Alternative Educational Methods
Learning to give a great massage is very similar to learning how to dance, play a musical instrument, speak a foreign language (or three), and create an atmosphere of care that emanates from you - all at the same time! In other words, there's a lot more that goes into a massage than just the technique. There's science, intuition, new ways of thinking, creative problem solving, professional communication, time management, exercise, diet, and lifestyle.
Within this wide range of subjects to explore, each student has different needs. Some students easily remember factual information and need special guidance to discover their intuition, while other students are more in touch with their intuition and need support in areas of professionalism and exam preparation. At ASM, we work very carefully with each student, to support and enhance your natural abilities, and to introduce you to new perspectives. Our students have high standards and important goals achieve. We provide unparalleled support to help you develop into a unique therapist who will attract and keep a dedicated client base.
The educational models in use today in most public schools and universities are designed for large groups of students to be introduced to a standardized curriculum with standardized goals. Everyone is expected to learn the same thing, at the same pace, and "success" is measured not by the individual's expression of the subject, but by her or his conformance to the mold. Having a standardized curriculum and having high standards can be two very different things.
For massage students to enter the professional arena with a good chance for success, a massage school must provide each individual with what we call "professional training." Imagine yourself as a massage client. What if you show up for your massage and the therapist shows up late, wearing street clothes? She rushes about to set up the room for you, and is breathless when she asks you how you are doing. Imagine that your therapist looks tired, distracted, and unhealthy. What if the massage she gives you feels like a routine, with little attention given to your needs and feelings? It is a well-known fact among massage therapists that clients are simply unable to relax if they don't feel comfortable with their therapist. To develop the professional, intuitive and technical skills that form the foundation for success, a massage school must teach beyond the technique and provide and atmosphere where real professional development is possible. This can only be accomplished if the school works with each student individually.
We recognize that the development of professional skills takes time, and that each student is traveling a different path. That's why our full training takes nearly a year. It takes time to develop the self-confidence, for example, to enter a room with a complete stranger who is asking for your help in reducing the negative effects of stress in his life and then spend an hour giving him a massage, skin-to-skin. Yes, it is intimate, and for real relaxation to happen, both people need to feel safe. At ASM, first we start by getting to know each other - we create a bonded group that provides a kind of friendship and peer-support that enables you to develop your self-confidence as a therapist. Then, when the time is right, your internship begins, where you get to work with the public, side-by-side with your mentors.
When you become a member of the ASM family, we take care of you. We support you in the areas you need help, and set you free as you discover your own, unique talents. We believe that one of the best business practices for a massage therapist is to do what you love - do what makes you feel confident and compassionate. By the time you graduate, you've developed a style that's all your own, and that's why your clients will come back to you, again, and again. The journey of becoming a professional therapist is more than a matter of learning what to do, it is about learning how to be more fully yourself. Because each person is so different, what it takes to teach massage is different for every student. We stay with you, every step of the way.
