Integrative Health Continuing Education for Massage Therapists

  • This 24-week live, online course (2 hours/week) supports massage therapists in developing the knowledge, language, and confidence to function as effective change agents within their scope of practice. Using a focused lens of one pillar of lifestyle medicine per 4-week module, the course examines how Lifestyle Medicine principles and Motivational Interviewing microskills translate into real-world massage therapy contexts, including client conversations, clinical reasoning, and ethical documentation. Participants also receive guided support to draft a professional case report suitable for publication, presentation, or portfolio development during each module, culminating in 6 case reports.

    Modules include: Stress Management, Physical Activity, Sleep, Risky Substances, Nutrition, and Connectedness

Who this course is for

This course is for licensed massage therapists who want a clearer, more confident role in integrative, client‑centered care while staying within scope of practice. It’s ideal for therapists in medical or oncology settings, private practitioners who want better client follow‑through, and emerging leaders interested in writing, presenting, or program development.

What you will gain

You will learn to weave Lifestyle Medicine pillars and Motivational Interviewing into everyday sessions in a natural, ethical way. Expect more ease starting brief health‑related conversations, practical MI language you can use right away, clearer documentation, and a set of de‑identified case reports you can leverage for portfolios, publications, or future opportunities.

Course Objectives

  1. Describe core principles of each Lifestyle Medicine pillar (Stress, Physical Activity, Sleep, Risky Substances, Nutrition, Connectedness) and their scope‑appropriate relevance to massage therapy.

  2. Use foundational Motivational Interviewing (MI) microskills (OARS, change talk, scaling, goal exploration) confidently in brief massage‑context conversations about health behavior change.

  3. Administer and interpret at least one validated or practice‑friendly self-assessment tool per pillar, for their own self‑reflection and to inform scope‑appropriate client conversations.

  4. Document LM‑informed sessions ethically, including client goals, massage‑relevant observations, and health‑promotion conversations within professional boundaries.

  5. Develop six short, de‑identified case reports (one per pillar/module) that integrate LM content, MI process, and massage clinical reasoning in a form suitable for publication, presentation, or portfolio use.

Investment

Program is approximately 300 hours of engaged learning, translating to a time commitment of up to 6 hours weekly, including time for in-class and out of class work. Individual processes may vary.

A sliding scale, $900 - $1200 - $1500, is offered to support access to this 6-month program while sustaining this work. Please choose the rate that best reflects your current resources—no justification required.

Cover of the book titled "Connecting Paradigms" by Matthew S. Bennett, featuring colorful interconnected gears with terms related to trauma and neurobiological frameworks.

Interested in Joining the course?

~ "Connecting Paradigms" - Bennett

~ "Connecting Paradigms" - Bennett