Massage Therapy Program
The mission of Missouri Institute of Massage Therapy and Bodywork (MOIMTB),
is to help create massage therapists that are equipped with skills to go into the
workforce and be comfortable to provide multiple modalities of therapy as needed,
along with being successful in however they might want to proceed in the field of massage.
Hands On Training
Receive hands on training by highly skilled instructors. Gain knowledge of various techniques (massage, body work, eastern medicine, energy work, and emotional release), gain an understanding to provide a custom massage to help the individual’s body heal itself.
Classroom Education
Learn the fundamental principals of massage in a classroom setting.
Program Description
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The day and evening programs will consist of three quarters, each consisting of 18 weeks (approximately 12 months), meeting Monday through Thursday. After the first ten weeks, the Clinical Internship will be held every Saturday (for 5.5 hours each) to complete the 22 weeks of supervision. Students will work on the public, utilizing the techniques they have been learning. Both day and night classes consist of 3.5 hour classes at a time.
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For massage technique classes there will be an hour of instruction and demonstration of the technique being taught. That will be followed by approximately an hour of student partners performing or receiving hands-on demonstrations of the technique in order to gain a better understanding of the technique and what is expected. Finally, followed by another hour wherein the partners switch places. With classes that aren’t massage technique classes, there will be 3.5 hours of instruction and class work.
Course Descriptions
Anatomy/Physiology
This class is different from the others in the sense that it is mostly lectures with practical
applications. Students will learn about the body systems and the function of each of them.
They will learn muscular, skeletal, respiratory, circulatory, digestive, nervous and endocrine
systems by studying and being assessed on each to determine what they are learning. There
will be an opportunity to visit a cadaver lab for a hands-on opportunity.
Seated massage
In this class students will learn how to do seated massages in massage chairs and how to do a
seated massage when a massage chair isn’t available. The techniques they will learn will help
them know how to perform this type of massage without harming their own body.
Health Related Topics
Students will learn about how Blood borne diseases, Cancer, and other health-related
conditions could be influenced by massage. Along with learning First Aid and become
certified in CPR
Infant massage
Students will have the opportunity to learn about and perform infant massage, as well as teach
parents how to perform infant massage on their own baby.
Reflexology
Reflexology is the study of the feet and how different parts of the foot coordinate specifically
with different parts of the body. Students will study how to correctly massage using reflexology
with their thumbs and fingers.
Massage Therapy
Students will be introduced to the history of massage, ethics, proper hygiene, Missouri state law,
learn the basic strokes and have them explained, understand the effects of massage on the body
including the circulatory and nervous system, and learn the contraindications and indications of
massage.
Professional Development
Sales and Marketing classes will help students become successful in the business world along
with helping them be true to themselves as a healer. Major aspects of building and maintaining a
successful practice will be taught.
Advanced Massage
Students will learn the correct technique for deep tissue massage and the various strokes
involved. They will learn how to treat musculoskeletal issues by applying sustained pressure
using slow, deep strokes to target inner layers of muscles and connective tissue. This can help
break up scar tissue and reduce tension in muscles and tissues.
Acupressure
Students will learn the Chinese meridians and how they flow, as well as recognizing the flow and
noticing blockage. They will learn how to relieve the blockage so that the energy can flow
correctly and encourage health in the body.
Movement for Massage
Students will learn to use correct body mechanics so that they can maintain their own good
health throughout their career.
Clinical Internship
This is an opportunity for students to practice (what they are learning in classes) on the public.
They will also have the opportunity to teach fellow students the techniques they are learning and
help them learn more about bodywork.
Craniosacral Therapy
CST is a gentle, hands on approach to bodywork. It focuses on the central nervous system.
Students will learn how to find restrictions and/or compressions in these areas and use
specifically designed techniques to relieve these areas.
Sports Massage
This class will explore the many applications of massage in various sports settings, go over the
common techniques used, and discuss the theory behind the practice. Sports massage is a more
specific massage in which the science is applied to the art of massage for the health and
well-being of the athlete and to enhance athletic performance.
Touch for Health
Students will learn about the art of muscle testing and the basic procedure to balance the body’s
muscles and acupuncture meridians as presented in the book Touch for Health by John F. Thie.
Hydrotherapy
Students will learn the use of water in all forms for the maintenance and improvement of health.
They will learn to work with water in all forms: liquid, vapor and ice.
Structural Bodywork
Structural bodyworker has the potential to measurably lengthen myofascial tissue. If this is
accomplished, there is the possibility of achieving permanent structural and functional
changes.
Shiatsu
Shiatsu is a form of Japanese bodywork wherein both the client and therapist are fully dressed,
the therapist performs shiatsu with stretching, acupressure, and massage pressure.
Recovery Massage
Recovery massage is designed to find the cause of dysfunction and help relieve chronic and
acute pain by using specific and deep techniques to stimulate individual muscle fibers. The goal
of recovery massage is to help the client become pain free.
Pathology
Students will learn the causes and effects of disease and injury on the body as it relates to
massage. They will also learn about proper hygiene to protect against these things.
Facilitated Stretching
Facilitated stretching is based on several neurophysiological mechanisms in the body. A review
of these mechanisms will provide the basic understanding you need to perform the techniques properly. Having a good grasp of these theoretical underpinnings will also help them to improvise new stretches not covered in this class.
Client-Centered Bodywork
Students will learn to develop skills to ensure 1) Professional relationships, 2) Holding clients in
high regard, 3) Client-centered approach and, 4) Impeccable space.
Trigger Point Therapy
In this class we will explore the problems in which trigger points can cause and the simple way
of releasing them and bringing relief. We will learn the location of the trigger points and the
correct technique to help release them.
GENERAL ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
● Applicants must be at least 18 years old at the beginning date of classes.
● Applicants must be a high school graduate or have a high school equivalency certificate and
provide supporting documentation, e.g., an original diploma or official transcript.
● Applicants must complete all enrollment documents including the Student Application and
Enrollment Agreement.
● Provide two (2”x2”) photos (for student licensing).
● Submit a letter of personal recommendation from an individual who knows them well.
● Participate in and satisfactorily complete a personal interview with the Director; telephone
interviews are accepted for students coming from out of state.
● Each applicant must pay a $100 deposit, non-refundable after three days (excluding Saturdays,
Sundays, and holidays) from the date the enrollment agreement is signed.
● Applicants must have all supportive paperwork and documents submitted to admissions by the
end of week two of the beginning of the session.
● Take a basic skills test with a passing score of 80% or higher or provided an associates degree or
higher. (The basic skills test will be administered and graded by a staff member other than the
admissions advisor.)