about asha

The Name ASHA Matches our Philosophy of Education and Healing. Find out Why.

Our objective is to graduate well-trained, highly-skilled, marketable massage therapists that are prepared for a successful future. We focus our curriculum, our staff and instructors, and our learning environment on this objective. ASHA graduates are Certified Massage Therapists, and are prepared for and eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination. A 6-hour workshop to prepare for the National Certification Exam (NCE) and Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx) is included in the course curriculum.
Note: The NCE is administered in various locations in and around Atlanta. Once you graduate and are ready to take the exam, you will fill out the necessary paperwork and send it in. You will then be notified in writing where and when to appear to take your test. It is a computerized, multiple choice test only, and does not involve practical exercises.

Our Name

ASHA has multiple meanings. ASHA is the acronym for the Academy of Somatic Healing Arts. Each word has an important meaning for our school, our students, and our philosophy of education. ASHA also means "hope for the future" and "all that is good" in other languages.

Academy An Academy is usually a private secondary school that provides instruction in science and/or arts.

Somatic In the English dictionary, somatic means pertaining to the physical body. However, somatic comes from the Greek root word soma, which means the body, mind, and spirit as a unit. The flavor of the original Greek meaning more closely matches the holistic perspective, spirit, and philosophy of ASHA. In short, when you receive massage therapy, you are impacted on all levels.

Healing Healing means to restore health or wholeness. In a true medical sense, because of our strong clinical focus, ASHA-trained massage therapists have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to help restore health and wholeness. Furthermore, you will be healthier from the massages you receive, from the personal growth classes you attend, and from the relationships you form.

Art Art means any system of rules and principles that facilitates skilled human accomplishment. That fits ASHA perfectly because it is a school that prepares massage therapists to artfully heal bodies. While you are taught individual techniques, each of us is a potential artist, and your individual expression will be encouraged. And because of the interdependence of body, mind, and spirit, healing bodies inevitably has a healing effect on the mind and spirit as well.

Our Vision and Mission

ASHA was founded in 1991 with a vision and mission focused on adding Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT) to massage training. That commitment continues today, and has been expanded dramatically under the leadership of Dr. Stan Dawson.

Our Vision

We are committed to developing a world of compassionate, healthy people working together towards self-actualization to enhance the health and consciousness of the world community.

Our Mission

To provide a comprehensive, integrated curriculum based on both Eastern and Western philosophies that cultivates excellence in massage therapy.
To create a nurturing environment conducive to learning, healing, wellness, and personal growth.
To shift the world's view of healthcare from treating illness to creating wellness.

ASHA's Accreditation

ASHA is a state authorized school and is an institution accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA). ASHA is the only institution accredited by COMTA in the state of Georgia. COMTA was originally created by the American Massage Therapy Association. It is the only agency that only accredits massage schools instead of agencies that accredit massage schools, beauty schools, medical technicians and various other trade schools.

Our Credentials

ASHA is:

An institution accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA).
A state-authorized school, regulated by the Non-Public Postsecondary Education Commission of the State of Georgia (NPEC).
A Georgia Massage Board recognized massage therapy educational program.
Recognized by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). (Our curriculum exceeds their requirements.)
Approved for VA education benefits.
Approved by the Department of Labor for students who qualify for educational benefits.
Approved by the Department of Labor for students who qualify for Vocational Rehabilitation.
Qualified ASHA students have been reimbursed by the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Rehabilitative Services; the Georgia Department of Labor; the South Carolina Commission for the Blind; the AT&T Retraining Program; and the Private Industry Council.
A member of the American Massage Therapy Association Council of Schools (AMTA-COS).
A member of the Association of Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP).

About Us

ASHA is a community of holistic health pioneers, a School of Massage, a Wellness Center, a Student Clinic, and a Natural Pharmacy. ASHA is a friendly, nurturing environment designed to develop a world of compassionate, healthy people working together towards self-actualization. We are a community where students, instructors and staff are truly passionate about their mission and purpose—to not only treat illnesses that can be helped by massage but also to assist people to develop optimal health and wellness. The combination of illness care and wellness care is what it will take to improve the health of our nation and curb the crisis of runaway costs for health care that threaten our nation’s economic well being. We are committed to shifting the world's view of health care from treating illness to creating wellness.

Our Healing Arts Massage School is based in the Atlanta area. It started and still operates with a clinically based focus on deep structural massage therapy with our core passion being holistic health for individuals as well as the world in which we live. ASHA is an acronym for Academy of Somatic Healing Arts. We are now expanding our Healing Arts trainings to include a cutting edge Wellness Coaching Program that allows graduates to coach Doctor’s patients to live a healthier lifestyle and get paid by insurance companies. This program enables our graduates to help doctors develop a wellness aspect to what they can offer their patients. It also enables our graduates to broaden their ability to educate their clients about optimal health.

ASHA’s holistic health orientation recognizes the interdependence of spirit, mind and body and bases everything we offer on this integrative approach. Many of our expert healing arts teachers work together in our Wellness Center with this vital understanding of the interdependence of every aspect of the spirit-mind-body system for the establishment and maintenance of optimal health. At the ASHA Wellness Center, any practitioner you start with will lead you to your overall health goals. Come and join our ASHA community.

The backbone of ASHA and our Executive Director/Owner is Dr. Stan Dawson. He has been a pioneer in the wellness field for over 35 years. He is trained as a Chiropractor, Ayurvedic Doctor, Neuromuscular Therapist, Polarity Therapist, Massage Therapist, Body-centered Psychotherapist and health educator. In the mid 70’s, he recognized the common ground of Eastern and Western systems of health care and health philosophies. He was the first Chiropractor in the Southeast to work with an MD, psychotherapists, massage therapists, Polarity Therapists, a nutritional counselor, a Rolfer and a team of health educators all in one practice. He has continually brought the healing arts professions together through his deep understanding of the interdependence of all aspects of the spirit-mind-body system for individual, national and global health.

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Accreditation Info

ASHA School of Massage is an institution accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA).

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