Massage Therapy Schools in Claremont and Lebanon
River Valley Community College in Lebanon, New Hampshire lists chiropractic offices, clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, spas, and cruise ships as potential workplaces for massage therapists. Some, of course, are more common than others. Massage therapy in Claremont, Lebanon, and the surrounding areas is about small businesses and small communities. Still massage therapy is arguably big.
The Claremont-Lebanon, NH-VT combined statistical area had a population of 217,215 in 2018, but it was spread out across quite a bit of land. Geography can present challenges, but massage therapy practitioners – and instructors – here are making opportunity.
Working near the Vermont-New Hampshire Border: Educational Issues
The Claremont-Lebanon area spans two states. It can seem tricky to practice in a border area. New Hampshire licenses massage therapists; Vermont doesn’t as of this writing. New Hampshire educational standards are higher than in the majority of states: 750 hours. (Many put the requirement in the 500 to 650 range.) Completing a program that meets New Hampshire standards will put a person on the path to licensure many places. Notably, there are programs around the nation that choose to go well above stated minimums, and to use accreditations and approvals to put their students on a path to success.
Vermont may not license, but it does indeed have a thriving massage industry. Vermont had a job concentration above the average in 2018 with a location quotient of 1.69 while New Hampshire was a little below with a location quotient of .83. Northern Vermont was notably high at 2.65 – high enough, in fact, to be ranked as having the second highest massage therapy job concentration of any nonmetropolitan area in the country.
There are innovative programs in this part of Vermont that New Hampshire practitioners may want to consider for advanced training even if they get their foundation on their own side of the border.
Massage Therapy Schools in Claremont and Lebanon and Surrounding Areas
River Valley Community College (Lebanon, New Hampshire) offers an 836-hour curriculum. Students complete an internship during their last term. The internship site is select in cooperation with the program director. The intern may work under a Licensed Massage Therapist or other healthcare professional such as a physical therapist or chiropractor. Tuition is charged at three rates: New Hampshire resident, New England resident, and out-of-state.
The American Academy of Health and Beauty (Manchester) offers a 780-hour program that can be completed in nine months (three trimesters). The school is accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts & Sciences. The following are among the classes: Massage Fundamentals; Eastern Modalities, Pathology, Advanced Techniques and Kinesiology; and Clinic I and II.
The Shiatsu School of Vermont (Brattleboro, Vermont) offers a 500-hour Shiatsu program. The school also has a 330-hour program for people who are already bodywork professionals. Both programs are taught through weekend intensives: one long (four-day) weekend per month.
There are many opportunities in the surrounding areas for advanced coursework and continuing education. Vermont has diverse offerings that may well be worth the occasional day trip.
From the Green Mountain Institute of Integrative Therapy in North Bennington comes Thai / Shiatsu Bodywork, Skinner Releasing Technique for Body Workers, and Sports Massage Incorporating an Energetic Understanding (among other course options). The Green Mountain Institute offers a 250-Hour Advanced Practitioner Course designed for those who already have the foundations.
Oncology Massage in Northern New Hampshire and Vermont
Professionals around the nation are recognizing the value of massage for people in fragile health, including those who are fighting cancer and those who are nearing life’s end. The Hand to Heart Project provides massage to people battling cancer in Northern New Hampshire and Vermont (The Hand to Heart Project). Services are also available to individuals who are caring for people who are battling cancer or nearing end of life. The program is available to people in a number of New Hampshire and Vermont communities, including Claremont and Lebanon.
Claremont-Area Massage Practices
There are a number of small massage businesses in the area. Keene Massage Therapy lists four practitioners. Among the businesses that list a sole proprietor are Zen Massage and Bodyworks (Charlestown), A Touch Above (Lebanon), and Healing Arts Bodywork and Yoga (Lebanon). Some massage therapists practice under their own names, a common practice nationwide. The proprietor of A Touch Above lists oncology massage among her areas of training. Healing Arts Bodywork and Yoga is run a Licensed Massage Therapist who also holds yoga certification.
Some massage therapists will visit businesses and even homes.
Massage therapists find different ways of getting out into the community. Among the vendors with items up for raffle for a recent event benefiting the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism was a massage practice.
Massage Therapist Salary in Lebanon and Claremont Vicinity
Massage therapists in the Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area earned an average hourly wage of $21.43 in 2018. The 10th percentile wage was $15.04 while the 90th percentile was $36.33. The median was $17.88.
A $22.77 mean was reported statewide for New Hampshire. The Bureau of Labor Statistics did not provide 2018 massage therapy wage information for this particular area of New Hampshire.
Student and Professional Resources
The American Massage Therapy Association has a New Hampshire Chapter (New Hampshire Chapter) and a Vermont Chapter.
New Hampshire massage therapists are under the jurisdiction of the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification).