PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The 700-hour CMT Program includes all of the following classes (click each title for details):Massage Technique
Swedish Massage, Ethics, Body Mechanics
Somatic Bodywork
Healing Chi Kung, Meditation & Movement Repatterning
Applied Anatomy & Body Systems
Hands-on Anatomy, Physiology, Kineseology & Pathology
Spa Treatments & Hydrotherapy
Includes hot stone massage!
Therapeutic Treatments
Work with low back pain, neck stiffness, arthritis, tennis elbow, etc.
Basic Principles of Chinese Medicine
Meridians, Five Element Theory, Acupressure Points, etc.
Asian Bodywork
Energy lines and points, acupressure & assisted stretching
Prenatal Massage
Techniques specifically for pregnant mothers
Clinic Internship
Gain indispensable real-world experience in the student clinic
Business Practices
Taxes, insurance, self-employment, advertising and more
National Exam Prep
Covers what you need to know, and how to study for the test
OUR INTENTION
Whole Person Healing and Real Career Skills
On the one hand, massage therapy is a healing art. It is intuitive, gentle, personal, and comes from the heart. As massage therapists, we love the work we do because we are "called" to serve. On the other hand, massage therapy is no different than any other health care profession. Business, science, and professional communication skills are vital tools for the working therapist. Our intention is to produce therapists who know how to help others, and take care of themselves.At ASM you can expect to be a part of a group of friends – eleven months with your teachers and classmates does it every time – and you can expect us to support you as you transform your life. Becoming a therapist means that you have learned what "wellness" is, and you have learned through experience. At the same time, you can expect us to provide the inspiring challenge of being part of a school that shares your goal to make this your career. We enroll students who are ready and willing to commit five hours a day, five days a week to school.
There are three unique aspects of our training program that we suggest you pay special attention to as you learn about the wide variety of training programs available. The first is Somatic Bodywork. What is Somatic Bodywork? In short, everything that makes a person say, "Ahhhhh...How did you know I was holding tension there? And how did you make it melt away?" Working with the nervous system, emotions, energy, and a detailed understanding of Anatomy and function, a Somatic Bodywork Therapist uses the right technique at the right time.
Second is our Massage Lab. In addition to your regular classes, your Massage Technique teacher opens the classroom for supervised, unguided practice time. It's optional, but so much better than practicing massage in your living room. Since we started the Lab, we've noticed a clear improvement in student progress and discovery.
Third is our Student Internship. This is where students become therapists, literally. There is no experience better than the real thing. The Student Clinic serves all of Humboldt County with affordable massage in a delightfully therapeutic atmosphere. With students as the therapists and full-time instructors, the clinic is our best class. Everything you learn you get to apply, and when you graduate, you are completely prepared for your first job.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Massage Technique
We are fortunate to have Katherine Perry as our principle massage instructor. Katherine masterfully takes new students right into the heart of massage – first providing a routine and a “tool set” and then expanding into the creative art.All technique courses at ASM focus on good body mechanics to prevent the repetitive stress injuries that can affect massage therapists. Katherine teaches everything you need to know about how to take care of your own hands, arms, shoulders and back. The course includes ethics, professional skills, Anatomy, hygiene, basic Pathology, and Katherine’s wonderful group discussions about the emotional, energetic, and down-to-earth practical realities of life as a therapist. It is here that you will learn the basic skills that will support you through your entire career.
Somatic Bodywork
Somatic Bodywork is a healing art form for therapists who have glimpsed the potential of bodywork as a tool for facilitating core structural re-alignment, emotional release, and self-healing. Somatic Bodywork is widely used by massage therapists who have chosen to expand their work to include the transformational aspects of self-inquiry, somatic awareness, and body energy.Training in Somatic Bodywork is practitioner-centered. Through inner healing you develop experience-based understanding of the applications of meditation, Healing Chi Kung, Essential Movement (neuromuscular repatterning exercises you do for yourself) and the integration of all of the aspects of Somatic Bodywork into hands-on application.
The technique enables you to work directly with the nervous system, awareness, and body energy to facilitate lasting soft-tissue release, emotional insight, and revitalization. An emphasis is put on the uniqueness of each individual person and the benefit of working spontaneously rather than by routine.
Somatic Bodywork has therapeutic applications for trauma recovery, chronic pain elimination, stress release, athletic performance enhancement, personal insight, and movement repatterning for the elimination of repetitive stress injuries. The principles and techniques of Syntropy are easily integrated into other forms of bodywork.
Click here to visit Syntropy International.
Applied Anatomy
Using Massage technique as the foundation, you study the body from the inside out. This class is both academic and intuitive, as you learn to “see” and “feel” the layers of tissue and fluid that make up the musculoskeletal system. This hands-on science course is an important part of your preparation for the Anatomy, Physiology, Kineseology & Pathology sections of the National Certification Exam.Body Systems
The second part of your Science curriculum focuses on all the systems of the body: nervous, circulatory, lymphatic, etc. We also cover the pathologies (diseases) of each system that you may encounter as a professional therapist. Your ability to speak the language of Western Medicine opens the door to interface comfortably with the doctors and insurance companies who provide your clients with some of the care they need. In addition, your understanding of the body’s systems enables you to work more effectively with each individual. Again, this class is essential preparation for the National Certification Exam.Spa Treatments: Hot Stone Massage and Hydrotherapy
It is during this class that you will refine your skills into the luscious one-hour oil massage that is the standard in most spas and many private massage businesses. Building on your foundation of good body-mechanics and Swedish Massage technique, instructor Katherine Perry teaches several deeply relaxing and invigorating routines using your hands and hot stones! She also covers Hydrotherapy treatments for minor injuries and deep relaxation.Therapeutic Treatments for Musculoskeletal Dysfunction
Therapeutic Massage is an advanced massage technique used for the management of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. The need for safe and effective treatment of pain and disability is growing as people seek alternatives to drugs and surgery. Therapeutic Massage helps normalize musculoskeletal dysfunction rather than merely provide symptomatic relief. The techniques are designed to manage conditions related to “orthopedics” such as low back pain, neck stiffness, arthritis, tennis elbow, etc. It provides the benefits of traditional massage, such as relaxation and increased circulation, while dissolving adhesions, lengthening connective tissue, restoring natural lubrication of the joints and re-educating the nervous system.Therapeutic Massage uses the body-mechanics of Tai Chi to allow the therapist to use minimal muscular effort and solves the problem of overuse injuries within the field of massage therapy. You’ll learn to use your “chi” instead of tiresome effort to “go deep” in a way that’s actually good for your body (and your clients, of course).
The Ecology of the Body: Basic Principles of Chinese Medicine
The body is an ecology of interrelated systems and energies, each working to maintain health. The principles of Chinese Medicine help to inform the massage practitioner about the inner relationships between body, mind, and energy. When applied to massage, this involves working with the meridians and pressure points to support and enhance the body’s natural healing abilities.Asain Bodywork
In this class students learn a full body sequence, working with both the meridians and the charkas, enhancing the energetic and physical orientation toward working with the body. Applying stretches and point work, students are guided to stay present with the client and focus on the rhythm of the breath to achieve deep release and tonification. Building on the coursework in the Basic Principles of Chinese Medicine class, time will be spent doing hands-on work based on these principles.Prenatal Massage
Pregnant mothers benefit greatly from receiving massage. In this class, we teach specialized strokes and postures, as well as awareness of the unique pressure points associated with pregnancy and birth.Clinic Internship
ASM is the only massage school in the region to offer a 150-hour internship in a full-service massage clinic as part of the training program. Many students say that their clinic internship is the most rewarding part of the program, because you get the practice you need to develop confidence, professional skills, and your own personal style.Massage school is a wonderful experience. You become friends with everyone in your class, and you give each other many treatments during class. But in the real world, you work with the public – people you don't know, body-types you've never worked with before, and the pressures of meeting the expectations of paying customers. Without an internship, graduating from massage school is like being pushed from the nest before your flying feathers are fully developed. The clinic internship is essential.