TLC & the Advanced Massage Program
Years ago I went to a local Italian restaurant which didn’t look very classy. So when the waiter came over, I pointed to an entrée and asked skeptically, “Is this good?” The waiter looked down at me and confidently said, “Sir, that is more than GOOD.”
That, in so many words, is the inspiration for our school and the Advanced Massage Program. John Conway and I had past experience of schools and teachers that were “OK” or even “GOOD,” but we wanted a place to teach in that was more than good.
Because this profession, students, and all the people we touch deserve it!
The Lauterstein-Conway Massage School’s advanced program is designed for practicing massage therapists who want to take their bodywork to the next level.
What Does “Better Than Good” Look Like At Our School?
How have we evolved this “more than good” approach over the last 30 years?
- We find the best teachers possible – not the egotistical kind who want to show you how much they know – but the kind who are more interested in transmitting their knowledge to add to what you know – helping you find our your best way of learn – so it goes in deeper and is more enjoyed.
- We hire only staff who appreciate the mission of the school – to run the school in a manner as healing as the subjects we teach.
- Instead of teaching a “block” curriculum where you learn anatomy in a block and then massage, so you have forgotten anatomy by the time you get to massaging, we interweave all our topics. We call it a “tapestry” structure for our curriculum. We have recently transferred someone from another school that didn’t do ANY hands-on work for FOUR MONTHS. Unbelievable.
- We treat each student with the highest regard possible. People can only thrive in an atmosphere which is, as much as possible, genuinely supportive, respectful, and appreciative of the individual student and the class as whole.
Finally, from our very start, when Texas required only 250 hours to get licensed, we offered a three-semester 700-hour program. When the Texas law changed to 500 hours in 2007, we evolved that program into the 500-hour program for licensure and the 250-hour Advanced Program in Clinical Massage and Bodywork.
What Does “Better Than Good” Look Like In The Program?
How does “better than good” look like from the Advanced Program’s standpoint?
We start with Zero Balancing bodywork – which gives the student the ability to work with the bones and joints and the energy flowing through them. The anatomy we work with as therapists is muscles, bones, ligaments and joints – however, almost all U.S. trainings, concentrate only on the muscles. By bringing in your understanding and ability to address problems through the skeletal as well as the muscular system it takes your work from good to great.
Additionally, we balance out the Western anatomy and techniques with important anatomy and techniques drawn from the other half of the world – from Asia drawing from shiatsu and Thai massage, students learn meridians and advanced techniques and mobilizations, which help them integrate into their work great techniques from both the brilliant work of Thai, Chinese, and Japanese massage traditions.
The Advanced Massage Program also includes a certification in the method we call “Deep Massage” which is unique to our school. It shows you how to work simultaneously with the structure of the muscles and fascia and with the energy that flows within them. Thus, we learn how to communicate with the nervous system that really is the bodymind’s control system. When we can “talk” to the nervous system through the quality of our hands-on work, then our clients can truly let go of their tension because it is the nervous system that controls our tension levels.
We also go very deeply into Orthopedic Assessment and Massage. It is extremely common that students coming out of a 500 hour program have not had adequate time to learn assessment. That means they may have a good inventory of techniques, but they are not precisely sure when the person comes in with a problem, exactly what is causing that tension, pain or injury. If you don’t know where or why to work, your massage is educated guesswork, rather than being based in science and orthopedic knowledge. The Advanced program includes a 90-hour Certification in orthopedic assessment and massage.
Finally integration, session design and the role of psychology is explored. Since everyone is different, the best practitioner will not apply a certain modality, they will rather, with myriad tools, invent the session that is just right, and more than “good,” for YOU!
Good healthcare remedies illness, great healthcare, not only remedies illness, it promotes wellness in every aspect of one’s life.
This is a tender commitment; it recognizes that loving-kindness has an essential role in health, and that truly caring has a healing effect on both the giver and the receiver.
That’s why we are TLC – The Lauterstein-Conway.
We look forward to bringing more TLC into your life, your work and into the world in general. We all need it!
Request more information about TLCschool’s Advanced Massage Program, now enrolling.