Advanced Training Commitments

resources Feb 28, 2022

I invite you to think back to the time when you decided that you wanted to be a massage therapist. Something inspired you, what was it? What was it that motivated you to research schools, go through the admissions process and show up on the first day of class?

Can you remember how it felt on those first days, learning how to be a touch professional?

So many students tell me that they were both excited and nervous at the same time. They wanted to get it right and really HELP their clients. (I’m sure they wanted to get good grades, too!)

Did you ever get nervous or anxious in massage school? Was there ever a moment when the coursework, the exam preparation and the pathway to graduation and licensure seemed difficult? How did you work through those difficult times to see your objectives through to completion?

Massage school prepared you to be a competent, touch professional. You studied the ethics of touch, laws & rules. You practiced your clinical reasoning skills and...

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Cultivating Professional Composure

resources Feb 14, 2022
We have all had one those days where the idea of providing ONE MORE massage is nothing short of nauseating. This feeling usually has little to do with our next client personally. It is possible that we are overworked, hungry, sleep deprived, nervous, stressed at home or had a challenging client experience. We might have a million great excuses as to why we just aren’t “into it”. And sometimes that’s ok. Yet other times we feel burned out and frazzled without any logical excuse.
 
The Chain Reaction
Our personal experiences and our professional behaviors are intimately connected no matter how hard we try to separate them. Ungrounded thoughts and emotions can wreak havoc on our psyche and send us into a depleting cycle of disempowerment. One bad experience turns into a bad day that then turns into a bad week. Before we know it we are questioning our abilities as healers and sabotaging ourselves with all sorts of negative thoughts and behaviors.
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Setting Fees for New Services

resources Jan 31, 2022

The next step after completing one of our Thai Massage and/or ashiatsu courses and all recommended hours of practice after class is to add this new service to your menu. In order to do this you must determine what to charge. 

The Upgrade Model

At first you might consider charging more for a session that involves your newly acquired skills. I call this the spa upgrade model. In this model the service cost goes up incrementally when more pressure is added or different oils and tools are used. 

Pros : This a la carte type of menu works well for clients who want to treat themselves by customizing their experience. Customers in the spa environment are generally accustomed to add on charges for essential oils, hot stones or deep tissue. A higher price point also identifies the session as a specialty treatment that requires the therapist to complete additional training and practice. 

Cons : When a higher price point is set for a service then that service may be perceived as...

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Practice Sessions, Marketing and Profit

resources Jan 26, 2022

 Practice is a necessity when it comes to polishing up your Thai massage and/or ashiatsu skills to better serve your clients. We believe that serious students need to consider practice sessions as a self-study component to training. Our recommendation is to complete the same number of hours practicing after class as the number of hours spent IN class. For example, if you complete 21 hours of training then the ideal number of practice hours for that course is 21.

We realize that completing and documenting practice sessions is a big commitment of time and resources. One common question students ask is if it’s ok to charge for these practice sessions. The short answer is yes providing your massage license is current and you have met all requirements in your state to practice and charge for massage services. Ethically, however, we disagree with charging for practice sessions UNTIL you’ve gone through the material a few times at a leisurely pace AND are confident...

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How to Effectively Practice Ashiatsu and Thai Massage After Class

resources Jan 19, 2022

Practice Makes Perfect Progress

Practice sessions are one of the most important things a massage therapist can do to grow as an ashiatsu and/or Thai massage practitioner. We HIGHLY recommend setting up practice sessions for the days immediately following a class. Consider practice sessions a part of your training and get them scheduled at the same time you register for a course. We recommend conducting practice hours equal to or greater than the number of hours you spent in class.

Think Ahead

Go ahead and start thinking about WHERE you will conduct the practice sessions and begin gathering equipment and supplies BEFORE the class. Reach out to a few friends and family members who have been asking you for a massage and put them on your practice day schedule. And remember to print out and complete the session note forms so that you can collect feedback and document your progress. 

13 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Practice Sessions

BEFORE THE PRACTICE SESSION STARTS

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Deadline Extension and Free Credential Consultations 2022

resources updates Jan 17, 2022

ATTENTION :  Current ashiatsu and Thai massage students in the process of earning credentials with Elevate Massage Training 

We are so excited about the upgrades to our credentialing system that became effective January 1st, 2022 for all new Elevate Massage Training students. We are also pleased to announce an extension of the old system requirements for current students until December 31st, 2022. To qualify for this extension you must :  

  • be a licensed massage therapist who has taken one or more ashiatsu and/or Thai massage immersion courses with Elevate Massage Training between 2018 - 2021 AND
  • have been practicing and using and least SOME of what you learned AND
  • want to finish up your primary training and qualify for the advanced intensive courses that are scheduled for 2023

If you meet the above requirements then your next step may be to schedule a credential consultation to co-create your unique learning pathway toward endorsement with us in 2022. 

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