The Essentials of Massage & Bodywork course provides a foundational level of training for the new practitioner.
The Essentials of Massage & Bodywork (Essentials 120 Clock Hours/ 10.0 units) course is the foundation for learning at IPSB, for either professional training or personal growth and spiritual development. It is the prerequisite for the Massage Therapy Certificate program and the foundation for the school's philosophical approach to learning. It gives the student a solid core of skills, knowledge,and experiential understanding of the integration of Body-Mind-Emotions-Spirit through the work of holistic body practices.

The coursework is based on a Three Centers concept: the physical, emotional, and intellectual centers. The physical center relates to the physical instinct and the concept of being grounded and able to take care of our needs. The emotional center relates to the heart and the flow of emotions to the outside world. The intellectual center relates to being aware of the outside world, organizing the senses, and understanding what is going on.

These centers are seen as corresponding to areas of the body: the physical center relates to the legs and lower abdomen; the emotional center to the chest, arms and thorax; and the intellectual center, to the head and neck. The Essentials of Massage and Bodywork course is designed to create an opening and integration of these centers in the student and to give a format for balancing and opening these centers in others. When these centers are integrated and flowing, their unity produces the Spirit.

The Holistic Health Practitioner Program is a 1,005 hour program that builds on the MT program curriculum adding a therapeutic massage concentration, additional massage hands-on classes and professional development coursework.

The Massage Therapist Program teaches several different hands-on techniques, a strong focus on professional and successful business practices, and thorough preparation to pass the NCBTMB examination. This 600-hour program requires the Essentials of Massage & Bodywork course as a prerequisite. The program meets the local City of San Diego and State of California educational requirements of 500 hours of training to become a licensed Massage Therapist and qualifies students to sit for the National Certification Exam by the National Certification Board for Theapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB). It provides a basic well-rounded education in hands-on bodywork techniques most commonly expected by employers and the general public. It blends the three centers approach from the Essentials of Massage & Bodywork with the practical application of session design, anatomy and physiology needed to assess properly client needs and determine appropriate bodywork applications.

The Associate of Science Degree is a 1,230 hour program that allows the student to advance their skills and competence over a broad range of somatic modalities while earning an Associate's degree.

• To provide a basic well-rounded education in hands-on bodywork techniques most commonly expected by employers and the general public.
• To provide the necessary training to become a licensed Massage Therapist in the City of San Diego and to successfully prepare students to pass the National Certification Exam administered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB).
• To blend the Three Centers approach from Essentials with the practical application of session design, anatomy, physiology, and pathology and contradictions needed to assess properly client needs and determine appropriate bodywork applications.
• To master the bodywork techniques and skills introduced in Essentials, introduce additional modalities to the students' repertoire, and provide students with practical hands-on experience in a professional clinical setting.
• To prepare graduates to become successful independent business practitioners or employees in a variety of professional settings. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you.