not removing anything physically from their body and you are not putting anything into their bodies such as drugs etc, You are simply helping them help themselves by massaging them.
How wonderful is that?
Working in a calm environment, nice relaxing music playing, touching and helping other people and getting paid to do so.
It doesn’t get much better than that.
I truly believe that future studies will show the beneficial effects of massage beyond what we know today.
Guest Blogger: Vicki Albin-Instructor/Massage Therapist
Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes
healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an
unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. A treatment
feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats
the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial
effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing. Many have reported miraculous results.
Reiki is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement
that everyone can use. It has been effective in helping virtually every known illness and
malady and always creates a beneficial effect. It also works in conjunction with all other
medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery.
There are different levels of Reiki training. As in any beginning Level 1 class, you will
learn the basics, history and the how to apply Reiki hands on your clients. People who
are not "licensed to touch" can do Reiki without touching. Level 2 takes us deeper and
worldwide in our understanding. Reiki II brings in more symbols and energies that help to raise your vibrational essence. You will be taught how to magnify and direct the life-force energies to benefit both yourself, others and our home planet.
I enjoying teaching all levels of Reiki because helping students understand how they can
help others in everyday life is something we all need to know.
Reiki
02/11/2012 9-5pm
02/12/2012 9-5pm
Reiki II
02/19/2012 9-5pm
Continuing Education Workshops for 2012
Guest Blogger, Robyn Schwartz-LMT
Chair massage is incredibly useful and fun way to give massage, it is a simple way for people to feel good and appreciate massage. It allows potential
clients to get to know you in a safe environment.
I have been doing chair massage for 15 years and I am always learning new ways to massage in the chair and new places to go with it. This class gives you incredible knowledge on how to boost your business and enhance the skills you already have.
You will learn different modalities and techniques in this class. The techniques take you to a deeper understanding of the body in a different position from lying on a table.
I love teaching this class. It is fun and allows the students to be creative and grow more confident with the skills they already have.
Chair Massage 3/25/2012 9am-5pm
Call 805-495-1353
2012 Workshops
Guest Blogger Robyn Schwartz-LMT
Pregnancy Massage is one of the most professionally rewarding and satisfying massages you can give. The energy you feel not only from the mom but the baby as well is truly magical.
In this class you will learn how to practice maternity - massage the benefits it has to pregnant mom's and get the hands experience you need to feel confident and comfortable. Bodywork on a pregnant woman helps support a new mother emotionally and physically. It can help relax and reduce stress, relieve muscle cramps from the changes taking place daily, helps with the ease of labor, can help with swelling and self esteem.
Beginning with a firm foundation of how the mother's body changes structurally during pregnancy, you will learn to perform a full-body massage during pregnancy as well as delivery. Training will cover the labor process, pre-labor coaching, back labor remedies in addition to massage. You will also learn simple easy routines to educate the new mother to soothe her infant. The students walk out with a greater understanding of the different oils you can use, the benefits and contraindications, what acupressure points are helpful and which points to stay away from and the positioning when working on a pregnant mom.
I am always able to find mom's that are pregnant to come in and get a massage. This too is a great surprise to most students that they are able to actually massage someone who is pregnant and feel the magic themselves in a safe environment. It is always amazing to me to see the transformation and the ability students take with them from this class. This class is fun and exciting.
Pregnancy Massage Workshop 3/11/12
Call (805)-495-1353
2012 Massage Workshop
Guest Blogger: Danielle Vitolo Instructor
In this workshop you will learn both active and passive stretches. The addition of stretches will help take your massage from ordinary to extraordinary in the eyes
of your clients. Stretches help the nervous system to better assimilate the relaxing effects of massage, reduce muscle tension, minimize musculoskeletal imbalances, and prevent or rehabilitate injuries. Active stretches help your client learn where their muscles are and how to trengthen them with isometric contractions. This type of work is less stressful on the practitioner, since the client is in charge of the movement and how far they will take the stretch. Passive stretches are the most popular, clients only have to participate verbally, while you the therapist elongate the muscles. Passive stretches are “yoga for the lazy”. In this class you will also gain knowledge on how to perform self stretches for the massage therapist, to help with the longevity of your career. You can advertise these stretches alone in an hour session or ad them to your Swedish or Deep Tissue massage. For this class please wear comfy/stretchy clothes (you will keep your clothes on) and bring your massage sheets, to learn the proper draping.
Massage Center School (805) 495-1353
Therapeutic Stretching Workshop Saturday 02/18/2012 10am - 5pm
2012 Workshops
Guest Blogger: Christine Quigg
Sports Massage, or as it is often referred to today, Ortho Massage, is designed to keep athletes, professional, amateur, or even the weekend warrior, performing at his/her optimum. Sports Massage helps alleviate stress and tension which builds up in the soft tissues of the body during intense physical activity. Minor injuries due to overexertion heal more quickly with the help of Sports Massage. Massage prepares the athlete for peak performance, flushes the body of metabolic wastes, relieves soreness, and reduces muscular tension.
The class is broken down into 3 sections, pre-event, getting the athlete ready for an event, post-event/recovery, directly after or the next day after an event, and sports injuries, working our way through the body looking at the most common injuries, their causes, and how to treat them. This class is designed to give the student a very good base to build on, and many moves that can be implemented into any modality.
I love teaching this class, because it is fast moving, and the students get a lot of useful information. As with all my classes, we have a good time.
Workshops 2010
This is a welcome treatment for those who suffer to gain relief and in some cases just to be able to eat without pain. Neuromuscular is a powerful edition to any therapist’s practice. It can give you the satisfaction of knowing that you have the skill in your hands to actually help someone change their life for the better. By using everything from gentle stretching to thrust manipulations changes can be 
made in the way the body functions.
This technique works because our bodies are wonderful machines that have the capability to heal itself; sometimes it just needs a little help. By knowing the way the muscles run and by manipulating them into correct line, the bones will follow. This is reeducating your body to be back into correct alignment to run more effectively the way it did before injury or pain began. This can be a life saver for a person who lives a life of pain and discomfort.
Most recently dentistry has started to implement this type of massage technique for those people who suffer from TMJ (Lockjaw). Over 10.8 million Americans suffer from this painful disorder. Using massage manipulations the muscle tissue in the jaw can be retrained to be properly aligned at rest. This is a welcome treatment for those who suffer to gain relief and in some cases just to be able to eat without pain.
Neuromuscular is a powerful edition to any therapist’s practice. It can also give you the satisfaction of knowing that you have the skill in your hands to actually help someone change their life for the better.
Continuing Education Workshops-Thousand Oaks
The Massage Center School in Thousand Oaks, CA is a place to get an quality massage education at an affordable price. Our school was established in 1997. We keep our classes small in size which allows for individual attention. We pride ourselves on educating and training balanced massage therapists who can immediately enter the field of massage. Our programs are easy to follow and in a fun learning enviornment. We offer Morning and Evening classes, where you learn Swedish Massage. Swedish massage is the building block to learning the other modalities that we offer in our workshop classes.
Programs we offer:
300 hour Massage Practitioner
500 hour Massage Therapist
Our programs allow the student to customize their education for the type of Therapist they want to be. The student can choose the Elective Workshops that they want to specialize in.
- Lomi Lomi
- Deep Tissue
- Reiki
- Aromathereapy
- Chiropractic
- Sports massage
- Thai
- Pregnancy massage
- Hot Stone
- Energy
- CrainoSacral and many more
Our School is approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Vocational Education. This means that the school meets the minimum state standards and does not imply any endorsement or recommendation by the state or the bureau. We are also approved by the National Certification Board for therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB)as a continuing education provider under catagory A.
We are located at 171 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. Suite 206 in Thousand Oaks CA.
At the Massage Center School we do everything possible to ensure that your massage career is successful.
For more information contact our Admissions Manager at 805-791-1561
www.asmt.net
Massage Center School Brochure