Massage Therapy School in Grand Forks

Bismarck may have the capitol building, but Grand Forks has the massage school – which, in an age of healthcare complexity and healthcare opportunity, is not a bad thing.

There is growing recognition that massage is healthcare. Massage that is targeted toward a person’s specific conditions can be both evidence-based and cost-effective.

Of course it’s also something people enjoy. Massage often helps people feel good at least in the short term even when it’s not a targeted treatment. People may opt for massage in a spa, a massage-and-yoga studio, or even a salon.

People tend to think of massage as clinical or spa-style. There tends to be a difference between what one finds at a chiropractic office and what one finds at a spa, though the lines can blur.

The Massage Therapy School in Grand Forks

Josef’s School of Hair, Skin and Body Grand Forks offers a 22-week licensure program. The program has an 88% job placement rate, according to information available in 2019.

Additional Learning Opportunities: Massage Therapy Schools in North Dakota

Local Massage Practices

Avant Hair and Skin Care Studio has multiple massage therapists onboard. Some have dual credentialing as estheticians. Clients can opt for spa-style add-ons like hand treatments or back resurfacing.

The Truyu Aesthetic Center operates under the banner of Altru Health System (https://www.altru.org/truyu/about). Largely, Truyu is about the healthcare or medical side of looking good, with “med spa” services. It’s not all about appearance, however. The organization notes a number of potential benefits from massage therapy; it may benefit conditions from high blood pressure to lower back pain to anxiety. Truyu notes benefits, too, for specific types of massage. The body massage that is enhanced with reflexology, they state, may help with conditions like sinus or headache. Truyu lists five LMTs.

QW Massage and Spa in East Grand Forks provides massage along with wraps and scrubs. Among the offerings are warm bamboo and aromatherapy. Clients can opt for Reiki or for massage with energy balancing added.

Massage Therapy as Healthcare

Massage therapists may blend different types of massage to address client needs. Assessment is an important part of massage therapy, particularly in clinical settings.

Massage therapists may have collaborative and referral relationships with healthcare providers. The Grand Forks Herald reported in May 2019 on the ribbon cutting of 117 Yoga and Wellness , a healthcare practice that combines naturopathic services with massage therapy (https://www.grandforksherald.com/business/1353474-117-Yoga-and-Wellness-holds-ribbon-cutting-ceremony). The owner stated that professionals at the facility were willing to collaborate with primary care doctors and physical therapists. The organization held an open house as part of its marketing.

Some massage therapists provide services onsite in healthcare offices. Renewed Hope Chiropractic & Wellness is among the chiropractic practices that has a massage therapist on its team.

Adjunctive treatment for some conditions – notably cancer – can be spa-like. The goals, in many cases, are decreasing pain and nausea, improving sleep, lessening anxiety, and tapping into the mind-body connection. The massage therapist will need some disease-specific knowledge of pathology and contraindications and will benefit from training in areas like lymphatic techniques.

This is an area where therapists may seek advanced certifications. Potential clients may look up providers on sites like the Society for Oncology Massage. As of 2019, the Society for Oncology Massage lists no practitioners near Grand Forks.

Local Employment Prospects

Career prospects are generally good for skilled professionals. Job outlook is characterized as “bright” based on official governmental projections (https://www.careeronestop.org/). Josef’s School of Hair, Skin and Body, a school that has the responsibility of educating a large portion of the state’s massage therapists, characterizes the salon industry statewide as a jobseekers’ market; this is as of 2019.

In a state like North Dakota population density – and the number of facilities – can be an issue when it’s time to seek that first position. Many create their own opportunities. Self-employment is very common in this line of work. There are multiple options besides going out and renting one’s own studio.

Self-Employment

Massage therapy attracts entrepreneurs – and people with deep personal beliefs about healthcare. Some massage therapists opt to affiliate with professionals who have similar values. True Health Massage, Yoga, and Wellness is a group made primarily of independent massage therapists and yoga professionals. Some individuals have other wellness credentials; one is a Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist. True Health massage therapists have diverse skill sets. One offers infant massage. Several offer headache therapy. Basic massages, including Swedish and sports massage, carry client charges ranging from $40 for 30 minutes to $95 for 90 minutes. A note on the website in late 2019 states the business is looking for more professionals to rent space or do commission-based work.

Some massage therapists practice under their own name or their own company name. Lotus Massage Therapy and Wellness and Northern Mandala are among those that list a sole proprietor.

Career Resources

Licensed Massage Therapists take advantage of continuing education offerings, including those presented in the state on an intermittent basis by guest teachers.

The North Dakota Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association puts out a newsletter twice a year. One purpose is to keep massage therapists informed about events where they can obtain specialized training. The focus of the 2019 AMTA North Dakota fall event was working with people who were experiencing pain.