With the long and varied list of continuing education options out there for massage therapists and bodyworkers, it can be difficult–or at least a bit confusing–for people to find the right course for their own personal and professional goals, needs and style.
The flip side of this is that because of the large amount of continuing education classes geared toward massage therapists and bodyworkers, those who do put in the time and effort are likely to be able to find the continuing education course perfectly suited to those needs and goals, and a good fit for the individual’s personal and professional style.
As you well know, if you have been in practice for even a short amount of time, continuing education comes in all shapes and sizes. Common topic categories that are not focused on the actual provision of massage therapy or bodywork include ethics, marketing, accounting, regional rules and regulations, public relations and community outreach, among others.
As for those topic categories that are focused on definite techniques, skills or modalities, common classes might be based on such topics as sports massage, hospital massage, infant massage, prenatal massage, geriatric massage, pediatric massage, massage for specific injuries or areas of the body, various forms of Asian bodywork, energy work and so much more.
There is a wealth of modalities out there, and it seems like new skills and techniques are born to the world of massage and bodywork each day. For nearly every one of these, there is a continuing education class or program to go along with it.
Aside from the diverse list of course subjects for continuing education, there also exists a fairly wide variety of ways to actually take the class you choose. For example, the ability to enroll, attend and complete continuing education for massage therapists and bodyworkers completely online has become quite a popular option.
By taking classes via the Internet, students are afforded more flexibility when it comes to scheduling continuing education into their busy lives and practices. In addition, online continuing education often costs less for the students to take, both in enrollment fees and in costs associated with time and transportation.
However, a large number of massage therapists and bodyworkers may feel it is more effective to attend continuing education courses on site and in person, especially if the class is attempting to teach a hands-on technique or whole new modality.
In such cases, students may decide to sign up for the class locally, if they happen to live in an area where it is taught not too far away. Sometimes, however, the continuing education touch therapists seek takes place in intensive seminars, which often are held in destination locations, such as a ski resort, beach hotel or cruise ship.
In these instances, the professional touch therapist not only may benefit from learning from what are frequently some of the biggest names in the industry, but he or she also will get a great opportunity for bonding with peers and colleagues and blending in a bit of vacation time.
–Brandi Schlossberg