Professional Training Program

NeuroAffective Therapeutic Bodywork

Our innovative massage therapy certification program represents a groundbreaking approach to therapeutic bodywork. By integrating foundational massage therapy training approaches with the NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM), we prepare practitioners for a deeper understanding of the healing potential of therapeutic touch.

Touch is our first sensory experience, developing before all others in the womb. This profound connection makes therapeutic touch a powerful gateway to healing. Our program recognizes that lived experiences reside within the body's tissues and nervous system, influencing how we move through the world, relate to others, and experience health or dis-ease.

Our Unique Approach

The foundation of our program rests on understanding the intricate relationship between touch, relational development, neuroscience, and healing. Students learn to create safe, nurturing environments where clients can experience authentic connection through therapeutic touch. Our curriculum seamlessly integrates anatomical knowledge with cutting-edge neuroscience and trauma-informed approaches.

As Body Therapists, we connect with a person's inner world through touch - the first sense developed in utero. Our understanding of how life experiences are stored within the body's tissues enables us to support clients' healing journeys with unique insight. When humans encounter developmental adversity (including complex trauma, rejection, neglect, abuse, mis-attunement, and cultural trauma), the nervous system creates survival patterns for protection. These patterns, though often mistaken for personality traits, are actually stored responses in our nervous system that manifest as emotional and behavioral patterns.

Massage Therapists are uniquely positioned to provide a secure therapeutic environment where clients can experience safety, trust, co-regulation, and compassion - sometimes for the first time. Through skilled therapeutic touch, clients develop greater self-agency as their brains form new neural pathways. This neuroplasticity demonstrates the brain's remarkable ability to adapt and heal by creating new neural connections, even after experiencing significant trauma or stress. This capacity for "rewiring" enables recovery and the development of healthy coping mechanisms throughout life.

Professional Development

The program emphasizes the development of strong therapeutic relationships through understanding co-regulation, cultural competency, and effective client communication. Students learn to create and maintain appropriate professional boundaries while providing compassionate care. This includes understanding when and how to make appropriate referrals to other healthcare providers.

Coursework explores the principles of developmental trauma, neuroplasticity, and attachment theory within the context of bodywork. Students gain practical experience in applying these concepts while maintaining appropriate scope of practice.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of our program are prepared to work in diverse settings, from private practice to integrated healthcare environments. They develop the skills to provide transformative care while honoring the profound responsibility of therapeutic touch. The program's unique integration of NARM principles with bodywork techniques positions our graduates as skilled facilitators of healing and regulation.

Neuroscience is at the forefront of healing, ranging from traditional psychotherapy to trauma-informed yoga, somatic approaches, and massage therapy. Understanding the intersection of neuroscience, trauma, and bodywork allows our graduates to support clients in laying down new neural pathways through the power of therapeutic touch. This work honors the brain's natural ability to change and adapt, supporting healing from traumatic experiences through skilled, compassionate intervention.

Join us in discovering the transformative power of trauma-informed, neurobiologically-based therapeutic touch. Together, we can create new possibilities for healing and growth in the field of massage therapy.

Program Details

Program Hours: 700

Class size: limited to 12 students per class

Tuition: $12,000 (funding options below - *up to full tuition)

VSAC Grants and Scholarships Available: The VT Student Assistance Corporation offers grants, scholarships, and forgivable loans. Our students are getting 75-100% of their tuition covered by various funds. Apply early!

Licensure: MBLEX-approved curriculum, students may sit for the national licensure exam upon completion of the program.

Payment Options: (A) Lump sum up front or (B) 10-month payment plan.

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