PREMIER MASSAGE THERAPY SCHOOLS in NORTH ANDOVER, MA

Explore a Career in Massage Therapy with Our Comprehensive Program

You have Options: You can either take the 650 Hour Therapeutic Massage or the 770 Hour Holistic Massage depending on what you want to accomplish.


Both programs prepare you for licensing in Massachusetts and the national certification exams. However, the 770 Hour Holistic Massage also prepares you for licensing in NH and many other states that require more hours.


The programs can be taken either on a full-time, mothers hours, or part-time evening basis and can be completed in as little as 7 months or as much as 16 months.

CALL TO SPEAK WITH ADMISSIONS NOW

1-800-262-8530

MASSAGE PROGRAMS OFFERED

in NORTH ANDOVER, MA

Spa Tech Institute offers a 650 Hour Therapeutic Massage  (Perfect for a therapeutic clinic or sports massage career) and a 770 Hour Holistic Massage  (Has everything in the 650 Hour Program plus Polarity Therapy, RYSE and meets NH license standards. Ideal for someone looking for a broader set of skills to work in more settings and get faster, more profound results.)

650 HOUR PROGRAM

650 Hour Therapeutic Massage (Perfect for a therapeutic clinic or sports massage career)

770 HOUR PROGRAM

770 Hour Holistic Massage  (Has everything in the 650 Hour Program plus Polarity Therapy, RYSE and meets NH license standards)

MASSACHUSETTS LICENSING

If you are a massage therapist, the grandfathering period expired on 5/1/2008. If you let your MA Massage License lapse, there is a process for getting it restored.

North Andover Campus

202 Sutton Street, North Andover, MA 01845

Phone – 978-620-5250

This is an in-depth and well-constructed course of study that prepares you for working in medical settings, clinics, with athletes and with people recovering from injuries. An excellent curriculum taught by experienced, professional therapists who have received extensive teacher training, ensures effective and efficient learning. This is one of the top programs in the country for people looking for professional success in therapeutic massage.


Program Curriculum

  • Swedish Massage – Covers the basic Swedish massage techniques including all major strokes, contraindications, and how to establish a complete session. Includes focus on the relationship of the client and practitioner in the therapeutic environment.
  • Basic Anatomy & Physiology – Foundational orientation in western anatomy and physiology taught in a highly experiential format to ensure maximum learning. The classes cover basic terminology and movement terms with an introduction to the skeletal and muscular systems.
  • Intermediate Massage including deep tissue and other techniques – More focus on advanced Swedish technique with additional work with trigger point and deep tissue work. Also includes learning the therapeutic benefits, postural analysis and ways of focusing on a client’s particular needs.
  • Positional Release – Students learn a simple technique of positioning the body in such a way that the cycle of the pain of a trigger point can be interrupted.
  • Foot “pressure point” techniques – All areas of the body can be addressed through deep tissue release work on the feet. Understanding the basics of deep tissue pressure points assists in understanding the inter-relatedness of all systems of the body.
  • Range of Motion – Learn proper manipulation techniques to mobilize muscles and joints through assisted stretching techniques.
  • Chair Massage – An excellent way to reach new clients where they work or live. Effective techniques that are safe and efficient.
  • Deep Tissue Therapy – New techniques, including the use of knuckles, forearms, and elbows, are taught which help students gain skill and confidence in performing massage strokes at a deeper physical level.
  • Stretching Techniques – Learn how to teach clients proper stretching techniques to support the continued benefits of their sessions.
  • Myofascial Release – The fascia system of the body is the main connecting tissue that holds everything together. Many pains and tensions are stored in the fascia. Myofascial stretching gently relaxes the fascia to release the tension that causes the pain.
  • Event Sports Massage – Prepares students to do pre and post massage at sporting events. Includes in-depth information about identifying potential hypo and hyperthermic conditions of the athletes.
  • Hydrotherapy – The application of heat and cold is both critical to protect injuries, as well as heal injuries. Also adds value to the quality of massage and assists in relaxing tension.
  • Advanced Anatomy & Physiology (Muscles) – Covers the musculoskeletal system in greater detail along with pathologies of these systems. Learning the structure of the body in detail assists in more effective technique, as well as more confidence and understanding of massage. Prepares students for the anatomy and physiology component of the National Certification Exam.
  • Advanced Anatomy & Physiology (Systems) – Covers the systems of the body and their pathologies excluding the skeletal and muscular systems. Prepares students for the anatomy and physiology component of the National Certification Exam.
  • Business Skills – The overall goal is to help students establish the business container that will support a successful professional bodyworker long-term. The specific goal is to help students define and set up a basic business plan, go over marketing and quality control.
  • Professional Development and Empowerment Training – Bringing professionalism to the next level, the goal is to define the student’s mission and vision, create brochures and offer the student in-depth client empowerment through upholding clear, professional ethics.
  • In Class Clinics – Evaluation of professional skills in a clinical setting is invaluable for learning to hone skills as a therapist.
  • Integration – Integrates the many techniques into a comprehensive session strategy for best results.
  • Advanced Integration, Evaluation, and Professional Communications – Very detailed evaluation of technique, communications skills and professional demeanor designed to give you the highest levels of success.
  • Student Clinic Experience – Provides an optimal experience for the practice of bodywork, communication, and business skills under supervision at the School clinic. The clinic is open to the public and will provide the student with a diverse practice base.

For additional consumer information please visit https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/ and search on this and other schools.

Perfect for New Hampshire Licensing and More Versatility

A program that includes Deep Tissue, Sports and Clinical Massage as well as Polarity Therapy and RYSE and meets the New Hampshire license requirements.


For years people have been asking for this program. Now it’s here.


This is a holistically oriented massage and bodywork program that gives you a more extensive skill set than is offered in the 650-hour programs that focus only on massage therapy. Graduates of this program have a professional advantage over people who have only studied massage. But the best reason to take it is that you want to have the strongest set of skills possible and the ability to get excellent results.


In the past people would have to graduate from one program and then come back to take the additional information. Now, with the 770-hour program, you can take it all at once.


Program Content

This is our top level massage and bodywork program that combines the most important skills into a unified program. The new 770-hour program includes all the information and techniques of the 650 Hour Therapeutic Massage Career Program with the added benefit of Polarity Therapy and RYSE. This program prepares you for licensing in more states, including New Hampshire, at the same time that it gives you a broader set of skills sought out by spas and healing facilities that demand higher standards. Polarity Therapy is a powerful adjunct to Massage and the skills from RYSE will allow you to reach new levels of clarity and strength.


Includes everything from the 650 Hour Therapeutic Massage Career Program plus:

Polarity Realization Therapy: This powerful new way of working with the healing process allows for faster progress on a number of issues as well as the ability to work with more people and situations. Using Polarity Therapy allows you to work with people at higher levels of sensitivity who are unable to receive typical massage. Additionally, Polarity Therapy opens a wider range of options to help people reach their healing or transformational goals at the same time that it makes every session more interesting and diverse. But the best part is that Polarity sessions are cumulative which allows clients to continually evolve and reach new levels of wellness. This creates a much more successful practice that is more interesting and varied.


RYSE ®1-4 – RYSE® is a 16-hour in-depth sophisticated awareness program for burnout prevention, alignment, and clarity.  The content of RYSE® also gives you an added business skill knowledge base for the creation of a successful practice. RYSE opens the door for perceiving client’s issues more clearly, allowing you to design sessions that are more powerful and produce deeper, more long-lasting value. RYSE is also a critical component of supporting you to stay clear and aligned as you see more clients and avoid the pitfall of burnout that many therapists with full practices fall into. It’s a life-changing education developed by Nancy Risley, RPP, RPE.


For additional consumer information please visit https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/ and search on this and other schools.

As of the beginning of 2008, the new massage license for Massachusetts is in place.


To find out more go to www.mass.gov/ocabr/licensee/dpl-boards/mt/ as it has been updated. Since the regulations will be going through constant changes, it is best to review the above link often.


There will be some confusion with various cities and towns but I emphasize that municipalities do not have jurisdiction anymore.


If you are a massage therapist, the grandfathering period expired on 5/1/2008. If you let your MA Massage License lapse, there is a process for getting it restored.


There is a page on Facebook for people who are interested in staying involved. It’s called Massachusetts Massage License Issues.


Good luck and may this leads to a new level of prosperity in your professional practice.


Important Notes:

It is important to note that this is a massage license.  For people in the future who do only Polarity (and other exempted modalities listed in the law), they are not included in the regulations unless the person holds a massage license.  The exempted modalities will need to approach their local municipalities to get a license or to get told that there is no license or to get a variance. If they are told there is no license then they can just get a business license and open up.  APTA used to have a great written statement available to help with this situation.  I will try to get it from them again.


Facility Licensing:

Be sure to stay up to date on the Establishment Licensing.

Currently, some towns in MA may tell people to still renew their massage licenses with them.  YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO THIS.  They have no authority to do it.  Refer them to the website and get your state license in place.


As of May 1, 2010, the new Massachusetts Massage License standard requires 650 hours of study, none of which can be any form of bodywork including Polarity, Shiatsu, and a whole host of other things that are considered bodywork, energy work or spa-related services.


The operative date is when you apply for your license, not when you studied. Therefore, anyone who is not licensed already and applies after May 1, 2010, may need to take additional training to meet the new Massachusetts massage license requirements.


Q&A:

Q: The license requires insurance… but what if you work for someone who is insured? Is that the same?

A: People often think they are covered fully by an employer.  This is not the case.  This is why the board wants each individual therapist to have professional liability insurance.  Your best bet is to join ABMP or AMTA and get your insurance with them.


Keep checking this page as we will include additional updates as they become available.