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The Soma Massage Blog

The Value of Clinical Massage Therapists

By Joan Hannant, Founder & CEO of The Soma Institute

The Soma Institute is special. I realize, if you’re reading this, you may be rolling your eyes right now and thinking, “Of course, the founder of the school thinks it’s a special and unique place. She’s biased.” Full disclosure: I am biased. However, I’ve also been in this business long enough to know the clinical approach we take to training massage therapists does set us apart, and it is extremely valuable. It’s not just my opinion. We get calls every day from employers looking to hire our graduates. Not all massages are created equal, and our training in clinical massage therapy is something both employers and clients want.

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Watching Lives Change

By Joan Hannant, Founder & CEO of The Soma Institute

If you’ve read any of my blogs or been around me for any period of time, you’ve probably heard me say it before; I love watching people change their lives for the better. Their stories are powerful and almost always inspiring. It’s why I love my job!

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How it All Started

By Joan Hannant, Founder & CEO of The Soma Institute

For many of our students, graduation is right around the corner. In a matter of days, we’ll be hosting a ceremony that will be attended by students, friends and family. These are special times where they look back on the hard work they’ve accomplished and look forward to exciting career opportunities. It’s an inspiring day, and a day that often forces me to take a step back and think about my own journey.

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The Chicago Marathon: Where Confidence Grows

By Joan Hannant, Founder & CEO of The Soma Institute

Watching our students succeed fills me with pride. They come to Soma as adults of all ages from all walks of life. Some enroll with complete confidence they have what it takes to be a clinical massage therapist. Others aren’t so sure. But every year there is one part of their training that stands out, where students walk away with their heads held high as they exhibit a new sense of confidence. That event is the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

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Sports Massage: A World of Opportunities

By Mike Hovi, Program Director at The Soma Institute

I love sports. For most of my life, I’ve watched them and played them, and for the 12 years I spent as a high school teacher, I coached them. It’s always been important to me that I stay involved in sports, but when I got involved in clinical massage therapy, I had no idea the amount of opportunities it would open up.

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