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Required Texts

The following books are required class texts. They are included in tuition and will be provided by the school. (Students who may already own these books will not receive financial credit on their tuition.)

Structure and Function of the Human Body and workbook, 13th edition, by Gary Thibodeau PhD, and Devin Patton, PhD. Workbook by Linda Swisher. Mosby, St. Louis, 2004.
Tappan's Handbook of Healing Massage Techniques, 5th edition, by Patricia J. Benjamin. ISBN 0-13-514223-7. Published by Prentice Hall
Anatomy Coloring Book, 3rd edition, by Wynn Kapit & Lawerence M. Elson. ISBN 0-8053-5086-1. Published by Pewarson ED/Prentice Hall

Included with tuition: the Life Gear Travel Lite massage table

Upgrade to the Harmony III from Earthlite for a small investment

Program Descriptions: Levels I & II

Differential Advantage Trainings

You will benefit from world class training that is very different and rarely offered by other massage schools. Advanced Level III graduates enjoy learning what works from 5 classic world techniques then are inspired to develop and create their own therapy style based on our classic and marketable venue. Receive the unique ability to combine medical massage therapy techniques along with feeling good spa massage therapy styles. Unlike other teachers, your main instructor is certified in every technique that is taught and has years of experience in every technique taught in class. The in-class training hours are nearly all hands on training. We do not use video training. Early in the course the student's perception, sensitivity, and transpersonal growth are stimulated using exercising touch skills that become the foundation to build on through their lives and careers

Level I Introductory Massage Therapist

Together we learn classic and Swedish Massage as developed by Per Henrik Ling in Sweden. We learn how to give a great back massage. Chair massage and lots of good home and family remedies like how to help a sinus headache, relieve a sore lower back ache and revive and rejuvenate a fatigued body and leave our friends enveloped with a warm healthy glow. We learn table etiquette, proper draping, and the simple courtesies of massage therapy in the home and work place. We participate in introductory massage of Thailand combined with Hatha Yoga and stretch kinesiology. An anatomy text and work book are included so we cover the basic anatomy and physiology from cells through body systems and learn all the bones. Begin basic hygiene and skin and bone pathology studies. This level will not qualify for the National Certification Exam or any licensing requirements that we know of.

Level II Paraprofessional Massage Therapist

Prerequisite Level 1 and Level II continues to include additional effective skill building with medical styles of massage, deep tissue and side lying massage. We explore introductory to acupuncture points, foot reflexology, range of motions and helpful forms of complimentary kinesiology to add to your client's health routine. We begin our work in major syndromes including carpal tunnel, arthritic and joint conditions and refine our massage for neck and shoulder symptoms. Students will be ready to distinguish the difference between healthy tissues and fibrotic knots and not so healthy tissues with our excellent palipatory skills. We learn professionalism in the work place and study the cardiovascular and lymph symptoms and touch on manual lymph drainage and digestive massage therapy. Pathology of circulation and lymph systems are essential to massage therapy.

Program Descriptions: Level III

Level III Professional Massage Therapist

Prerequisites include Levels I and II, the Director's permission or be able to pass an entrance exam consisting of introductory level anatomy, physiology and massage therapy.

This is our highest level of training leading to National Certification Excellence prep for State licensing requirements and Wisconsin Massage Therapist Registration. We learn tons of medical and remedial massage therapies for a multitude of syndromes. Here are the topics and skill levels covered.

Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT) – We learn precise muscular palpation and the modality of trigger point applications for whiplash, sciatica (hip and leg syndromes), neck and shoulder pain relief, for headaches, frozen shoulder symptoms, arm and hand numbing and be able to find with your hands, which exact muscles are tied to which exact symptoms. No time wasted studying "muscle charts and names" Our anatomy lessons become "living anatomy" when we actually find and palpate the muscular topics. Some of this comes in the form of "pathophysiology" as we need to understand the contributory factors of the symptoms. We shape and tape actual muscles to life size skeletons using a system developed here at INT with colored papers. Your instructor is certified in NMT and has trained with Janet Travell who was president Kennedy's physician. Dr. Travell also developed the first medical trigger point techniques which we employ in class.

Traditional Chinese Massage (TCM) – We examine acupuncture points, meridians, yin and yang, the five element theory, Zang-fu theory. We explore Qi-gong and learn to feel the powerful yet subtle energies of TCM. We learn how to do hot cupping, use herbs for moxibustion and then lightly touch on the East Indian Ayruverdic chakra system to develop a world class acupressure massage.We learn to treat symptoms with acupressure points including TMJ (jaw dysfunction), headaches, sinus, and sciatica. Students will be able to treat the body using ear seeds on the auricle (Chinese ear points) for addictions. We will learn to treat smoking, over eating, alcohol and drug addiction syndromes. Your instructor is certified in acupuncture and was trained by the World Health Organization at Nanjing, China in 1990.

Thai Yoga Massage – The traditional massage of Thailand. We learn a basic Thai massage known in Thai education system as a Level I Thai massage. Thai massage was born in the temples of Thailand and is interwoven with traditional Thai medicine, yoga, osteo medicine, and marital arts to create a unique healing system of Thai massage. We guide the student through a series of massage moves, yoga positions, and along the sen sib energy lines to create a comprehensive full body Thai massage that eases tension, boosts the immune system and balances the body's energy. Occasionally we offer on site training in Thailand. Your instructor has been trained in Thailand and carries multiple certifications in Thai massage and is certified as an accredited Thai Massage teacher by the Ministry of Education of Thailand. Trained in Chaing Mai years of 2003 to 2006.

Myofascial and Structural Integration – This is a special section which allows the student to develop sensory intuition and experience the body as a three dimensional being. We encompass a variety of connective tissue massage techniques focusing on the facial entrapments, compartments and sheaths that surround the muscles and organs. Techniques of regional myofascial involve unwinding of both deep and superficial layers. We learn postural analysis, proper walking and alignment in motion, how emotions may be stored in the fascia, how to work with stored trauma in tissues and what to look for. Your instructor is a certified Rolfer who graduated from the exclusive Rolf Institute in 1992.

Auxillaries of Foot Reflexology, Cranial-Sacral, Qigong and subtle energies – We learn to feel a basic cranial pulse and beginning but beneficial cranial manipulations. We will do a complete foot reflexology treatment and learn the points significant to change. Your instructor is certified in both and some time will be left open for guest speakers on corresponding topics including chiropractic, kinesiology and healing touch. We will study hydrotherapy, learn how to give a clay mud pack, use hot towels and spend a little time looking at and tasting living foods with live enzymes. We will learn a little about digestive enzymes and colon health.

Anatomy Physiology and Pathology of Level III will include thorough studies of the nervous system, digestive, hormonal, and respiratory along with the pathologies massage therapist should know. Students complete 100 hours of anatomy and physiology workbooks out side of class as well as additional 100 hours of in class studies. Plan to spend 4-6 hours per week outside of class.

State Laws,Clinic, books, records and ethics – We learn the laws and some of the grey areas that govern our profession. We study ethics of the profession as some things that may be legal may not be ethical or understood well by the public. We learn record keeping for clients and how to make subjective, objective, assessment, and planning notes (SOAP notes). We put this all together in our Student Clinic, which is open free of charge to the public. Students are responsible for the entire massage process from the beginning to the end including intake forms and clean up. They are graded by their clients by way of feedback forms and get a chance to see how the general public views their massage therapy final product.

Professional Supervised Externship – Massage students work an eclectic variety of techniques sometimes on campus after class, in a professional environment, but beginning in a personal environment. The entire externship is extensively supervised and considered in-class time. Although much of the work is completed off campus, it is vigorously and directly supervised by INT staff through feedback forms, personal contact, logging and phone calls. Students are required to log their massage therapy including five hours on five different professional massage therapists. Students are also required to complete 10 hours of community service therapies in Senior Citizens homes, hospitals, hospices and rehab centers, furnishing the students with a variety of situations and people. There are often other professional opportunities available.