As a massage therapist you primarily need three things from your massage school: excellent knowledge of the body, broad and deep hands-on skills, and preparation for success in business. ASHA's program gives you strong training in all three areas. We call it the ASHA-Advantage.
Gina G.
ASHA is known to have a comprehensive course in Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT). We offer 210 hours of training in this precise, clinically-powerful, highly-effective therapeutic technique for pain relief and injury treatment.
ASHA also offers a redesigned Sports Massage course. This unique course is based on insights from massage therapists in the Olympic movement from Russia, East Germany and the US. This training prepares you to work with everyone's health, not just world-class athletes.
You Need Broad, Deep Hands-On Skills
If you don’t know already, you will learn that massage and bodywork techniques are designed to produce one or more of the following major effects:
1. Relaxation and Neuroendocrine Effects
2. Normalize Blood Flow
3. Normalize Muscle Tone
4. Reorganization of Fascia
5. Normalize Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow
6. Chakra and Meridian Balance
7. Postural Balance
8. Reorganization of Joint Mechanics
Every school teaches Swedish which takes care of the relaxation effects. NMT addresses blood flow and muscle tone better than any other massage technique. Myofascial work addresses fascial reorganization. Muscle Energy Techniques (METs) address muscle tone, fascia and joint mechanics. These last two techniques are taught in our Sports Massage course. If you would like to understand these massage effects better or see techniques demonstrated, I invite you to come to our Open House and Introductory Massage Class.
Cerebrospinal fluid flow and energy work are taught in our Graduate Program. ASHA's technique curriculum is truly comprehensive. You receive training in three major massage techniques in our Certified Massage Therapy Program (Swedish, Sports, NMT).
You Need Superior Knowledge of the Body
The science aspect of any training program is generally the most challenging. At ASHA we make our science courses as user-friendly as possible with instructional techniques that make it easy to learn no matter what your learning style is. Our caring faculty creates a supportive learning environment and goes the extra mile to ensure your classroom success. But, the proof is in the pudding. Our graduates routinely report their satisfaction with their training after they get a job in the massage field.
You Need Preparation for Business Success
Most massage therapists start their careers working for someone else and end up working for themselves. Our Business course trains you for any job setting and situation. You will learn how to promote yourself ethically and how to manage the business aspect of your career. We know that success in massage requires good people skills, good technical skills, and good business skills. We make sure you have all three.
ASHA's Unique Holistic Model
As the Director of a holistic health care center in the late '70s and early '80s, I authored a model of the interdependence of all aspects of the spirit-mind-body continuum. This comprehensive model teaches in terms of cutting-edge Western science what the Eastern cultures of India, China and Thailand have known for thousands of years. This model is unique to ASHA and will not only help you understand complex relationships as you learn, but will also simplify your practice after you graduate.
You Need Job Placement Help
After you get the training you need, you need an opportunity to succeed. We will help you with job placement after you graduate and throughout your massage career. We have always had more jobs available than we have therapists needing jobs. With the ASHA-Advantage you will be in higher demand than other therapists.
You Need a Place to Grow that is Safe
Massage school is transformative by nature. You not only learn new skills, you grow as a person. Just like plants need a rich soil, people need a warm, friendly, nurturing environment in which to grow. Our ASHA faculty and staff make it their mission to support your learning, wellness and personal growth. When you join ASHA, you join the ASHA family.
The longevity of your career in massage requires that you take good care of yourself. We have a nutrition course in our Certified Massage Therapist (CMT) Program to help you eat better for the rest of your life (as well as give basic nutrition facts to clients). We also emphasize superior body mechanics in every technique class so that you are practicing safely from the start. You will learn effective stretching programs for yourself and your clients to maintain a balanced body or restore structural integrity after an injury.
I invite you to join the ASHA family to experience the magic of touch, the power of healing, and the joy of community. We are...
Dedicated to touching lives,
Stan Dawson, DC
Executive Director
