Learn the Techniques of Massage Therapy at WMCC
Katharine Eneguess, President of White Mountains Community CollegeThis fall a new three-semester certificate Massage Program is debuting at White Mountains Community College. The first semester of classes will be held at our Littleton Academic Center in the evenings, with a requirement of 125 hours of hands-on practice. On successful completion of the 44 credit program, including the clinical internship, students will earn a Massage Therapy Certificate.
I know the first question many of you must be thinking: Can I volunteer to be a test subject? You are probably also wondering how we came up with the idea for this new program. When we look to develop a new program we primarily consider how it serves the needs of the residents of the North Country. What skills do residents need in order to find employment, what are the needs of the employers? We want our students to be able to use the degree or certificate they earn and be gainfully employed.
Massage therapy might not immediately come to mind when you're thinking of a career, but in the North Country we are lucky to have three of the state’s grand hotels, The Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel in Dixville Notch, and The Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa in Whitefield. The Mountain View, restored to its original grandeur and reopened in 2002, offers over 60 spa services. This December the Mount Washington Resort will open its new, state-of-the-art 25,000 square foot spa.
It was the publicity surrounding the spa at the Mount Washington Resort that lit up the bulb over our head. The resort will need a fairly sizable staff of massage therapists for the spa. In researching the employment opportunities for certified therapists, we found that practitioners can expect to earn $30 to $60 an hour.
We've worked with the Resort and others to develop the certificate program, building it around the practical needs of the industry and certification requirements. We’re proud of the program which we have developed, and think it's a pretty exciting opportunity for North Country residents. The necessary paperwork has been completed so that students taking the courses can be eligible for federal financial aid.
The program includes both Eastern and Western massage disciplines and prepares students for the skills necessary for success at the New Hampshire Licensure, National Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, as well as the practical exam. Students learn the basics of the human body, including its biology, pathology, and kinesiology. Among the massage techniques taught are Swedish Message, Deep Tissue Massage, Reiki Healing, and Sports Massage. Students will also learn Oriental theory, Spa Techniques, Reflexology.
The opportunities for full and part-time work are not limited to employment at the grand resort hotels and spas. Some massage therapists practice out of their home, while others are employed by independent spas, fitness centers, or medical practices. Students earning the certificate will be well-positioned for these venues, too, as the course load includes Massage Business Practices, Laws and Ethics for Massage, and Assessments and Special Populations.
This is a growing field, as the stresses of everyday life take their inevitable toil on our bodies. We live in a beautiful recreation area, also, so there's a market for those who know how to sooth the aching muscles of those weekend athletes.
For more information on this certificate program and other degree and certificate programs we offer, be sure to check out our fall course offerings at www.wmcc.edu.
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