Do You Feel Like You’re Chasing Your Client’s Problems?
When I first began working as a therapist, I really enjoyed doing my sessions. Soon however, I found people asking me about their injuries and pains and I felt I didn’t know enough to assess exactly what the problems were and what was causing them. I did know therapists – particularly Rolfers and clinical massage therapists – who had much more confidence at knowing what the problem was and assurance in their ability to help with it.
I wanted that too! I needed it!
So I made it a point to do further study – in Structural Bodywork (an outgrowth of Rolfing), clinical massage therapy, psychology of bodywork, shiatsu and Zero Balancing. I took these piece by piece so they weren’t integrated and it took me many more years to put them together.
The History of TLC’s Advanced Program
When John Conway and I started our school we recognized that need, so although the state then only required 250 hours, we started our school with 700 hours divided into three semesters. Later, when Texas went to 500 hours we took the most advanced aspects of our “third semester” and integrated them into a 250 hour Advanced Program (giving advanced graduates then 750 hours).
Interestingly, the National Certification Board some years later created their Board Certification for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, and that requires – you guessed it- 750 hours of training!
So everything I’d gotten through workshops somewhat piecemeal back in the 1980’s, has for over 20 years been integrated in our Advanced Program.
Advanced Massage Therapy at TLC Includes…
Through Zero Balancing you learn to evaluate key joints and energy flows and to address them through this most unique form of bodywork. Zero Balancing addresses the skeletal side of the musculo-skeletal equation. If you only work with muscles, you miss half of the relevant anatomy!
Through Shiatsu you begin to understand the Asian theories illuminating anatomy in an important, super helpful manner. Plus you learn mobilizations drawn from Japanese, Thai and Chinese traditions to help address structural and energetic restrictions.
Through Deep Massage you learn a way to touch soft tissue that revolutionizes your work with over 50 incredible new techniques to add to your tool bag. You will learn applications of deep massage to structural bodywork, freeing up movement, and relieving deeper and chronic tension.
Through Orthopedic Massage and Assessment you learn better evaluation and observation skills, and tests that much more accurately determine exactly what problem the person has! When we really know what we’re working with, all our techniques are aimed at specific structures, rather than being just general.
Through Psychology of Bodywork we open up the window of “psycho-social” origins of many pain and tension conditions. Often it is stress or personality challenges, rather than just physical issues, that cause or maintain our problems.
This is a long way around us saying – being a really good therapist requires we really know what we are doing!
Before my own advanced training, I felt I had an approximate idea, but that a lot of people knew more than me. Now, through the topics we cover in the Advanced Program, I feel this knowledge is within your grasp and totally encourage you to do it!
We are currently enrolling for our next advanced program session. Join us.