If you have taken many continuing education courses in your time as a professional massage therapist or bodyworker, then you likely know the experience can vary widely depending on a number of factors. From the way in which you choose to take your continuing education class to the course topic and provider, many variables can influence the continuing education experience.
At first, it can seem difficult to know how to select the best possible continuing education class, because you may be unsure as to what makes the most sense for you and your practice. With time, and often through a process of trial and error, you may begin to learn how the variables of continuing education can come into play to affect your experience and the amount of benefit you derive from a continuing education class.
For example, you may decide to take a continuing education class through an online provider. If you have never taken an online continuing education class before, you probably do not know what to expect. Depending on you and your own preferred learning style, you may walk away from the experience quite pleased with convenience of taking continuing education classes online.
On the other hand, some massage therapists or bodyworkers may find online continuing education classes are not a good fit, especially if the topic is an entirely new modality. With more trial and error, though, some people may determine they enjoy taking continuing education classes online when the subject is more academic, such as marketing or accounting, or when simply learning more about a hands-on skill they already possess.
This same type of trial-and-error process can be used for massage therapists and bodyworkers who choose to take their continuing education classes in person, either inside a traditional classroom atmosphere or at a vacation destination or cruise seminar. By getting out there and having the continuing education experience, touch therapists gather information about their favorite ways to learn and how certain topics may lend themselves more to online or in-person learning.
Of course, there are other variables at play in the continuing education experience aside from the actual method of taking the class. The cost of the continuing education course, the amount of time one must invest in order to attend and complete the class, and other such factors may influence the decision a massage therapist or bodyworker makes when it comes to her next continuing education experience.
It may also prove helpful to research and talk to other touch therapists about their own continuing education experiences. This way, you may be able to avoid some of the trial and error simply by learning from others. Ask colleagues about the various continuing education providers and course topics to find out which ones might make the best fit for you and your practice, and then take that variable into account as you make your final decision.