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The Certificate
Program consists of classroom instruction and out-of-class
activities.
- Classroom Instruction - Includes
both lecture and practical instruction to prepare
students for the real world.
- Out-of-Class Activities - Include
massage practice, research projects, receipt of
professional bodywork, and student fieldwork.
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| Breakdown
of Program Hours |
| ACTIVITY |
HOURS
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| Attend
88 scheduled class sessions |
352
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| Attend
Exposure Series lectures (Friday nights & weekends)
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112
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| Take
part in supervised massage practice sessions at AKS |
99
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| Contract
for and receive 6 professional massages |
8
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| Complete
and report on CPR/First Aid training |
7
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| Conduct
and log out-of-school massage practice sessions |
40
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| Participate
in cultural/study |
10
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| Complete
two research projects |
5
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| Complete
professional development activity |
3
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| Conduct
and report on a minimum of 3 supervised fieldwork engagements |
14
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| Certificate
of Achievement |
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An
AKS Massage School Certificate of Achievement
documents successful completion of this professional-level
program of study. Most licensing and certification authorities
require this certificate as part of the Massage Therapist
Certification process.
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Program
Foundation
The
curriculum begins with rigorous anatomy lessons and training
in traditional European, or Swedish, massage. Lectures
contain topics
with a focus on their application to the field of massage
and bodywork.
Practical
bodywork, related to the current discussion topic, typically
follows each lecture. As part of the foundation, students
learn about client positioning, draping, and communication
skills.
Students
must pass periodic, written exams to demonstrate their understanding
of physiology, anatomy, and structural kinesiology. Topics
in kinesiology include:
- Skeletal and
muscular structure
- Origins, insertions
and actions of muscles
- Principles
of mechanics and anatomy in relation to human movement
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Body systems
covered include:
- Nervous
- Cardiovascular
- Lymphatic
- Integumentary
- Respiratory
- Digestive
- Endocrine
- Urinary
- Reproductive
Recognition
of medical conditions include:
- Injuries
- Joint
disorders
- Skeletal
dysfunction
- Circulatory
conditions
- Skin
conditions
- Contraindications
of massage
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Supervised
Massage Sessions
Students
must practice massage at the school under the guidance of
school faculty. Additionally, students must practice and
log out-of-class massage practice sessions. They must complete
approximately 100 hours of Supervised Practical Massage
in addition to fieldwork and classroom practical bodywork.
This works out to be about 7 massages per month after the
1st month of classroom instruction.
Each hour-and-a-half
supervised massage session must occur in the presence of
school staff. Sessions include faculty observation, assistance
and critique. Supervised Massage offers students excellent
opportunities and experience working with the public. Several
of the Supervised Massage sessions must be work on a school
instructor.
After several
months of classroom instruction, supervised massage, and
out-of-class practice, students must take a practical exam.
Each student performs bodywork on a school instructor to
be assessed for competency.
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Advanced
Topics
On
top of this foundation, students then progress to
more advanced techniques and skills as part of classroom
sessions. For example:
- Observation
and assessment techniques
- Traditional
(Eastern) massage
- Sports
and deep-tissue massage
- Infant
and geriatric massage
- Pregnancy
and side-lying massage
- Seated
and chair massage
- Myofascial
/ connective tissue release
- Trigger
point therapy
In addition
to more in-depth classroom instruction, students must
also accumulate program hours by participating in
the AKS Exposure Series.
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The AKS Exposure Series allows students to individualize
their learning experience as part of the Professional Certificate
Program. Students can choose to:
- Select specific topic areas for 'specialized'
education
- Receive exposure to a broad range
of modalities
As part of the
AKS Exposure Series, Certificate Program students must attend
Friday Night Lectures and
Saturday Classes and then write a brief report on each subject
to accumulate about 100 exposure hours. These lectures and
classes introduce students, as well as existing practitioners
and the general public, to a variety of complementary and
integrative health modalities. Sample topics include:
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| Crainosacral |
Rolfing |
Trager® |
| Feldenkrais® |
Alexander
Technique® |
Pregnancy
Massage |
| Connective
Tissue Massage |
Aromatherapy |
Somatic
Healing |
| Reflexology |
Hawaiian
Massage |
Shiatsu |
| Chiropractic |
Qi
Gong & Tai Chi |
Thai
Massage |
| Bowen
Therapy |
Stretching
& Flexibility |
Sports
& Event Massage |
| Meditation |
Reiki |
Medical
Massage |
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...
and more ...
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Students also
receive lectures and materials to help them build a massage
and bodywork practice after graduating.
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This includes
professional training in:
- Business
practices
- Ethics
- Marketing
- Stress
management
- Injury
prevention
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| Public
Clinic &
Fieldwork |
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After
about 3 months into the Certificate Program, and with
Instructor
approval, students must provide massage to the general
public in order to help them prepare for the "real" world.
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Public
Massage Clinic
Students must provide massage to the general public at the AKS Public Massage
Clinic, under the direction of an AKS supervisor (certified massage therapist).
[ More
Information ]
Fieldwork
Students must organize, attend, and
provide massage sessions to the general public
at community
events
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