Is the school dedicated to this profession and to teaching students the skills they need to be successful, or does it focus on quickly producing as many graduates in as many career areas as possible?

A good massage school's mission is to develop the best programming and methods to ensure their graduates success. To do so, it takes a deep understanding by ownership of the field, a willingness to take the time and effort to develop a team of dedicated teachers who practice professionally, and a program that is well thought out, integrated, and produces results. We've learned that it is necessary to honor each of our students with respect and guidance because this is the model they will need to take into the professional world. HAI's owners have over 25 years of experience in delivering this mission.

Types of schools to be concerned about:

• Business schools or colleges that offer massage as one of many career tracks. At these schools:
• Ownership is rarely attuned to the needs of massage therapist because it lacks experience in massage. Training is delegated and can lack support and knowledgeable direction from above.
• Fast isn't great if you aren't trained well.
• Programs are often thrown together.
• You are often placed in classes with students from various career tracks. Your teachers and fellow students may have no experience or interest in massage. The subject taught cannot have the same integration that a massage school will offer.
• You may discover that only a few of your courses in the whole program are taught by massage therapists.
• On-line education
  • How can you teach hands-on instruction without touching anyone?
  • Intensives offered at the end of your on-line training are too late. Without guidance at the beginning of your training, bad habits will be developed that can't easily be changed. Bad body mechanics are the #1 reason for quitting the profession.
  • Read the fine print. Does it qualify you to practice in your own state? Many are not professional training.
  • Verify with your state board that the education qualifies.

Does the program provide more than a fair price by focusing on value, opportunity, and expertise?

HAI's owners have worked since 1991 to keep tuition costs fair and reasonable. We've offered flexible payment plans, no interest loans and financial assistance that has not raised the prices for the rest of the student body. Schools offering federal guaranteed loans usually have to charge much higher tuition. In some cases it is used as an excuse by some schools to keep raising tuition. Unfortunately, there are schools today that see massage as only a money making venture. You can tell these types of schools because they:

• Offer vague or misleading information about their school, or force you to commit before they tell you all you want to know
• Apply pressure through various sales techniques to you to rush into a decision.
• Offer inappropriate degree programs such as Associates Degrees
• No state requires more than 1000 hours in training and the national average is 500 hours.
• Acquiring an Associates Degree is much more costly (up to ten times the amount of some massage programs) and takes much more time. Graduates of other schools will be working and establishing clientele long before you will.
• Transfer of credit is at the discretion of the university you are applying to. Unless the program is very sound and the school has reciprocity with a reputable university, most schools do not perceive an Associates Degree from a business school as acceptable, so your degree may not be used for a step up to a higher degree.
• Liberal arts classes have little to do with massage. Massage is an occupation that is best trained by practitioners who have been in the field for years.

Will you learn an appropriate and flexible curriculum that allows you to choose your area of focus?

We honor this by giving a well rounded education in 500 hours that lets you learn and experience the major modalities that the field offers: We offer 500 hours of training because we are confident that it is more than enough hours to train excellent therapists. It is also a fact that the state requires this for practice.

Why should we require more?

Many students are very well prepared at this level. We let you choose and focus on the continuing education you want. Rather than sitting through classes that may or may not be of interest, our school lets you focus now on what you want. Bottom line being no wasted time or money.

Does the school treat you like a number, or does it provide caring support and individualized attention?

HAI goes to great lengths to welcome and acclimate new students into our programs. Each course builds on the previous ones to smoothly integrate your experience. They are designed to help you to efficiently embody the skills so you can succeed in school and in the profession. We offer counseling while you are in school and classes that help you:

• Learn how you naturally learn
• Get results
• Grow personally
• Develop you people skills
• Develop you as a professional therapist
• How to manage stress and stay resourceful

Are your teachers experienced, professional, dedicated practitioners of massage therapy?

Yes! All have private practices or have worked in clinical settings. They are graduates of HAI and are comfortable within the system. They share the unique experience of what you are not only going through, but also what you will experience when you start your profession.

Will the school teach you how to be an average massage therapist, or will it empower you to be an exceptional practitioner with skills that are above and beyond the ordinary?

HAI is unique. Our 500 hour program includes Body Insight®, a breakthrough deep tissue approach you simply cannot get at other schools. This unique neuromuscular method is focused on the relationship of the mind and body by exploring how stress is internalized in the muscles and how to target these muscles to release stress. You'll be able to utilize movement during the corrective manipulation to help re-educate the client about correct movement and posture, returning proper function faster than classic corrective therapy. Once you master Body Insight® you'll have a distinct advantage over many other therapists because you'll create real, lasting results with your clients.

What should I consider when choosing a school?

When considering at any school, I suggest you look for a school that:

• Has good a "Word of Mouth". One that locals recommend.
• Employers recommend.
• Students and Graduates feel good about their experience.
• Demonstrates good business ethics.
• Focuses on building your confidence and self promotion skills. This field offers endless opportunity for the entrepreneurial person to develop a great lifestyle. This way you won't be dependent on needing to work for others.
• Fits you budget. School loans are great but they need to be paid off. The greater the debt, the longer you will carry the burden.
• Don't Be Rushed into a Decision! You might regret it.
• Find one that feels right. If you don't feel good in the environment or you dread going to school...
• High tuition does not necessarily mean a better school just as low tuition does not mean an inferior one.
• Quality is a function of the people running the school. If it feels supportive, it probably is. If it feels corporate where you feel pressured to sign on the dotted line, it tells you what the school really cares about.
• Make you choice for yourself. While well meaning friends and family can be supportive, they can also apply pressure. Stand up for what feels right for you. After all it is your career
• Does it offer a philosophy that is more than just getting you a job? Is it focused on helping you to be a better person? Does it care about you?

A Breakthrough Approach:

Providing a competitive advantage With the recent growth of the massage therapy industry, CMT graduates now have a great deal of competition when it comes to securing a rewarding position and creating a successful career. In order to have a competitive advantage, you need an education that goes beyond the basics to give you skills and insights that make you stand out. HAI is unique. Our 500 hour program includes Body Insight®, a breakthrough deep tissue approach you simply cannot get at other schools. This unique neuromuscular method is focused on the relationship of the mind and body by exploring how stress is internalized in the muscles and how to target these muscles to release stress. You'll be able to utilize movement during the corrective manipulation to help re-educate the client about correct movement and posture, returning proper function faster than classic corrective therapy. Once you master Body Insight® you'll have a distinct advantage over many other therapists because you'll create real, lasting results with your clients.

Click here for more details on Body Insight®.

Well designed, integrated program

We start your education by integrating movement awareness with massage skills. The quicker you learn proper habits the less chance you will experience pain or injury. Beginning classes focus you on clarifying and setting goals for success in the program and for your future therapeutic and business practice. We help you discover your learning style to best use it to master the material and access resources inside of you that you may have not been aware of to help you relieve test and performance anxiety. Your confidence builds as we teach you techniques such as Body Insight®, Sports Massage, and Hydrotherapy, that quickly relieve pain and promote healing. The student clinic is the place where you put it all together. In this supervised setting, you receive personal coaching and real client feedback. The techniques you have learned in the program become integrated in such a way that they become second nature. The whole package of people skills, therapeutic techniques, client education health education plans combine in a way that surprises many at the ease of mastery they have experienced. In addition you are trained to be flexible and responsive to your clients needs, whether it is a relaxation massage, a corrective bodywork session, or a combination massage that is so popular at many spas today.

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