Wisconsin School of Massage Therapy

Last night we held our Alumni meeting and we gathered for wine spritzers, snacks, and captivating conversation. A big topic of interest was the new massage therapy licencing law which is being proposed in 2009. I am a member of the AMTA - WI Chapter Massage Licensing Coalition Committee. Here are some highlights of what will be proposed:

The proposed statutes will be turned in by late August, and we hope that the legislature gets it in January and that it passes some time in 2009. This summer the proposal will be published so everyone can see it and respond.

All state certified massage therapists will be automatically converted to licensed massage therapists. Without a license a person will not be able to perform massage therapy for pay in the state of Wisconsin.

The legal definitions of massage therapy will be expanded to include the use of tools and heat/cold.

All current requirements to become licensed will remain, but an additional requirement for continuing education will be added (24 hours every 2 years.)

There will be a grandparenting clause for current practioners who are not certified. There will be several avenues for them to meet the requirements with a 1 year window for doing so.

There will be several categories of exempted professions. Reflexologists, Movement Educators, and Energy Workers will not have to be licensed as massage therapists to continue doing their work as long as they don't do or say they are doing massage therapy.

Overall this new legislation should be a protection for the public and a step forward for our profession. Once we get into the process further everyone who is looking to see this pass into law will need to contact their legislator to ask for their support. We will help you do this by providing links to your legislators. Stay tuned!

Now, after all that legal mental stuff, here is a photo to remind you of the miracles that are happening outside! These are some ostrich ferns in my forest just coming up to enjoy the sun. Ahhhhh...

WSMT Now Offering Student Loans

WSMT has become an approved school for student loans through SLM Financial, A Sallie Mae Company. SLM provides student loans for those eligible with up to a 15 year repayment term keeping monthly payments low. Payments may be deferred or interest-only while in school.

You can borrow from a minimum of $1000 up to the total cost of your education, less other aid received. That includes tuition and expenses such as books, fees, a computer, and living expenses. Up to 60% of the tuition amount is allowable for expenses, not to exceed $6000.

SLM Financial responds within 24 hours of application so you’ll know right away if you are approved and what your rates will be.

Call WSMT today to get an application and to find out about this possible funding for your massage education!

New Class for September, 2008

We are excited to start another evening/Saturdays class September 29, 2008. There is still room for additional students. If you have been thinking about massage school now is the time to join us! This class will be graduating to become professional massage therapists in November, 2009. The specific calendar for this class is now available. Check out our calendar page for more information and call Mary, the Director, for a personal tour of the school at 262-366-1840.

New Statement About WSMT

WSMT has added the following statement to our catalog as a way of distinguishing our unique qualities from the other schools. Let us know what you think!

Why Choose a Small School?

Wsmt is a small school providing training for 2 classes per year with a maximum of 12 students per class. This affords the students enormous benefits such as:

Greater Teacher Attention. In the beginning, especially when new therapists are developing their skills, focused teacher attention is essential.

Teacher Retention. Our teachers have such pleasant teaching conditions that we have an incredible teacher retention rate. Our staff has been with us for years. These teaching conditions are created by small class sizes, a consistent and consecutive curriculum which is easy to follow, and freedom in teaching decisions. These aspects of teaching at WSMT are conducive to learning and are of intentional design.

No Teacher Assistants. Our classes are so small we do not need inexperienced volunteer assistants (recent graduates) for our teachers. When classes near the size limit of 10 or 12 we employ another full-fledged teacher to come and assist as needed. We value your education that much that we happily invest dollars in more expert people to help the primary teacher when needed.

Flexibility for Problems and Personal Attention. We find that being small lets us respond flexibly to individual students’ needs. We don’t need to herd big groups through our program. We have the luxury of really caring for our students and helping them in any way we can to fulfill their dreams. We take pride in our extremely low drop-out rate which is a direct result of our desire to make every student successful.

We will Remain Small even as we Grow. We have made a commitment to small class sizes even as we grow because we know how important this aspect is to student success. We will always choose quality over quantity because we are passionate about graduating new people into the field who are competent and who contribute positively to the field of massage therapy.

Your tuition Stays in the Local Economy. We are a locally-owned company. Your tuition does not go to support a huge corporate conglomerate with little stake in your individual education nor your community. We believe in the small local company serving the community in which it is housed.

These are some very important considerations when comparing offerings of different types of massage therapy schools. Feel free to ask us to explain more about any of these concepts!

WSMT Hires Professional Massage Therapists

Robert Wehner, WCMT, is a professional massage therapist on staff. Robert specializes in relaxation massage, therapeutic work for pain relief from specific neuromuscular conditions, and sports massage. Robert is an endurance runner so he is very attuned to the needs of athletes to prevent injury and to recover from their efforts. Clients appreciate Robert's excellent massage skills, especially his strength to perform massage with accurate deep pressure. Call the school and leave us a message if you are interested in an appointment with Robert. He is offering a one hour session for $35 as an introduction to new clients for a very limited time!

Rhonda Gray, WCMT, is another professional massage therapist on staff. Rhonda enjoys working with clients to provide relaxation massage, a very healthful reprieve in this stressful world in which we live. She also excels at helping people through painful conditions into wellness. Rhonda enjoys providing hot stone therapy and Thai Massage as well. Thai massage is new to us in the west, but it is an ancient form of bodywork. (See photo below.) Clients stay clothed in comfortable clothes while Rhonda moves the joints and stretches the muscles. It's fabulous! Do yourself a favor and book an appointment with Rhonda, your body will really reward you by being calm and collected! Call the school and leave us a message if you are interested in an appointment with Rhonda. She is offering a one hour session for $35 as an introduction to new clients for a very limited time! (Hot stone massage not included in $35 offer.)

Chair Massage Available to Businesses through WSMT

WSMT has massage therapists on staff as well as many contacts with massage therapists in the area to provide chair massage at your business as needed. Chair massage is a great way to increase worker productivity and care for workers with neuromuscular conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome or to prevent these conditions altogether. Therapists come into your workplace with specially designed massage chairs which allow workers to step away from their work for 5-20 minutes and receive a massage while remaining fully clothed. We can come one time for a special event (worker thank you events, wellness fests, secretaries' day, etc.) or on an ongoing basis. Fees can be paid by the workers, the company, or as a combination. Call the school and leave us your contact information for further details!

WSMT Offering Continuing Education Classes

WSMT gained approval by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) as a continuing education Approved Provider in February, 2007. Check out the Continuing Education page for more information.

WSMT Offering Consulting Services

Staff at WSMT are available to local massage therapists and others in the bodywork field for business advice. Does your business need a boost? Are you considering buying a massage therapy franchise, or starting your own spa or clinic? Having the advice of a massage professional could be very valuable. Here are some ways we can help you:

Where to start, what’s the list of jobs, which jobs do you have to do and which do you delegate

Office set up – what will you need and where does it go, what arrangement of rooms would work best?

Forms – intake forms, feedback forms, employee assessment forms, application forms

Application/Interview process – questions and predictable answers, what to look for in the massage work

Staff development – growing the skills of the therapists, making them more proficient with pain complaints, how to increase job satisfaction, evaluating their work

Ethics – policies for preventing problems with employees/clients

Therapists’ certification, insurance, state laws pertaining to massage

Expectations – spelling out the job to the therapists: what components are expected in every massage experience for the client?

Current market trends – publications, websites, product companies to keep tabs on – What’s the next modality everyone will want? What products are people looking for?

Marketing – what, where, how – what unusual ways can you get people to know you are there?

Client retention – how to keep them coming back

Referrals – excellent web developer, logo designer, advertising people, printers, etc. All people we ’ve worked with well and would recommend.

Our fees start at $120 per hour with discounts for bigger contracts. Call the office to set up an appointment for a free meeting to discuss your needs. 262-250-1276.

edit news