What the heck was I thinking? Why did I decide to open a massage school?

I have successfully opened a massage school. I’m 47 (46 when I started this madcap journey) and right at the time in my life where I OUGHT to be thinking about the years before retirement, planning on nothing unless it’s something I WANT to do. One day I realized what I WANTED to do was make sure the profession I love (massage therapy) continues to have a place for our clients in western Kentucky. It hit me that the profession I love could just vanish if steps weren’t taken. Just like that, I realized that after about 20 years in the profession, I AM the generation that should be taking up the mantle of teaching the next generation.

I don’t guess it’s in me to just set back and wait to see if somebody else would do it.

Plus, I’d be so mad if I realized later on that I SHOULD have & didn’t. I realized that there are relatively few of us out there doing EXTREMELY important work and there are very few places to get trained.

I am a massage therapist. I have been a massage therapist for 20 years and, let me tell ya, I’ve worked on, and helped, a lot of people. When I began in this profession in 1999, there was no oversite for massage therapy in Kentucky. You could grab two sawhorses, a piece of plywood, and a bucket of Crisco & call yourself a massage therapist. I did not go that route. There was a massage school locally and I was able to take classes so I would know the basics and enough to not accidentally hurt someone. I am glad to say, times have changed.

Now Kentucky regulates the practice of massage therapy. There are guidelines that schools MUST follow. The schools must have a license from the Kentucky Committee on Proprietary Education and have a Certificate of Good Standing with KBLMT (our licensing board www.bmt.ky.gov) Massage therapy programs are required to be 600 hours at least. Palpation Prep – School of Massage exceeds all of these standard. Our program is 650 hours, over 9 months, 16 hours a week. Apply here

The MINIMUM KY requirements    vs.   Palpation Prep:

  • Anatomy, Physiology & Kinesiology 125 hrs.                  148 hrs.
  • Massage Theory Technique & Practice 200 hrs.             203 hrs.
  • Business of Massage 200 hrs.               201 hrs.
  • Pathology 40 hrs.                 52 hrs.
  • Other 35 hrs.         46 hrs.

All Kentucky massage therapy laws and regulations can be found here: www.bmt.ky.gov

I opened a massage school because I want massage therapists to have a good, solid understanding of the BASICS.

My goal as an educator is to have my new therapists:

  • Know their scope of practice and Code of Ethics
  • Ultimately, being confident in what they are doing (kind of a given)
    • What they are touching
    • Why they are touching it
    • How it should react
    • What to do if it doesn’t
  • Be able to hold a conversation with healthcare practitioners in a professional manner using correct terminology (“I give a good backrub, y’all” is just not gonna impress the chiropractor as you go looking for a job.)
  • know where to find accurate research and the ability to adapt with that new information (if it’s proven wrong, quit telling it)
  • know when to refer to other healthcare practitioners and not let ego get involved
    • I like fixing stuff but my magic x-ray fingers can’t repair anything that’s torn, or broken, or needs medicine
  • be able to use critical thinking skills to put the knowledge they have to actual use
  • understand boundaries and transference/countertransference
  • use proper body-mechanics for a long, healthy career
  • know how to make a business plan – with marketing strategies

It seems like a simple list, but a list like this takes time.

600 hours in fact…well, 650 at Palpation Prep because we want to make SURE you are prepared to succeed.

If you’re ready to step into the world of massage therapy and would like to make sure you are prepared for life after school, contact me, message, email, call (and leave a message ‘cause I don’t call people all willy-nilly).

I would LOVE to share my crazy love of massage with you! (Obviously, because I opened a massage school :)) Val