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Massage Therapy Incorporating Position Therapy Program

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Institute of Brain Education offers a program to prepare students for improving the health and wellness of individuals. The program is a Holistic Healing, Massage, Bodywork and Energy Healing course incorporating Position Therapy, based on Hwal Gong; which focuses on teaching how to assist individuals to make the connection between the brain, the body and wellness through gently assisted positions for opening the meridians. Therapists learn to combine techniques from several different modalities to improve and correct body conditions. Massage Therapy provides a student with current knowledge, skills, and development tools necessary for personal and professional growth as a massage therapy practitioner in several mainstream massage techniques; including Swedish, Deep Tissue, Reflexology, Craniosacral and Meridian. The program prepares students to apply for licensing by the Arizona State Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy and to sit for the practitioner exam at the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and MBLEX.

Course Description


This program is 700 clock hours and includes the courses as listed in the table below. No credit hours are awarded in this program. This program is offered in combination of online and in-person courses.


All hours are under the supervision of a qualified instructor. Hours are documented with clear learning objectives that are provided to the students. Programs use a mechanism for faculty evaluation and supervision of student performance. Clients will be notified that massage therapists are students. All experiences are designed to model professional procedures, including as appropriate, professional draping techniques.

110 Classroom Hours

Classes provided an overview of human gross anatomy, with emphasis on the musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary systems. In conjunction, this course describes the functioning of the cardiopulmonary, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems.

Anatomy and Physiology

53 Classroom Hours

This course provides an overview of the human nervous system, including neuro-anatomy, neurophysiology, neuro-endocrinology. During the course it focuses on relationships between the central nervous system and human behavior, including the neural substrates of cognition, emotion, sensation, movement, autonomic function, and socialization. The course distinguishes between neuro-scientific understanding and reductionism, with special emphasis on human development.

Applied Neuroscience/BEST

24 Classroom Hours

This part of the course offers important development in the students energy healing combined with massage skills and in the development of clinical communication. Additionally, the course provides an opportunity for the therapist to receive healing in order to assist with an increased understanding of the processes their clients will undergo.

Energy Healing I

24 Classroom Hours

Continuation of Energy Healing I.

Energy Healing II

24 Classroom Hours

Continuation of Energy Healing II.

Energy Healing III

10 Classroom Hours

In this class students are encouraged to internalize the highest standards of behavior as health professionals. The coursework describes the essential character of relationships in the health professions, and sensitizes students to the ethical dimensions of healing work. Class work includes basics for general business training in issues legal, accounting, and general business management operations, and ethical decision making.

Ethics in the Healing Professions and Business Management

14 Classroom Hours

This subject provides an overview of the theoretical principles for common massage therapy systems and manual techniques. That includes history of massage and bodywork, effects and benefits of proper massage treatments, and theoretical basis of fundamental manual techniques.

Theory of Massage & Bodywork

20 Classroom Hours

This subject helps to deepen the understanding of anatomy as it explores the relationship between structure and function of the musculoskeletal system. This is the introduction to the science of human movement, through study of planes of motion, physics, anatomy, physiology and biomechanics.

Kinesiology

70 Classroom Hours

This is a hands-on class that teaches techniques of massage. That includes, Swedish, HwalGong (Korean Energy Massage), and Meridian Massage. Students will learn to work with and develop sensitivity to the muscles, fascial components and connective tissues.

Massage Skills I

70 Classroom Hours

Continuation of Massage Skills II.

Massage Skills II

50 Classroom Hours

The class is an opportunity for a thorough review of the rules for the state of Arizona and the national certification, and guidance for the application and preparation for the national exam.

National Certification and License Review

30 Classroom Hours

This course provides an overview of classical East Asian health systems, both theory and practice, including roles of life-energy, meridian systems, yin-yang theory, five-element theory with special emphasis on the correlation with exercise physiology including stress and recovery affects upon various organ systems. Therapeutic exercise instruction for general application and some specific issues covered.

Oriental Health Principles I / Massage Therapy, incorporating Position Therapy I

30 Classroom Hours

Continuation of Oriental Health Principles I, this course creates the integration of therapeutic exercise and manual therapies to enhance function of the physical, energetic and psychological functions and the integration of these. Emphasis of physical body through lumbopelvic assessment and treatment to strengthen the physical foundations of health as they flow to support the energetic and psychological aspects; craniosacral therapy as it improves psychoenergetic as it flows to support the body.

Oriental Health Principles II / Massage Therapy incorporating Position Therapy II

30 Classroom Hours

Continuation of Oriental Health Principles II with advanced understanding and training in theory and practice of the meridian system.

Oriental Health Principles III / Massage Therapy incorporating Position Therapy III

40 Classroom Hours

Here students receive an overview of the pathological basis of human disease, describing mechanisms and consequences of human disease, at molecular, cellular, tissue, organ system, and human levels.

Pathology

60 Classroom Hours

This course provides an overview of classical East Asian health systems, both theory and practice, including roles of life-energy, meridian systems, yin-yang theory, five-element theory with special emphasis on the correlation with exercise physiology including stress and recovery affects upon various organ systems. Therapeutic exercise instruction for general application and some specific issues covered.

Massage Therapy incorporating Position Therapy Practicum

14 Classroom Hours

These classes provide an introduction to the study of reflexology, for the basic understanding of the principles and skills of reflexology and their therapeutic application.

Reflexology

10 Classroom Hours

This is an introduction to principles of Oriental Bodywork; Position Therapy, which are unique to this practice, and offer a chance to outline the expectations and personal commitment to the practice of this therapy. We also describe the myriad mutual influences between the health of an individual, and the health of larger units including families, communities, our species, and the earth as a whole. Special emphasis is placed on the role of the individual as a change agent.

Orientation/Human Health in Global Context

17 Classroom Hours

This is for reiteration of the major lessons and key points in each subject and building professional network and relationship for future collaboration among graduates.

Review and Graduation

There is no clinical training, or externship/internship in this program. Students will participate in a supervised practicum providing Massage Therapy incorporating Position Therapy to fellow students in order to have hands on experience. The following is the practicum policy:

 

  • All hours shall be under the supervision of a qualified instructor.

  • Hours are documented with clean learning objectives that are provided to the students.

  • Programs use a mechanism for faculty evaluation and supervision of student performance.

  • All experiences shall be designed to model professional procedures, including, as appropriate, professional Position Therapy techniques.
     

Admission Requirements

  • All applicants for admission to the health coaching program must be at least 18 years of age.

  • Student must pay all applicable fees, as per the current published fee schedule prior to the issuance of an enrollment contract or make other arrangements acceptable to the school.

  • Falsification of any admission materials may be cause for denial or cancellation. There are no program prerequisites.
     

Textbooks or Learning Materials

  • National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork Study Guide

  • Mosby’s Fundamentals of Therapeutic Massage, 4th Ed: by Sandy Fritz

  • Structure & Function of the Body, 13th Ed.: by Gary A. Thibodeau & Kevin T. Patton

  • Fundamentals of Chinese Medicine: Nigel Wiseman, Andrew Ellis

  • Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology: by Ruth Werner/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

  • Trail Guide to the Body: How to Locate Muscles, Bones, and More (3rd Edition) by Andrew R. Biel and Robin Dorn

  • Human Technology: by Dr. Ilchi Lee

  • Home Massage Therapy I

  • Home Massage Therapy II

  • The Anatomy Coloring Book (3rd Edition): by Wynn Kapit/Lawrence M. Elson

  • Brunnstrom’s Clinical Kinesiology: L. Don Lehmkuhl & Laura K. Smith

  • Brain Respiration: by Dr. Ilchi Lee

  • Dahnhak: The Way to Perfect Health: by Dr. Ilchi Lee
     

The cost of the books are not included in the enrollment fees and are the responsibility of the students.


Equipment/technology requirements or competencies

Students will be provided with Massage Tables and massage tools such as Power Brain Energizers and oils and creams for use during classroom and practicum training but may want to purchase their own before completion of the program.

  • Power Brain Energizers

  • Massage Tables

  • Massage Paraphernalia (including oils/creams, sheets, etc.)
     

For online students, please refer to section VI for detailed technology requirements. There are no specific competencies or certifications needed for this program.


Requirements for Completion/Graduation

  • A candidate for graduation must have successfully completed all required course load with a cumulative 2.0 GPA or higher.

  • The candidate must meet all academic and attendance requirements.

  • The candidate must have fulfilled all financial obligations to Institute of Brain Education.

  • The candidate must pay a graduation fee which was included in the original fees.
     

Graduate Employment Opportunities


Once students achieve licensing, they are eligible for employment as a Massage Therapist in the State of Arizona. In the most recent overview document by The American Massage Therapy Association, employment opportunities for massage therapist is expected to grow at a faster than average rate.


Requirements for Graduate to Practice


A state massage therapy license is required to practice. Licensing is handled differently in each state. All graduates of IBE meet the eligibility requirements of The Arizona State Board of Massage Therapy and the National Certification Exam for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. Arizona Massage Therapy Licensing is regulated by Arizona State Board of Massage Therapy located at


1740 West Adams, Ste. 3041
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: (602) 542-8604

Email: info@massageboard.state.az.us

Website: www.massageboard.az.gov

Tuition, Costs and Fees

Description

Tuition

Registration fee

Instructional Materials and Supplies fees

offline only

$7,350

$75

online & offline combination

$5,000

$75

$150

$150

Graduation fee

$100

$100

Total fees

$7,675

$5,325

Students in the Massage and Oriental Bodywork Therapy may incur an additional $1,000 in expenses to cover optional supplies and if they choose to apply for licensing and/or sit for national certification. They are strongly encouraged but not required to buy a professional massage table, creams and oils within the first semester of the program. Other expenses that a student may incur include room and board, transportation, personal expenses and loan origination fee.

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