What course!?

Hi everyone,

I want to become a Masseur but I don't know which course to take.
There are so many out there... Literally thousands.

I have seen ITEC intense 12day courses which say on completion I would be able to practise!? It seems too short a course to me? Is this the case?

Also what is the best course to take? I would like to be working as soon as possible.

I am based in Northamptonshire and the only course I have found is a level 3 certificate in Swedish Massage... Is this enough to practise?

I don't understand which qualifications I need. Please help!!

Thank you very much,

Drew 🙂

I trained for 3 years before becoming a masseuse...it makes me feel sick that people can qualify in just 12 days. Would you be happy to pay £40 for a full body massage only to find out that the therapist had qualified in just 12 days Drew?

Read the thread below. You need to enroll at a proper college. Why should people with a conscience (like myself and other therapists on here) spend literally years training, only for others to do weekend wonder courses and 12 day courses and think it's acceptable?! It's unethical, and unfair to paying clients who are putting their trust in you.

Hi Drew

A recent thread on Hp may be of help:

As for Level 3 Swedish massage, if it is well delivered sounds good to me! Most massage in the UK is really Swedish style. And yes you can practice and gain insurance. Common Law in the UK allows us to practice massage legally and no licence is necessary! Massage isn't regulated and anyone can set up as a massage therapist. Voluntary regulation does now exist, but that is voluntary, not law.

As for intensive, fast track learning. This seems the norm today. You can learn a lot in 12 days if its well presented and covers the additional A&P via homestudy or additional classroom attendance.

The thing many people don't realise that a level 3 massage qualification is a foundation course. It gets you started. You can go onto sports, remedial, on-site, lomi-lomi, oriental, cranio-sacral therapy, Bowen and so on and so forth, afterwards and develop your career.

A college diploma course is a start of an exciting journey, not the be all and end all of massage. You can spend the rest of your life exploring massage, bodywork and hands-on therapy in this country and around the world.

Best wishes & welcome to HP

RP

I trained for 3 years before becoming a masseuse...it makes me feel sick that people can qualify in just 12 days. Would you be happy to pay £40 for a full body massage only to find out that the therapist had qualified in just 12 days Drew?

Read the thread below. You need to enroll at a proper college. Why should people with a conscience (like myself and other therapists on here) spend literally years training, only for others to do weekend wonder courses and 12 day courses and think it's acceptable?! It's unethical, and unfair to paying clients who are putting their trust in you.

Did you read the title of my question or even ALL of my questions?

Or did you just get blinded by the 12day course part?

I have no idea as to what course to take or how to qualify. All I wanted was a bit of advice. Maybe you could be a little more understanding... And helpful.
PLEASE READ MY QUESTION PROPERLY THEN REPLY.

Massage isn't regulated and anyone can set up as a massage therapist. Voluntary regulation does now exist, but that is voluntary, not law.

RP

With the backing of my husband's law firm I will be doing everything I can over the next few months to stop this. It's appalling.

Thanks Reiki Pixie!

Really appreciate your advice.

I find all aspects of massage incredibly interesting but its also so hard to know where to start (and which courses are no good) etc!

I will check out your link tomorrow.

Thanks again,

Drew

Appalling may be, but it is reality 🙂

Did you read the title of my question or even ALL of my questions?

Or did you just get blinded by the 12day course part?

I have no idea as to what course to take or how to qualify. All I wanted was a bit of advice. Maybe you could be a little more understanding... And helpful.
PLEASE READ MY QUESTION PROPERLY THEN REPLY.

Wow, you're over sensitive if you found my reply offensive. You "questioned" 12 day courses, I was simple giving you my view on them. :speechless-smiley-0

Hi Drew

The answer is no, don't go for intensive 12 days course, I did VTCT Swedish Massage for a year (my tutor was excellent, I spent 3 years studying with her, IHM (11 week course), Reflexology and Aromatherapy) I am now studying VTCT level 3 Sports Massage, again I have an excellent tutor

Hi Drew

a 12 day intensive is plenty of time to learn swedish massage if as RP says,
it is delivered to a high standard

and yes it is a foundation course, don't waste a year doing it at further education college, thats just a waste of time IMHO, (been there done it!)

get qualified, get lots of practice and do some CPD courses like advanced massage, deep tissue and even No hands and in a year you will be much further along in your massage career than if you went to an FE college

good luck

TBW

Hi Drew

a 12 day intensive is plenty of time to learn swedish massage if as RP says,
it is delivered to a high standard

and yes it is a foundation course, don't waste a year doing it at further education college, thats just a waste of time IMHO, (been there done it!)

get qualified, get lots of practice and do some CPD courses like advanced massage, deep tissue and even No hands and in a year you will be much further along in your massage career than if you went to an FE college

good luck

TBW

So the year I did doing Swedish Massage at an FE college was a waste of time too ?

So the year I did doing Swedish Massage at an FE college was a waste of time too ?

I think many of us feel the same way as you do Jojo. I have no regrets studying Swedish massage for a year, and a second year studying remedial massage, and now for my sins another year studying Sports massage. Then not to mention all the hours of case studies and clinical practice.

Myarka.

quote Jojo

So the year I did doing Swedish Massage at an FE college was a waste of time too ?

only you can answer that Jo...

my choice would be intensive, then topup with CPD and in a year you would
have a greater skill base and be attracting and keeping more clients than you would with just swedish massage

TBW

I can and I will, and echo what Myarka says, my only regret, that I didn't do it sooner 🙂

To add, I have since done cpd deep tissue massage which I have found extremely helpful in my practise, but I would still learn in a year than 12 days.

my choice would be intensive, then topup with CPD and in a year you would
have a greater skill base and be attracting and keeping more clients than you would with just swedish massage

TBW

Different routes suite different needs, but I think don't you should knock those of us who have decided to the FE route. There are some excellent tutors in our local collages, and they have the advantage of costing a fraction of the price of private institutions.

I'd agree that just being qualified in Swedish massage is not going to sustain a massage career, and the more training you do, the better it is. But the answer isn't just in CPD courses, certainly not for Sports and remedial.

I did Hot/cold stone massage as a CPD course between terms, and I think that worked well.

Myarka

Different routes suite different needs, but I think don't you should knock those of us who have decided to the FE route. There are some excellent tutors in our local collages, and they have the advantage of costing a fraction of the price of private institutions.

I'd agree that just being qualified in Swedish massage is not going to sustain a massage career, and the more training you do, the better it is. But the answer isn't just in CPD courses, certainly not for Sports and remedial.

I did Hot/cold stone massage as a CPD course between terms, and I think that worked well.

Myarka

Well said

myarka
different routes suite different needs, but i think don't you should knock those of us who have decided to the fe route. There are some excellent tutors in our local collages, and they have the advantage of costing a fraction of the price of private institutions.

i did the fe route too, and yes they are cheaper but in my experience it wasn't worth it... time wise

i'd agree that just being qualified in swedish massage is not going to sustain a massage career, and the more training you do, the better it is. but the answer isn't just in cpd courses, certainly not for sports and remedial.

i was refering to getting a good grounding in basic massage skills, not sports and remedial massage, thats another story...

i did hot/cold stone massage as a cpd course between terms, and i think that worked well.

yes, hot stones would be a another good cdp course to do

Drew, if you can afford it go private and do lots of CPD and in a year you will be way ahead of your 1 year FE swedish massage counterparts with their... three strokes of this then three strokes of that massage 😉

TBW

How patronising!

How patronising!

People are entitled to their opinions, and IMO a year to learn swedish massage is much too long, but thats my opinion, and im sure that those that did it that way found it useful, but unless you have done both ways, you cant really knock the other. I have done both ways, and im with TBW, intensive was much better for me.

I also spent 3 years on a sports therapy degree, which was IMO, wasted.

One thing that disturbs me in both FE and HE is, this terms student usually ends up as next terms tutor, with no clinical experience, it happened on my FE therapy course and it also happened at uni.

Drew, if you can afford it go private and do lots of CPD and in a year you will be way ahead of your 1 year FE swedish massage counterparts with their... three strokes of this then three strokes of that massage 😉

TBW

Oh yes, I forgot every FE college tutor is the same and you can your experience across the whole country. It's a good job private training is consistent.

:rollaugh: :rollaugh: :rollaugh: :rollaugh: :rollaugh:

Myarka.

People are entitled to their opinions, and IMO a year to learn swedish massage is much too long, but thats my opinion, and im sure that those that did it that way found it useful, but unless you have done both ways, you cant really knock the other. I have done both ways, and im with TBW, intensive was much better for me.

I also spent 3 years on a sports therapy degree, which was IMO, wasted.

One thing that disturbs me in both FE and HE is, this terms student usually ends up as next terms tutor, with no clinical experience, it happened on my FE therapy course and it also happened at uni.

And that was MY opinion 🙂 what's your point!

Adding a bit...

TBW was knocking it tho, and he shouldn't, it doesn't really give Drew the opportunity to view both sides of the coin, when it is so one sided.

And oh dear 🙁 lol

I never said an intensive course is better than an FE course...:confused:

I did a one year FE swedish massage course and I know that...

one year to learn swedish massage is far too long...

qualify and then move on to other areas...

make the best use of your time, don't waste it!;)

TBW

(my experience and my opinions)

(my experience and my opinions)

Yeah, great to share experience and opinions.

I a way of clarification, because we see Swedish massage as foundation level, I would include A & P in that. A & P seems to be glossed over, and I've in my 3rd year of studying it.

So I would consede that Swedish Massage in isolation can be easily taught in less than a year, but if you add A & P I think a year is about right.

As a matter of interest, how do short intensive courses do case studies and clinical practice?

Myarka

Before I did oily massage, I trained in clothed massage, ie IHM and Thai massage. But I realised that I was missing out by not being able to offer oily massage. But I didn't want to do a 9 month ITEC course (even though I would of got it free as I was teaching in FE at the time, and tutors' perk was free courses), so I did a 6 day Indonesian massage course. The techniques I learnt were far better (at least in a deep tissue & remedial context) than Swedish, and a friend that I went on the course with who is a Swedish massage therapist said, "This is far better and I have wasted 5 years of my life doing Swedish!"

I have to admit that everybody on this course had a bodywork background and all had A&P, so the tutors just went straight into it, therefore it was post-grad study. I'm not suggesting that this is the way to go, we all have different needs and different career decisions to make.

But I do feel that level 3 massage course does have merits:

*it is a foundation course
*it helps bridge the gap between being a complete novice to being a competant therapist
*not everyone wants to be sports/remedial practitioner
*it's a stepping stone to other types of healing/bodywork

And as for length of study time, that is so debatable. Individual needs are so different. But one thing in my mind is certain, that it doesn't take 3 years of training to be a massage therapist. It may take 3 years to be good at what you do, but that's because of practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, and more practice.

RP

Hi Myarka

In terms of the Indo course that I did, the case studies can be given in after the practical exam. No case studies, no diploma!

Best wishes

RP

Thanks Reiki Pixie!

Really appreciate your advice.

That's OK me handsome 🙂

we didn't do any case studies on my VTCT level 3 swedish massage FE course at all

we just did 5 assessments

we didn't do any case studies on my VTCT level 3 swedish massage FE course at all

we just did 5 assessments

we did 5 case studies plus 5 individuals, plus those carried out at the college.

But I think that's the thing with VTCT, it doesn't matter if it's a college of FE or private institution everyone interprets it differently. So it's becomes not a point of the qualification but the quality of training.

Is a BA from Oxford university the same as a degree from Hertfordshire university?

We get too qualification obessessed and forget about the actual training. Unfortunately university are better known than schools of massage.

Myarka.

And that was MY opinion 🙂 what's your point!

Adding a bit...

TBW was knocking it tho, and he shouldn't, it doesn't really give Drew the opportunity to view both sides of the coin, when it is so one sided.

And oh dear 🙁 lol

You did call TBW patronising, for expressing their opinion, which does seem to come from their experience.

TBH I read your reply and found it incredibly rude also, so perhaps it's not that the OP is oversensitive, but that you are under...sensitive.

She/he asked for advice. Not a grilling.