Massage Therapy Classes

Archived Q&A and reviews ▼

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Massage Therapy School

Oct 2009

I'm interested in becoming a massage therapist and the archived recs are pretty old for Bay Area massage therapy schools. Does anyone have any fresh experiences to share? Thanks! Touchy feely mama

The McKinnon Institute in Oakland is excellent. I found them to be very organized, the instructors are great, lots of different scheduling options, lots of great specialty classes/continuing education, and an easy location to get to by BART if that is important to you. Feel free to email me if you have any further questions. Nicole

I did my massage training at Mckinnon- now McKinnon Body Therapy Center in Oakland. It is a wonderful school, I also work in the clinic there. They have information nights pretty regularly and if those don't work for you, you could call and set up an appointment with Carl Johns to talk about the School and programs. They have it set up so you can take the initial 100 hours of Swedish massage as either an intensive 2-week program or sessions that run during weekday mornings or weekend classes. They offer a lot of modalities and have some really wonderful instructors. http://www.mckinnonmassage.com/index.php Marion

NHI massage therapy school

May 2006

The postings on this school are 4 years old, so I was hoping for more recent experience on the quality of instruction and job prospects after completing the program. My daughter wants to attend National Holistic Institute massage therapy school this summer right afer high school. She is not very mature for her age and has some learning problems. It seems like a very reputable school, but I wonder how thorough their screening process is on identifying students who have a good chance of successfully completing the program and finding employment. We visited the school and had an informational interview, and the person we spoke to said she thought my daughter would be a good fit for their program, but I'm not so sure, at least not for a few years. I am wondering if our ability to pay the tuition made her a better fit. Also, I am wondering how academic the program is as it includes anatomy and physiology, and how much support students get with the academic part of the instruction. It would be great to hear from someone who has actually attended the school.

NHI...I currently attend NHI and really love it! The majority of the instructors are great. (that was also my opinon of the UC when I was in college- ALL instructors are never ''great''). I think like with any school for anything the students make or break their success. NHI offers so many tools for success! Externship- this throws you into the ''work force''. You not only get experience to put on your resume (which they make you write while attending school) but also gives you a feel for how the real world will be without the pressure of being paid. Teaching clinic hours- allows you to get over the massaging a stranger fear in a safe environment. All the marketing/business classes give you a realistic idea of what is to come. You learn so many modalities of massage! The anantomy/phys/kines classes are a huge part of what sets NHI apart from the quicker/less hours schools. Knowing where the muscles are and what they do takes your skills and massages to the next level! No, it is not easy. For one of the kinesiology tests my group took a few people actually failed the test. From what I could tell the teacher immediately set them up for tutoring so they could pass. These students should have signed up for tutoring on their own before the test. As well as the tutoring that is always available we also have group tutoring/class type study groups before major tests that they could have participated in. So, yes, the test was hard but the students who failed didn't participate in the resouces available to them. Is your daughter ready to be pro-active? If not, maybe she should wait. I agree that if you can pay the tuition then NHI considers you ''great for the program''.
-can't wait to start doing work I love!

Class in meditation and massage?

April 2003

I am looking for a class to learn massage by giving it and receiving it, sort of for fun, not professional. I am also looking for a class in meditation guided by an instructor. I have looked at some community centers but found little so far. Have you been to any classes like these? Laura

For meditation, look at the Spirit Rock website- www.spiritrock.org James Baraz teaches a class in Berkeley, which is listed through Spirit Rock, and it's really good. For massage, you probably need to go through a training program, where you do lots of practice and exchanges. ReSource is great if it's still around. me

You might want to check out Yogalayam at 1717 Alcatraz in Berkeley. I've taken the pre-natal and post-natal yoga classes there which I've really enjoyed, and I know that they have a variety of other classes and one-time workshops. Also, you might be able to arrange an individual class with Saraswati -- I know she's done that with other people. The number at Yogalayam is 510/655-3664. Good luck! anon

YOGA MANDALA has some very talented massage therapists of all kinds. The place is very beautiful and the massage rooms very clean and aesthetically planned. I also know that the massage therapists trade massages...so I would recommend that you call there and see if you can hook up with someone. The phone number is 486-1989. Website yogamandalastudio.com Best of luck cb

Massage Therapy schools

July 2002

Does anyone know of any reputable massage therapy schools in the East Bay? Also I would like any recommendations on types of classes to take in regards to becoming a massage therapist. Thank you.

You may want to look into National Holistic Institute & Teaching Clinic at 59th and Powell in Emeryville. One of my former co- workers trained there and was pleased with the program. Apparently they have a very high placement rate for graduates. What I, as a non-student, like best about the school is they operate a massage clinic so students get hands-on experience: the public can make appointments for Swedish or shiatsu massages with students who are in their final semester. It's been about 2 years since I last made an appointment there; at the time it cost $25 for a 50 minute appointment. I was very pleased with the quality of the massages I received, and you can't beat that price! Their tel # is (510) 547-6442. Hannah

You asked for Massage Therapy schools in the East Bay, but I'm going to recommend a school in San Anselmo, Alive and Well Institute for Conscious Bodywork. You didn't say where you live...I live in Richmond and it takes me 25-40 minutes to get there depending on time of day and traffic. It takes me the same amount of time due to traffic to get to NHI in Emeryville, so for me A and W was a more attractive choice of schools. Alive and Well has a great program of classes and really wonderful teachers. It's not a huge school so I always felt like I was getting a lot of personal attention.I made a lot of friends there.

They have free introductory evenings for the various programs and classes. They have a basic CMT program which is I think 120 hours including clinic hours, and 2 other higher hour programs, 570 and 1000 hours.

I've been a massage therapist for about 20 years with a career change in the middle. I went to Alive and Well 3 years ago to continue my education and get the 570 hour certificate (CBW- Conscious Bodyworker). They have several payment plans and a workstudy program.

I'd be happy to talk to you further about the school and also about my opinion (some good some negative) about some of the other east bay schools.
June Kamerling, Massage Therapist