Massage Therapy Classes

Find Massage Therapy Certification programs in the United States and Canada. Earning massage therapy certification is an important part of advancing your professional bodywork career. Because state requirements vary, formal education is the key to gaining eligibility to sit for both state and/or national massage therapy certification exams.

Depending by which region you reside, massage therapy certification may be earned upon successful completion of a good massage therapy program. Generally, basic massage training entails studies in anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, body mechanics, and various massage techniques. In certain advanced massage therapy certification programs, however, students gain knowledge and hands-on training in a larger range of massage modalities including acupressure, meridian therapy, medical massage, geriatric massage, lymph drainage, myofascial release therapy, craniosacral therapy, among others.

Massage therapy certification programs give students hands-on experience in clinical environments – as an example, several massage therapy colleges and schools provide open clinics to people where students can gain practical training (with instructor supervision) on clients. A number of the diverse therapies that students administer in these clinics include reflexology, sports massage, deep tissue massage, Swedish massage, chair/corporate massage and more.

In addition to actual career training, students enrolled in massage therapy certification programs will sometimes find out about CPR and first aid, business management and communication skills, herbal medicine studies, aromatherapy and essential oils, and other relative subject matter.

Many massage therapy certification programs are on a nearby level, national massage therapy certification* may be attained through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) – eligibility requirements for this exam include no less than 500 hours training from the state-licensed school. Practicing massage therapists retain this massage therapy certification for four years. By the end of the four-year timeframe, massage therapists must complete a minimal of 200 hours of therapeutic massage and 125 hours of associated studies. (*National certification requirements and governing boards vary in Canadian Provinces.)