What's more important?/unsolicited advice

[PuppetMaster]

I am with Gaspen, it really depends on you and what you think is best for you and your individual circumstances. Then again it is not surprising, as I took the courses with Bob King in deep tissue/myofascial/therapeutic techniques too. (Although through my state chapter of the AMTA, who arranged special pricing with him.)

Make a list of the pros and cons of each situation and then see which would work best for You.

 

[dogwoodgm]

I say it depends on your hour requirement to get work permit/license etc...
if you need hrs to get certified than take it. reason most season pro suggest to work is because experience is king. And most schools teach basics. nowadays there are great dvds you can learn from that are way better than the stretch out live courses that are milking your pockets. Art Riggs have a great dvd on deep tissue and you can review it over and over. Self study is always best if your discipline with high standard since most workshop are just basic and force upon you to recertify your insurance provider. it's all one big scam when it comes to continuing education as they decide what your allowed to take. bottomline, it depends on what you like. class learning or solo learner. I prefer solo as it saves me time since most courses are like a snail pace in response to my learning pace. it really comes down to your own personal preference.

 

[AK Pride]

Excellent advice, everyone. Thank you!

 

[Ada]

also, remember that schooling does not equal competent skills or that you understand and are able to apply materials in real life. depends on the individual and "how" class are taught not the many hours required. massage is a skill and that depends on the individual in determining the level of skill a therapist is.

that is why I feel that the regulation of the field is a joke because class hours does not equal competence. Heck, NHI school graduated a student that was absent for more than 3/4 of the curriculum of 720 hrs just because she complained long enough. massage schools are a factory and only care about profits. they don't care if you succeed in the field or not. that is why they don't lobby for better massage business regulation but focus on more hours required in school. Most other schools are the same from what I heard. Just saying the facts, that is all.

 

[Lily.cn]

massage schools are a factory and only care about profits. they don't care if you succeed in the field or not.

Obviously you have had a bad experience with your school, I'm sorry if you've had problems but please remember that blanket statements like this are unfair and do a disservice to our profession.

I personally went to a wonderful massage school. They had extremely high standards but would do everything they could including private tutoring at no extra cost to ensure that all of their students received an excellent education. Their care did not end with graduation, they helped with job placement and continuing education and they stayed in touch with all students who were interested in doing so.

Massage schools are just like everything else in life. Some are great, some are bad and most are somewhere in between.

Angie