As you gear up for your next continuing education experience, you may need to decide between two categories of continuing education for your massage therapy and bodywork career.
One category might be called the tactile type of continuing education, whereas the other category might be deemed the nontactile kind of continuing education. Although these two categories are quite broad and general, they do tend to comprise most continuing education classes available for professional massage therapists and bodyworkers.
Falling beneath the umbrella of tactile continuing education courses are classes that deal with actual touch. Typically, this means continuing education courses that aim to teach a specific modality of massage or bodywork. For example, a continuing education class on shiatsu would be considered a tactile continuing education class. A continuing education class on myofascial release would also fall into this category of continuing education classes.
Taking the tactile category a bit further, we can even see how continuing education classes on reiki, Healing Touch and other forms of energy work might be considered tactile continuing education classes. Despite the fact these modalities often require no touch at all, energy work does require an interaction between client and practitioner that seems to fit into the same category as those hands-on continuing education courses.
Turning our attention to the other broad category of continuing education classes for professional massage therapists and bodyworkers, we can begin to take a look at what it means for a continuing education course to be nontactile. In the most basic terms, it means the continuing education course covers a topic that does not pertain to touch. These are usually continuing education classes that cover more cerebral topics such as ethics or accounting for massage therapists and bodyworkers.
Practitioners who are trying to select their next continuing education course may find it easier to make a decision when breaking their options into these two categories and considering the other variables associated with taking either a tactile or nontactile continuing education class.
For instance, one of the variables associated with taking a touch-based continuing education course might be the perceived need to take the class in person, where the touch can be felt and seen up close. Many people may feel they do not fully absorb new tactile skills if they attempt to do so via an online continuing education class.
So, for example, a massage therapist who knows that she learns touch techniques best when she is learning in person may decide to take a nontactile continuing education course if she does not have the time or money to invest in an on-site continuing education class. This way, the massage therapist can still complete her continuing education credits, but do so via an online course.
Examples of nontactile continuing education classes one may prefer to take online include marketing and public relations for your practice, as well as management and other business-oriented courses.