The profession of massage therapy is having a rare moment. In my 35 years in this profession, I’ve never seen a greater opportunity to become a world-class massage therapist, and this is due to several factors that all came together simultaneously following the global pandemic.

For the first time, significant investment was made in research. The American Massage Therapy Association supported the Massage Therapy Foundation in the revolutionary development of research, which provided tangible evidence that verified massage therapy, which has been largely misunderstood, as legitimate healthcare due to its many proven health benefits.

Some people thought massage therapy was something only for rich and famous people, others thought it was only for athletes, and many considered it a cosmetology-based service. In contrast, others thought it was sexual or some type of mystical healing thing. The research studies proved that massage therapy does exist as health care, and the profession was poised to be formally accepted by many more insurance companies and recognized by the health care community as it should be, as a vital branch of our health care systems offering.

Subsequently, we all experienced the most significant touch deprivation our global community has ever known, the pandemic.

COVID-19 momentarily turned off Massage Therapy. Many massage therapists simply left the field, leaving a huge gap, while those who remained had to level up our standards of practice, specifically in the realm of hygiene. Some LMTs and those who employ them just waited things out, and when we were able to go back to work, resumed at the status quo, making no adjustments whatsoever.

The world view on Massage Therapy and Bodywork has significantly shifted. Massage therapy is now being seen as a necessity, a regular part of maintenance for many people. There is a greater respect and understanding of what we do, our value, and our worth. People prioritize massage therapy like never before, but the profession is polarized in the United States.

I am a massage therapist, a massage therapy mentor, an author, a curriculum designer, a school founder, an instructor, and a massage instructor trainer. I am also a former National Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork director and was the Board Liaison for the Standards and Ethics Committee. I regularly act as an Expert Witness nationally for cases involving those participating in the profession. From my well-informed background and the advisement of my mentors, it was clear that what massage therapy demanded for continuation post-COVID, was a weaving of a pandemic-ready specialty into the fabric of what we were practicing. We had to completely update our standards of hygienic practices in the face of a global pandemic. We had to rethink our equipment, cleaning supplies, sanitation, work environments, uniforms, room management, and intake practices. This is precisely what we did at the Berkana Institute. We wove a Covid-Specialization into our already excellent massage therapy foundational education offering. Not all schools did this, and not everyone providing massage therapy today has leveled up. Some Massage Therapy offering businesses evolved in what I believe to be critical ways and some did not. This has created another polarizing factor in our already vastly polarized profession. In other words, these standards of practice put a massive wedge between ways of operating as a massage therapist.

Before this ever-widening difference in approach, there was already a very wide gap in the massage therapy profession. Many massage therapists in the United States are being educated more like what I would consider Massage Therapy Technicians, not as Massage Therapists. Everyone holds the same credential in the United States, but we are not doing work the same way. Some Massage Therapists are educated from the Holistic perspective, while others are not.

Some massage schools teach the basics of what a Licensed Massage Therapist needs to know to provide a massage therapy treatment, which would be a very basic intake process, minimal record-keeping, enough technique to be able to give a 1 hour or 90-minute massage therapy treatment, and enough sciences, ethics, and terminology to be able to pass the Massage Therapy Licensure Exam. Hard stop, “no fluff,” as they say. The goal is to create “team player” employees for the massive spa industry. A few massage franchises have created schools to develop workers because they can’t retain employees.  These schools will, obviously, teach that what the franchise realm of employment offers as compensation and those working environments and demands as normal, even though many of those jobs do not fit the career dream of every new massage therapist.

Many massage therapists are trained to do the same basic routine each day with each and every client, not fully understanding and exploring the therapeutic relationship between a massage therapist and their client. Intake interviews are brief, the time between clients is rushed, and some massage therapists will massage 6 or 7 clients daily. It is not unusual for exploitation to be normal in some environments and for massage therapists to quickly burn out and leave the field after only 3-4 years.

Alternatively, a person could attend a holistic massage therapy institute and learn about complex psychological phenomena, communication skills, ethical practices, the scope of practice, and the sciences, and do a deep dive into a holistic approach to health care. Have the pleasure of working with integrative healthcare teams while building a lifelong career filled with honor for the majestic opportunity to profoundly touch our clients’ lives when we take the time to get to know them. Customizing evolving treatment plans for them to establish a genuine therapeutic connection, learning how to practice radical self-care while providing cutting-edge and masterful mindful massage therapy and bodywork while being compensated at a superior living wage. Working in a way where we express our best selves, including our compassion and empathy for our vulnerable clients and ourselves within our beloved work. Doing the work that we love because we work with clients who value and greatly appreciate the impact of our skills bolstered by our knowledge.  Knowing at the end of each work day that we helped and we did not compromise our relationship with ourselves to provide that help.

Prospective students will often ask me, “What makes the Berkana Institute of Massage Therapy different, and why does it cost more than most schools?” Simply put, we are proud to be radically different. We train massage therapists, not technicians. We train our graduates for careers that they love and for longevity, not to go get a job where they pay a middleman and burn out in 3 years. We offer the most comprehensive massage therapy education, and it is entirely original. It was written by me and many of the world’s leading massage therapy pioneers over the last 20 years. Our program has been refined every time we offer it, and it is a living project that continues to be on the cutting edge of progress and evolution. We pay attention and cut that edge. We also pay our instructors more than other schools because they are brilliant and deserve it. We provide classes other schools do not, such as personal inventory, massage sculpture, an extensive business program, board preparations, extensive body mechanics, structural kinesiology, a vast survey of modalities, cadaver lab, Ashiatsu, and research competency.

Our campus is a cozy and beautifully appointed Victorian mansion in the heart of charming downtown Longmont, Colorado, that offers state-of-the-art equipment, comfort, and small classes. We have many finance plans and discounts to support students who might need more help with tuition, including approval by the Colorado workforce. Our hybrid programs allow our students to take roughly 1/3^rd of their classes from the comfort of their own homes.

The bottom line is that we empower our graduates for immense success whether they work with or for others, work for themselves, or mix it up. We are the one and only Berkana Institute of Massage Therapy and that reputation is one of our greatest achievements that not every massage therapist has the right to claim. We are artistic, mindful, trauma-focused, and evidence-informed, and our specialty is entrepreneurship. We are known for providing exceptional and mind-blowing massage therapy experiences for the clients whom we have the great privilege to touch.  We understand that your investment is significant, and we are proud to deliver inspired holistic healthcare leaders to the profession who have much better than average, success.

To schedule a tour, please feel free to reach out directly to me at jill@berkanainstitute.com or schedule a one-on-one complimentary visit with me at your convenience, right here. We have 3 starts per year. One in the Spring and Fall for our Intensive Certification Program, and one in the later spring for our Part-Time Night Program. Spaces are limited and the application process is extensive. Reach out today to be inspired!

Yours, In Touch!

Jill Kristin Berkana LMT, BCTMB