Discover more than just massage. Discover how to think.
It’s important to know all the right answers.
It’s even more important to know the right questions.
At the Soma Institute we closely examine every facet of the massage industry to give you every opportunity to be the best massage therapist you can be, but mostly we teach you to ask the right questions to get at the root of your client’s pain.
The client says it feels good when you press into their shoulder.
- Why does it feel good?
- What muscle are you manipulating when you press there?
- What nerve pathways are being affected?
- What types of nerves are being affected?
The client says it hurts when they lift their shoulder a certain way.
- Can you point to where it hurts?
- Can you recreate the action that causes your pain?
- What action is your client performing (flexion, extension, etc)?
- What muscles create that action, and what type of contraction is taking place?
The client says they get a weird pain in their hip when they do certain things.
- What type of pain?
- What is your client’s posture?
- What do they do for work, and how do they sit or stand at work?
- What muscles would be short and tight in whatever deviation they are in?
- How could you as a therapist have them perform certain actions to help inhibit their problem areas?
And of course you end each round of questioning with a question to yourself:
How can I make this better with massage?
Needless to say, those are just a few very basic examples. But with a class lineup that includes not only massage, but assessment of posture, range of motion and injury, kinesiology, and anatomy and physiology, you will be so far ahead of the game when you graduate from Soma.
Find why so many businesses will only hire Soma graduates, click here for more information.
Massage Helps Cancer Patients
Massage Therapy: Increased Quality of Life for Cancer Patients
According to news coverage released by The American Medical Association, recent research shows massage therapy can benefit patients suffering from cancer. Besides alleviating common symptoms associated with cancer like nausea and fatigue, massage therapy has also been shown to reduce stress, depression, and anxiety— effectively improving the quality of life for these patients.
The study found that all participants experienced stress reduction and increased comfort compared to the group of usual standard-of-care patients. Therapeutic massage also resulted in significant improvement of quality of life for patients near the end of life by reducing pain and improving sleep.
With the increasing data to back up the many positive effects of massage therapy, the profession is seeing a recent boom across the county. The Soma Institute has been dedicated to helping spread awareness of the benefits of massage therapy.
Soma offers an 11 & 15-month Clinical Massage Therapy program tailored to meet the busy lives of its students. Led by skillful massage professionals with years of experience, students learn how to use natural methods to treat injuries, overworked muscles, painful ailments, and to promote the overall health of their clients.
If you’ve ever considered a career in Clinical Massage Therapy, now is the time to take that first step. Give one of Soma’s Career Counselors a call to find out more about the program and if it’s a good fit for you. A rewarding career is waiting for you. Give us a call at 1-800-694-5314.
Choose your new career path with confidence
We asked Tiffini, a recent Soma graduate, to answer a few questions about her time here at Soma. She was nice enough to answer.
What were your feelings entering the program?
When I chose to start at Soma I was excited, anxious, yet nervous and a little scared. I was excited to begin a new chapter in my life! I was anxious for what I thought was going to be the longest 11 months of my life. The nervous and scared portion was starting something new and being able to finish it.
Why did you enter the program?
I decided to enter the program for a number of reasons. I had been involved in Energy work prior (Reiki) and loved working with my hands and healing others in a holistic environment. I would involve myself in exchanges of energy work and most times, I would end up incorporating massage more so than Reiki when working with my friends. I was told I had magic hands and wanted to pursue a career in something I felt drawn towards. I have always wanted to work in a field that helped people heal themselves whether it be mentally or physically, and as we all know the benefits for massage are not just physical. As far as choosing Soma, my Reiki instructor was a former student of Soma and had recommended to me that I check them out. I stopped in to check everything out and everyone made me feel so welcome that I signed up the same day to begin my classes a week later!
What were some high points and low points in your time here?
Needless to say 2015 was an interesting year. The high points definitely outweigh the low at least! Some high points at Soma were taking all of the knowledge I was receiving and using it. Learning all the different clinical techniques and then practicing them. Meeting people who were interested and involved in the same career choice as I was. The greatest high point of all though was all of my instructors- they have left me with so much knowledge and a lifetime of support. Without some of them, I do not know how I would have made it through the program with such confidence. As far as low points, everyone has their rough days. I struggled through some of the courses and that definitely brought my spirits down a little bit. I was also just going through a rough time out of school, yet there was not a day that someone at Soma did not try to turn my frown upside down!
Did you learn everything you wanted to learn?
I feel that I left Soma with a huge chunk of knowledge. The clinical knowledge that you get from Soma is unlike anything I have heard from other students at other schools. Not trying to brag here, but I do :-).
Do you feel qualified to start your career?
I do indeed feel beyond qualified to begin my career. I feel that Soma has prepared us in many ways with clinics and the externships that we were so lucky to be apart of!!!
Your guide to a healthy St. Patrick’s Day
It’s that time of year again.
We all know what the average Chicagoan’s St. Patrick’s day looks like (hint, it involves drinking, more drinking, a parade, and probably more drinking). We’d like to offer a healthy solution while still celebrating your Irish heritage.
1. If you’re going to drink, don’t overdo it. It seems like fun to pound beers down, but it’s a rookie move. Drink a beer, have a glass of water, repeat as necessary, but also responsibly. Alcohol inhibits your posterior pituitary gland, which is the gland that secretes anti-diuretic hormone to your kidneys, which is the hormone that tells your kidneys to retain water, and without that, it means you get dehydrated. So if you’re going to drink alcohol, drink more water. (And remember, even “lite” beer usually has 100 calories per 12 ounces.)
2. When you drink you’re more likely to make poor dietary decisions, too. Plan in advance. If you’re going out with a group of people and you know which bar/restaurant you’re going to end up at, pre-plan on ordering something that doesn’t have bacon all over it. Or, get a buddy to split a burger with you (and maybe a side salad, too). Or try the veggie burger (you don’t have to be a vegetarian to eat a veggie burger). Also, if staying in, cabbage can be made in a myriad of healthy ways.
3. No, green beer is not a vegetable.
4. Sitting on a bar stool for the majority of a day is going to wreak havoc on your musculature, mainly your hip flexors and your low back erectors. Try some simple stretches throughout the day so those minor aches and pains don’t turn into something more serious. Every once in a while, stand up, bend your knee (as if kicking yourself in the rear), grab your foot and pull your leg backwards. You should feel a stretch in the front of your thigh. If those muscles are left in a shortened position for too long your muscles will adapt their length to that position, and your posture is much harder to remedy after that. Also, touch your toes every so often, and alternate between straight knees and bent knees (straight knees stretch your hamstrings, bent knees stretch your back). If your feeling really ambitious the following day, maybe hit up a yoga class, too. Or try some of these yoga stretches at home.
Attend Soma. Change your life. Proof inside.
We asked a recent Soma graduate to reflect on her time here at Soma. Here are her responses.
What were your feelings on entering the program?
I was nervous. Curious. Questioning myself if I made the right decision to make a career change. Wondering if this career really was for me. But even with all that, I was excited. I had explored multiple options, disappointed with each one more than the last until I came to Soma. This school and its program stood out from the rest.
Why did you enter the program?
I was looking to change my career. Working full-time as a Chef ruled my life. With my shifts ranging from 12 to 16 hours a day, 6 days a week, only making just enough to pay my bills… it was draining. My friends and family began to ostracize me for never being available. I missed birthdays, weddings, baby showers, anniversaries, and everything in between. I was pushing my body to the limit, and with the lost support and understanding of the people I cared about I slowly sank into a deep depression. I knew something needed to change, and it needed to change fast. It took me a while to realize, but when I made the decision to go back to school, it gave me something to work towards again. It gave me hope. I turned back to one of my original desires, to enter into physical therapy, and went on researching all options available. Before I knew it, I was filling out an application (on the spot, I might add) after my walkthrough with Stan. I was sold immediately. It was the focus on clinical work, and the confidence. Confidence in the teacher’s and student’s capabilities radiated from Stan and anyone else I spoke to, and I think it was that confidence that gave me the extra little push I needed.
What were some high points and low points in your time here?
The classes were amazing. Really, so much information was given, it kept me captivated. I soaked it up like a sponge. And the teachers were so helpful and engaging; you could tell they enjoy what they do, and that made things all the more interesting. I finished the program on a high note with lovely new people. It was more than I expected, and I was (and still am) extremely grateful for that opportunity.
Did you learn everything you wanted to learn/ do you feel qualified to start your career now that you’ve graduated?
I absolutely learned what I wanted! That confidence I mentioned earlier? I feel it in myself now. I am beyond happy with my decision to go back to school, and I can’t imagine where I would be now if I hadn’t. I can’t wait to get started in my new career! The decision to attend Soma changed my life in more ways than I imagined.