Massage Therapy Training Program Details

Basic Features of the Program:
  • Complete the program in five 10-week sessions over a year
  • 600-hour certification prepares you to take the licensing exam
  • Part-time program is compatible with most people's schedules
  • Learn a variety of techniques to give you the foundation for numerous career paths
  • Practice on real clients in a supervised student clinic
  • Train at a massage therapy school with decades of expertise and engaging teachers
Start Massage Therapy Training on October 14
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Tuition and Fees:
  • Administrators will help prospective students through each step of the financial aid and admissions process
  • Federal student aid and financing is available to qualifying students
  • The program qualifies for Veteran's tuition funding
  • Tuition includes classes, books, clinic scrubs, and a portable massage table and accessories (students provide their own sheets and lotions for class and clinic)
  • Tuition includes background check fee, state-required license testing fee, and provisional license fee
Educational Prerequisites:
​To be eligible for admission one must meet the following requirements:
  • High school diploma or equivalent
  • Complete application for admission
  • Interview with the Director of Admissions
  • Pass a state-required background check

Is a Career in Massage Therapy Your Path?

Find Out If a Future Helping Others As a Qualified Massage Therapist/Holistic Wellness Professional is Right For You

The fun, online quiz takes 3 minutes to complete and you’ll get a personalized report. Identify your strengths and social style plus the training and positions you’re best suited for.

A Community of Compassionate Healers Devoted To Well-Being

Committed To The Ancient Tradition Of The Healing Hand

    At the Healing Arts Center we train students in a broad spectrum of healing touch modalities.  From basic techniques such as Swedish Massage to advanced techniques such as Myofascial Release, we cover the essentials of therapeutic massage.  But body work and hand healing have a much longer tradition than massage. 

Why We Teach Our Students To Meditate

    One of the first things we teach students is how to meditate.  The ability to calm one's own mind and to begin to manage internal energy is essential to the art of body work.  Without it, a student can actually create more anxiety for a client doing more harm than good.  The creation of well being begins with one's self.
    Professional massage therapists can come in all shapes and sizes.  By incorporating energy work, such as Reiki, into our curriculum, we train our students to develop a focused, compassion-driven approach to removing pain and anxiety form other human beings.
    While we teach a full array of spa and salon-grade modalities, what sets our students apart is that they are more than just technicians. HAC graduates are taught to know themselves as healers and guardians of well being.  This translates into authentic concern for clients, outstanding customer service for employers and personal fulfillment for every massage therapist we train.
    The Healing Arts Center is dedicated to providing a quality education for individuals pursuing a professional career in the field of massage therapy.  The Healing Art Center strives to provide a supportive atmosphere that integrates the mind, body and spirit and promotes learning, challenge and growth for students.

All-in-One Tuition Pricing

We think that our students should focus on education not how they are going to pay for fees, books and equipment.   That is why at HAC what you need to train, graduate and earn your state license is included in the tuition.  From the time you take your first class until the time you start your first job, the cost of professional training, testing and licensing is covered.

There Are No Add-on Charges - Federal Financial Aid Is Available

Books

All text books and study guides for the entire program are included in tuition.

Student Insurance

During your training, state law requires that you have insurance.  HAC provides this insurance  for its students through ABMP.

Clinical Scrubs

HAC provides students with clinical scrubs for use during clinical rotations.  

Massage Table, Bolster & Stool

Tuition also includes practice tools: a portable massage table, bolster and stool (after completing 300 program  hours)

MBLEx Fee
(Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination)

You do not need to worry about the MBLEx testing fee ($195) required by Missouri and Illinois for state licensure.  It's included in tuition.

Student and Professional State License Fees

Massage students need a student license to practice in the student clinic and ultimately a permanent license.  These fees are included.

Attend a Sample Class

Massage Essentials is a 4-hour, free sample class, taught by the Headmaster Tom Tessereau. Prospective students can get a real sense of what it's like to be a student in the massage program at HAC.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Prospective students who want to explore the possibility of receiving federal financial aid must complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to determine their eligibility for Pell Grants, Parent Plus Loans, and Stafford Loans through the Direct Loan Program.
If you want help with filling out your FAFSA, our Financial Aid Director would be happy to help you!
Our School FAFSA Code: 041306

VA and VR

The Healing Arts Center also accepts funding from the Veteran's Administration and Vocational Rehabilitation.

Internal Payment Plans and Funding

In addition to title IV Federal Student Aid, the Healing Arts Center offers our students the option of:
  • an installment payment program (Student in Progress Payment, or SIP) and/or
  • HAC's own internal loan program (Healing Arts Center Tuition Loan, or HACTL)
to help students finance their participation in the program. 

Program Compatible with Working Schedule

The 600 Hour MTTP program is designed to only require a maximum of twelve (12) hours of class time per week thereby making feasible for students to work full- or part-time during school. 

Click to learn more about these Financial Aid options:

What You Will Learn

Our diverse curriculum gives a broad foundation for a variety of professional career paths.  Training includes:
  • Traditional therapeutic massage
  • Myofascial release
  • Trigger point therapy
  • Deep tissue massage
  • Energy medicine
  • Athletic recovery therapy
  • Reiki
  • Stress and anxiety relief
  • And much more!
At the Healing Arts Center we do not train technicians - we train healers.  
Many of the techniques and methods in are curriculum are hundreds and even thousands of years old.  The curriculum is presented in five (5) ten-week sessions that represent five distinct levels of training.
  1. Level 1 Technique  &  Anatomy and Physiology 1
  2. Anatomy and Physiology 2
  3. Advanced Techniques
  4. Business
  5. Myofascial Release
Clinical massage practicum in the Student Clinic - 20 hours each session, levels 2 - 5

HAC Massage Education: Ancient Traditions & The Latest Techniques

PictureMassage therapy was practiced by many ancient cultures.
Massage, or conscious skilled touch, is a healing tool that has been used since 3,000 BC. Drawing from a variety of bodywork methods, our training program provides a distillation and blending of approaches to guide the student to his or her own inner wellspring of knowledge and intuition.  Students not only gain experience and skills, but confidence, sensitivity, awareness and presence.  Each level consists of 120 hours, for a total of 600 clock hours*, which includes 20 hours of supervised student clinic as part of levels two through five.

* A clock hour is defined as a minimum of 50 minutes of instruction within a 60 minute period.

The HAC 600 Hour Curriculum: Massage Therapy Training Program 
In Five Ten-Week Sessions.

Introduction to Massage Theory and Practice

Level One is an introductory course and the gateway to our program.  Students are exposed massage theory and practice primarily professional-level Swedish Massage.  Students also study the basic human skeletal and muscular systems in an introduction to anatomy and physiology including the bony landmarks necessary to perform professional, therapeutic massage.

Advanced Massage Theory and Technique

Level Two or Three focuses primarily on Advanced Massage Therapy, and introduces students to a variety of advanced bodywork and energy medicine techniques.  This course allows the time to integrate these modalities into an effective and creative style that is unique to each student.  Students are introduced to a variety of techniques including Reiki.

Anatomy, Physiology & Pathology

Level Two or Three builds on the information gained in level one.  In this course, students will become familiar with the basic workings of the human system through the study of various diseases and health conditions associated with the organ systems and will consider the factors relating to massage being indicated or contraindicated.  Students continue to expand their sense of being present in body and mind.

Business, Ethics & Professional Practice

Level Four or Five provides students with the critical information necessary to deal with the practical business aspect of becoming a professional massage therapist.  This includes: beginning and advanced business concepts, ethics, massage law and standards, networking, developing discipline, resume and cover letters, tours of massage therapy businesses, chair massage techniques and business methods, and CPR/First Aid Certification.

Myofascial Release

Level Four or Five: This specialized course of study teaches about the fascial system and its relationship to muscle tissue and function.   Students come to understand and to treat the effects of injury, trauma, and overuse of fascia, using techniques that range from energetic fascial release to myofascial trigger point release.   MFR is often used to treat sports injuries or to enhance athletic performance.  HAC teaches its students to take an comprehensive thereby integrating multiple modalities into a single care plan.

Student Clinic
Levels 2 Through 5

At HAC we believe that the best teacher is experience.  We have our students working on real clients after their first 100 hours of training.  Every term, students complete at least 20 hours of  clinical practice that teaches them how to assess and provide care for clients in the real world, document treatment and work with a clinical team.  By the time HAC students graduate, they have provided care for dozens of clients and are ready to "hit the deck running", so to speak.

HAC Massage Therapy Training Starts October 14th

Schedule a Tour and Q&A with the Admissions Director

Real World Experience

After students complete the first ten-week level session, they are scheduled for regular rotations through our student massage clinic.  There, they work on real clients and provide relief from pain and anxiety under the supervision of a master massage therapist.
Picture
Appointments for public clients are available:
Sundays: 1:30pm - 5:30pm
Tuesdays: 1:30pm - 5:30pm
Thursdays: 9:00a - 1:00pm and 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Fridays: 1:30pm - 5:30pm
Student Clinic massages cost $35 for a clinical hour (50 minutes). 
All HAC students must complete 80 hours of clinical practice in order to graduate.  Only students who have completed technique training can participate in the clinic.  The  student clinic is professionally supervised and so inexpensive that nearly anyone can afford to come often. 
    HAC helps students discover the job that is right for them.  The business of massage therapy is taught as a part of the curriculum. Students get to practice their interview skills at the business class job fair. Many students use what they learn from the entrepreneurial studies segment to open their own massage therapy practice, spa or salon.

Student Disclosures

The state of Missouri, the United States Department of Education and ACCSC require that licensed and accredited schools make certain disclosure regarding student performance metrics.  You can see our disclosures by clicking on the link below.

Interested in what other
wellness education we offer?