Continuing Education Classes for Massage Therapists
THERA-SSAGE is an Approved Provider of Continuing Education under the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (# 328461). These classes may also satisfy requirements for Continuing Education for nurses and other health professionals. Check with your individual board.
The National Board no longer uses the term "Category A Provider". The correct terminology is "Approved Provider of Continuing Education under the NCBTMB". The Board no longer recognizes the term "CEU" but has replaced that with "Contact Hour".
If you are maintaining your license for the state of North Carolina, you must obtain 24 contact hours of continuing education for every two year period. If your initial license was issued for more than one year, but less than two, you are only obligated to have 12 hours. North Carolina requires that you have three hours of professional ethics every renewal period. Other rules include that you may not get credit for more than three hours of business classes, and that you may have a maximum of 12 hours obtained by distance learning. For a complete explanation of the regulations, visit the North Carolina Board of Massage & Bodywork Therapy website.
The National Certification Board requires 48 hours of continuing education every four years in order for you to maintain that credential, including six hours in professional ethics, at least two of which must be in Standard V of the Standards of Practice. AMTA also requires professional members to obtain continuing education.
Other boards have different requirements. Check with the board in your particular state or country to make sure you will get the credit you are expecting. Effective November 1, for the 2009 licensure renewal, the 25 hour requirement will drop to 24.
Call 828-288-3727 for more information or to register for classes. Our education facility, The Education Station, is located next door to our wellness center at 431 S. Main St., Rutherfordton, NC. Unless noted otherwise, all classes will be held there.
Please pay attention that classes that are sponsored by AMTA are usually held elsewhere and we do not personally accept registration for AMTA classes. You must contact the Unit Coordinator mentioned in the class listing.
Here at our facility, table classes are limited to 14 students. Lecture only and chair massage classes are limited to 36 attendees. We like to have a personal experience and avoid overcrowding classes.
Deposit and Refund Policy: Unless otherwise noted, a deposit of 50.00 is required to hold your place in class. Cancellations made two weeks in advance will receive a full refund. Cancellations of less than two weeks, but more than 48 hours in advance of the class, will receive credit towards a future class. Cancellations of less than 48 hours will not receive a refund or any future credit. It is suggested that you register as far in advance as possible, as some classes sell out very early. We will be glad to put you on a notification list for a full class in the event of a cancellation.
In our years of providing Continuing Education, we have tried our best to avoid canceling any classes. We will normally carry on with a class even if we only get a very small group. If we are hosting an instructor from out of the area and the required number of students fails to sign up, we will notify you at least one week ahead of time that the class has been canceled and give you a refund. In the event that we are forced to cancel a class for any reason, we will refund your money in full. In the event that inclement weather forces the cancellation of any class during the winter months, we will make every attempt to reschedule the class. If you are unable to attend the rescheduled class, your money will be refunded. In the event inclement weather forces you to cancel your attendance at the last minute (less than 48 hours notice), you will receive credit towards a future class. We have people attending from several states and we just can't be responsible for the weather everywhere.
2010 Class Schedule: Better than Ever!
Feb 27 (Sat) Laura Allen's Double Whammy! 3 hours of Standard V Ethics and 3 hours of the best marketing tips, no-cost and no-cost ways to promote your business. Ethics meets 9am-12 noon; Marketing class will be 1:30-4:30. These classes are 50.00 each or take both classes for $80.
March 12 (Fri) Techniques for Shoulder Pain w/Vicki Bates. Learn valuable techniques for working w/ thoracic outlet syndrome, rotator cuff injuries, and other pathologies. 8 CE Contact Hours, $150....take the Low Back Pain class the following day and get both for $275.
March 13 (Sat) Techniques for Low Back Pain w/Vicki Bates. Great sequences for getting your clients out of pain. 8 CE Contact Hours, $150....take the Techniques for Shoulder Pain class the previous day and get both for $275.
March 27 (Sat) The Ensoma Method of Health through Movement and Self Care of Musculoskeletal Pain and Dysfunction w/ Marty Kestin. A comprehensive model to address musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction based on the myofascial and trigger point work of Janet Travell, MD and the Egoscue® Method (www.egoscue.com). Learn the cause, treatment and prevention of most common trigger points and correct faulty posture, body mechanics, and muscle dysfunctions with simple exercises and postures. 8 CE Contact Hours. $140. Class meets 9am-6pm. Please bring a yoga mat and blocks to class if you have them.
April 17 (Sat) Another Double Whammy from Laura Allen. 3 CE hours of Insurance Billing for MTs and 3 CE hours of Intake Protocols & Soap Charting for Medical Massage. BE AWARE THAT N.C. ONLY ALLOWS 3 HOURS OF BUSINESS, and both of these are considered business classes. However, if you want to successfully bill for insurance in your practice, you need both of these classes together. The SOAP notes many people learned in massage school and what is acceptable to the insurance company is usually two very different things. Take your professionalism to the next level. These classes are 50.00 each, or take both classes for $90.
April 25 (Sun) Laura Allen will be teaching How to Pass the Exam (MBLEx or NCB Exams) at the Spring AMTA-NC Conference in Hickory NC. Details to be announced, but you don't have to be an AMTA member in order to attend--all are welcome. You have to register for this class on the AMTA website. Visit that site at www.amtanc.org
WHEN YOU ARE CHOOSING CONTINUING EDUCATION, BE SURE YOU KNOW THE REQUIREMENTS IN YOUR STATE. NC LAW IS FOUND AT WWW.BMBT.ORG
April 23-24 (Fri & Sat) Thai on the Table w/ Gloria Coppola. This modality is often referred to as "assisted yoga." Learn great stretches to use for self-care as well as with your clients. Thai massage is usually performed on the floor on a mat, but this has been adapted to the table for those therapists and clients who just can't get comfortable down on the floor! 16 CE Contact Hours, $250.
May 1 (Sat) Techniques for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome w/Gloria Coppola. Everyone who works a repetitive motion job, everyone who uses a computer, even the mother who carries the baby in one arm, are all subject to this painful condition that is often accompanied by tingling and numbness. Learn great techniques for assisting clients with one of the most common conditions confronting us today. 8 CE Contact Hours, $125.
May 1 Laura Allen will be in Worcester MA teaching "Using Research to Market Your Practice" at the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the MA Chapter of AMTA. Check out their great festivities at www.amtama.org
May 7-8 Spa Techniques without a Wetroom w/Laura Allen. Includes paraffin, hot stone techniques, salt scrubs, Raindrop technique, and body wraps. I hate to call this a class because it's more like a weekend at the spa! As long as you have access to water, you can do any of these techniques. Save your hands and break up the monotony by incorporating some great spa treatments into your menu of services! 16 CE Contact Hours, $225.
May 15 (Sat) Techniques for TMJ w/Vicki Bates. TMJ massage is one of the biggest income producers for my clinic. We get dentist referrals galore and so can you. 6 CE Contact Hours, $140.
May 21-23 (Fri, Sat, and Sun) Join Laura in Dublin, Ireland for three days of wonderful Advanced Massage Techniques. Review the anatomy and physiology related to 8 different conditions, including sciatica, neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, strains and sprains, and more. I've made many trips to Ireland, and it keeps drawing me back like a magnetic force. It is one of the most beautiful places imaginable, and in May, it's in full bloom. So take a tax-deductible trip! You must register for this class directly with the Obus School of Healing Therapies. Although I will not make your travel arrangements, I can give you great advice about how to get there, where to stay, what to see, etc. You'll find out what Cead Mile Failte is all about--a hundred thousand welcomes--and you've never met more welcoming people in your life. You can see a lot of my pictures of Ireland on my Facebook page.
May 28-29 (Fri & Sat) Labor Doula Training w/CAPPA Certified Instructor Susan Smart. Learn to assist the birth mother through this most sacred of times in her life. 16.5 contact hours is the first step in becoming CAPPA certified; however, you don't have to be certified in order to start seeing clients. $350.
June 5-6 (Sat-Sun) The Rossiter Method w/Kathy Howard, Certified Rossiter Instructor. Kathy did a session on my husband Champ at AMTA meeting, and he threatened to get a tattoo that says "I've been Rossitered." He says it got rid of pain he had for over 30 years. Rossiter is performed with the client on the floor, using the therapist's feet. Save your hands while learning a whole new modality to get people out of chronic pain. 16 CE Contact Hours, $359.
June 17-21 (Thurs-Mon) Join Laura Allen in Berea, KY for the 2010 World Massage Festival! This is one of the most rocking events on the planet! I'll be there teaching Marketing, as well as Ethics, and there is all kinds of great stuff going on....the North Carolinal Posse is going to be there in full force! Besides myself, there will be classes available from Felicia Brown, Gloria Coppola, Anita Shannon, Claire Marie Miller, and many more. Plus the inductees into the Hall of Fame, bluegrass on the town square, and really cheap accommodations and meals at the college. Do not wait if you want to stay in the dorms and eat in the cafeteria at a phenomenally reasonable price---those slots are going really fast! Ryan Hoyme, the Massage Nerd, will be there, too! I can't wait! Thursday night, bring your acoustic instruments for bluegrass pickin' on the square! Register online at www.worldmassagefestival.com
June 26-27 (Sat & Sun) Introduction to Polarity Therapy w/Moksha Sharon Kolman. Polarity is an energy work modality that is profoundly relaxing. Moksha provides a firm foundation in the healing and technical aspects of Polarity Therapy, which recognizes the energetic basis of life, viewing wellness as the free flow and balanced state of the body-mind-spirit energies. Illness is seen as a blockage in the flow of energy. 14 CE Contact Hours, $280.
July 10 How to Pass the Exams (NCB or MBLEx) Get ready to pass that sucker! This class comes with my guarantee: follow my strategies for studying and test-taking and if you don't pass, you may repeat for free as many times as it takes. 9am-5pm, NO CE Credit! $100 for the class, $35 for the optional but highly recommended book! I am the author of the Plain & Simple Guide to Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork Examinations (2nd ed, LWW 2009) and I have helped hundreds of students pass these exams, including those who have already tried and failed multiple times.
July 16 (Fri) Introduction to Taut Band Therapy with Stewart Walker can stand on its own, or may be used as the prerequisite (required) for this weekend's class in Pain Reduction for Osteoarthritis. 8 CE Contact hours, $115. Class meets from 9am-6pm Learn useful techniques for assisting with injury recovery and rehabilitation. By releasing tension within the tight muscle fibers of taut bands, pain from trigger points and sore attachment points can be reduced with much greater effectiveness. Starting with an essential review of Travell's work, participants will develop skills to identify, assess, and manipulate taut bands to reduce musculo-skeletal pain. Studies include muscle function, fiber direction, attachment sites, proprioceptors, and the reflexes that directly affect muscular tension.
July 17-18 (Sat & Sun) Pain Reduction for Osteoarthritis with Stewart Walker. You MUST attend Friday's class in Introduction to Taut Band Therapy in order to attend this one (sorry, no exceptions). $210, 16 CE Contact Hours. Help your clients get out of pain caused by aching joints, and increase flexibility. Tools include functional analysis, palpation, range of motion, and strength resistance testing. Lengthening the tight muscle fibers within taut bands is the key to effective pain reduction. Techniques in this workshop will emphasize this approach.
July 24 (Sat) Body Re-set by Bowen Technique w/Dr. Mitchell Mosher. Bowen Therapy is all about the parasympathethic nervous system--automatic functions that we don't have to think about. Stress and adrenal overload can wreak havoc. Bowen is a technique that can be performed with the client fully clothed, is very calming and leads to a deep state of relaxation. Great for anyone, but especially those who are just plain stressed out! 8 CE Contact Hours, $125.
July 31 (Sat ) Tuning up the Core w/Jay Mee. 8 CE Contact Hours $150. This class is a practical approach to abdominal muscle and visceral organ massage. Students will learn locations of visceral organs and massage techniques used to produce medically beneficial results. Good for PMS, chronic constipation, increased digestion, increase metabolism, Indigestion, cramps, calming the client, and increasing the overall productivity of the visceral organs.
Aug 1 (Sun) Muscle Energy Technique w/ Jay Mee. 8 CE Contact Hours MET is the use of passive and assistive stretching to align the hips and reduce strain on the lower back and pelvis area. It is used to prevent future muscle injury in athletes, and to strengthen already weak muscles and increases range of motion. These techniques can be used to treat back, neck and shoulder pain, scoliosis, sciatica, unsymmetrical legs, hips or arms (for example when one is longer or higher than the other), or to treat chronic muscle pain, stiffness or injury. Either class is $150 on its own or you may attend both for $275.
Aug 5-9 (Thurs-Tues) Lomi-Lomi Intensive with Master Teacher Gloria Coppola. Lomi-Lomi Intensive Workshop w/Gloria Coppola. Learn the ancient healing art that is known as the Sacred Dance. Gloria lived and practiced in Hawaii for many years and studied Lomi-Lomi under the native masters. She has been teaching it for many years, and is one of the most popular and engaging instructors at THERA-SSAGE. 42 Contact Hours, $695, which includes a catered lunch every day. Gloria feels that the energy and bonding of the group during meals is an important part of this class, so please plan to stay and eat in.
August 13 (Fri) Techniques for Shoulder Pain w/Vicki Bates. Learn to unlock frozen shoulders, assist w/rotator cuff injuries, computer strain, etc. 8 CE Contact Hours, $150. If you attend tomorrow's class in Techniques for Low Back Pain, you can come to both classes for $250.
August 14 (Sat) Techniques for Low Back Pain w/Vicki Bates. Vicki was one of my instructors at massage school, back in the day....let's not say how long ago that was! She is very effective at getting people out of pain and will show you her best tricks. $150 for 8 CE Contact Hours, or attend both the Shoulder and the LBP class for $275.
August 20-22 (Fri-Sun) The wonderful Vickie Torrey returns to us with her class on Oncology Massage, Working With Cancer Patients. Vickie was certified at Sloan-Kettering in New York and has worked with cancer patients for many years. Learn the best integrative techniques to help this population in every stage of their illness. 21 CE Contact Hours, $395.
August 28 (Sat) Pharmacology and Herbology for the Massage Practitioner w/Gloria Coppola. No, we aren't going to be prescribing! We're going to focus on drug/herb interactions, contraindications, and the necessity for modifying massage when the disease isn't the problem, but the drug is! Pharmacology is ignored in most massage schools and that's a shame. This is a class everyone should take. 8 CE Contact Hours, $100.
Sept 11-12 (Sat & Sun) Working with Fibromyalgia with Sheila Berger. Sheila incorporates Russian massage, Active Isolated Stretching, and myofascial release techniques into a blend that will bring relief to your fibro clients--is there anyone among us who doesn't see a lot of those? 16 CE Contact Hours, $275.
Sept 17-19 (Fri-Sun) Orthopedic Massage with Howard Weingarten. I am so stoked that Howard is coming this year. Soft-tissue pain complaints of the torso are one of the most pervasive reasons for people to seek health care. This fast paced and exciting class covers evaluation and treatment of the back, neck, & pelvis, including conditions such as thoracic outlet syndrome, spinal nerve compression pathologies, piriformis syndrome, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, low back pain, whiplash, and others. A combination of multi-media presentation, detailed anatomical information and hands-on learning will make this a continuing education experience you'll find memorable and useful." modality. $350, 21 CE Contact Hours.
Sept 24-26 (Fri-Sun) Traditional Chinese Medicine with Christine Courtney. Those who have attended Christine's class in Indian Head Massage know what an awesome teacher she is, and we're very excited to be hosting this class. You'll be exploring the foundations, techniques, and applications of Chinese Medicine. Laura Allen will also be teaching the required 3 hours of Standard V Ethics along with this class for a total of 25 CE Contact Hours. $375. You do not have to be a massage therapist in order to attend this class.
REMEMBER THAT NORTH CAROLINA DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO CARRY HOURS OVER. THE NATIONAL CERTIFICATION BOARD DOES ALLOW CARRY OVER HOURS.
October 8-10 (Fri-Sun) Indian Head Massage with Christine Courtney. This class sells out up to six months early every single year. The Indian Head Massage class is one of the most profound experiences you'll ever have. This is a chair massage that is directed at the chakras. You will not believe that a chair massage can put you into a coma, but this one does. Then you feel wonderfully energized when you stand up. It is truly amazing. IHM is performed in a regular chair, not a massage chair, so you can do it anywhere, anytime.
There are also many components that can easily be adapted to the table. Truly a great class. Laura Allen will also be teaching the required 3 hours of Standard V Ethics along with this class for a total of 25 CE Contact Hours. $375.
October 16 (Sat) Intro to Lymphatic Drainage w/Vicki Bates. Learn a basic LD routine that can stand on its own or be incorporated into your massage. 8 CE Contact Hours, $150.
October 17 (Sun) Butterfly Massage w/Natalie Veres. This unique and gentle modality is exactly what it says--the touch of a butterfly. Profoundly soothing, infants love it. Great for elderly or ill people who can't tolerate a deep massage, blissful relaxation is the end result. 8 CE Contact Hours, $125.
CALL FOR INSTRUCTORS:
If you have a class that you think will be of interest to students, whether or not you are already an approved provider, contact Laura Allen at 828-288-3727. We are currently working on our schedule for 2011 and would be glad to have some new and interesting offerings for our students. Our schedule for the following year has to be completed by October 1 so don't wait until all our dates are gone to get in touch.
We're looking for classes that are on the cutting edge, so to speak, and new and interesting offerings. Please read our entire roster of classes before contacting us. We are not interested in more of what we already have. We also expect the instructors who solicit us to teach here to either already be Approved Providers under the NCBTMB, or alternatively, to be prepared to submit your proposed lesson plan, learning objectives, and class schedule to us before we will consider putting you on our schedule.
We also offer community education. If you are local and have a class you think people would enjoy attending---whether that's a personal growth class, foreign language, knitting, basketweaving, or anything of interest to the public, give us a call. We enjoy offering great learning opportunities to our clients.