Holistic Massage Diploma

Practical in person weekends APP Theory lessons on Zoom

If you aren't able to make one or two of the in person weekends it's not a problem. You can do a catch up session to make up what you missed. If you miss an APP lesson you can watch the Zoom recording.

1. 13/14 September

2. 11/12 October

3. 08/09 November 28 November 10am-1pm

4. 06/07 December 05 December 10am-1pm

5. 17*/18 January 16 January 10am-5pm

6. 21/22 February 20 February 10am-5pm

7. 21/22 March 20 March 10am-5pm

8. 11/12 April 10 April 10am-5pm

9. 09/10 May 08 May 10am-5pm

9b. 22 May - theory exam at training room 10am-1pm

10. 05^/06/07 June

10b. 27/28 June+

11. 11/12 July

* Includes a field trip to a spa on the Saturday evening

^First Aid at Work training for those without a valid certificate

+Practical exam - you only need to be available for your own exam on this weekend, for a total of 1.5 hours

11 course weekends

1 per month with a break over Christmas/new year.

The first 3 weekends are Saturday and Sunday only, in person at my training school in Whitchurch, north Shropshire.

Weekends 4-9 are Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Fridays are Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology (APP) theory days, carried out on Zoom - the first 2 APP Fridays are half days with another half day the Saturday before.

Saturdays and Sundays are in person at the training school.

Weekend 5 includes a field trip to a spa on the Saturday evening. This is included in the course fee.

The APP exam is morning only, the rest of that day is free.

Weekend 10b is for the practical exam. Each student only needs to attend their exam, for which they should allow 1.5 hours.

Friday of weekend 11 is the Emergency First Aid at Work training. Only those without a valid first aid certificate need attend this day.

Each weekend contains massage demonstrations and practices. We will cover every area of the body at least twice throughout the course.

There will be movement, creative exercises and self-reflection to help anchor and ground what you are learning and we’ll explore playful ways to work with the weekend theme. This will help embed anatomy knowledge in a practical way, so it’s easier to remember.

There will also be time to rest, relax and absorb what you are learning, as well as supervision sessions for you to air any concerns or questions you have.

I will be available to support you throughout your massage journey. You can contact me by phone or email in between course weekends or book a 1:2:1 practice session. I will also set up an online group to share information and provide support.

I’ll encourage you to find your own style within the framework I’m offering, and to follow your passion and curiosity into areas and techniques that call you.

As well as learning techniques, to build a sustainable massage career, there are many other skills and areas of knowledge you need, which we will cover over the duration of the course. These are:

• posture

• self-care

• how to tune into your creativity and intuition

• business and marketing skills

• how to take care of your practice including insurance and record keeping

• how to work with clients including non-judgement, healthy boundaries and safe working

• the consultation and aftercare process

• anatomy, physiology and pathology

• Emergency First Aid at Work.

The diploma is a significant commitment. Each month you will carry out 6-8 hours of massage and 4-6 hours of homework, leading to a theory and practical exam at the end of the course, and a coursework folder to be handed in on weekend 9.

Many students with families and full-time jobs have successfully completed the diploma and there is no particular lifestyle needed to participate. However, do carefully consider if you have the time and space to commit to it and make a plan for how you will manage the workload.

No previous experience of giving massage is necessary.

Students need to be able to speak and write English fluently and must be aged 18 or over by the time the course starts.

The course is a Level 4, which is equivalent to the first year of a degree programme. Students need to be able to study at this level.

Students of all abilities are welcome but each student must be physically and psychologically capable of practising massage therapy. Reasonable adjustments will be made to support students with physical or learning disabilities, and those with mental health issues. The accessible training room is on the ground floor.

Do get in touch if you have any questions about this.

The course fee is £2,200.

A £220 non-refundable deposit secures your place. Half the course fee(an additional £880) must be paid one month before the start of the course. The rest can be paid by instalments or lump sums over the course of the year.

The full fee must be paid by the course completion date.

The fee covers student membership of the Massage Training Institute and theory and practical exams.

All course materials are also included in the fee.

Reference books and home equipment, such as a massage couch, are additional costs. You will also need to buy student insurance at a cost of £15.25, and pay to receive at least 2 professional massages over the course of the training.

The course is an NVQ Level 4, equivalent to the first year of a degree programme. On completion you’ll be a professional massage therapist with an insurance-recognised qualification.

Most professional massage therapists are qualified at Level 3. Having the higher level qualification gives you a deeper understanding of how to work with chronic muscular aches and aid relaxation.

During the course you will be a student member of the Massage Training Institute. On graduation you can join the MTI professional association, which has a range of benefits, including discount insurance and CPD.

The course is by application only. This is to make sure that this in-depth training is the right fit for you at this time.

Click on the button below for the online application form, or request a paper copy by email.

You’ll receive feedback on your application within 5 working days. The final stage of the process is an in-person or online interview.

There are a maximum of 12 places available.

If you want to build a private practice, the course offers both deep tissue and relaxation techniques, which gives you a unique niche. This will help you to build a sustainable business with repeat clients looking for help with their chronic aches, while also receiving relaxation.

You will also learn how to prescribe simple aftercare exercises to help your clients embed the effects of the massage in their day-to-day life, which offers an additional benefit to your treatments.

You may choose to do extra study after the course - perhaps add another holistic therapy such as Reflexology, or a higher level qualification such as a level 5 in Sports and Remedial massage.

If you want to work with specific client groups or in the charity sector, you could set up a Community Interest Company and applying for funding from local authorities, charities, housing associations and the lottery. This gives access to massage to a wider range of clients including those not able to afford private fees.

Or you could work in a spa, as the in-house massage therapist at an osteopathy clinic or a hospital, as event support at triathlons or music festivals - there are a wide variety of options available.

“I took part in Jenny's first diploma course in 2023 and I couldn't be more glad that I took the time to invest in myself. Our very first session in the training room was straight into practical massage which was a great way to break the ice!

The anatomy study is challenging but completely fascinating and makes massage and all of its benefits become real in a very scientific way. The coursework, while time-consuming, is also incredibly useful in cementing the practical learnings of massage. Due to the course being a small group and not a "one-size-fits-all" generic massage course, you leave with a vast range of skills and a great group of friends

Jenny is a patient, supportive and highly skilled mentor. She is generous with her time, skills and facilities. Her assistance doesn't stop at the end of the course either. Since completing the course, I have used my skills to set up my own massage business for which Jenny rents me her treatment room and I feel incredibly proud to be one of the practitioners at Post Office Court.

I found the course to not only be a qualification, but a journey of learning about myself. I can't recommend it highly enough.”

Kathryn, Whitchurch

“I signed up for this course after attending one of Jenny's Introduction to Massage days. I learned so much in one day I just knew I had to go for it. The diploma was amazing, so hands on from day one. There is so much to learn but having Jenny with you every step of the way made it an absolute joy, I looked forward to every weekend and missed it when we were off.

I made some new friends, and met great people along the way. Jenny is an absolute wealth of knowledge, and an amazing tutor and mentor, and I cannot thank her enough for helping me find a new path. 

Ian, Wrexham

“I have spent my entire career in high pressured corporate environments and wanted to gradually move to a more human-centred, calm and supportive environment. Being middle aged and experiencing many of the mental and physical challenges that we all face at this phase of our lives, I wanted to find a way to not only learn more about what I can do to support myself, but also give back to the community of women experiencing the same.

I remember feeling a little apprehensive on the first day of the course because it had been a while since I had attended any form of in-person training. The usual concerns set in around whether I would be able to keep up with everything there was to learn, would my age be a factor and would I be able to deliver a good massage! To my relief, it was immediately obvious that Jenny had created an environment where learning was well paced with plenty of opportunities to ask questions, recap and practise. As students we were not only guided through the theory and massage techniques, but also the importance of looking after oneself on both a physical and emotional level. The holistic approach to the course not only applied to course content, but to us as budding practitioners too.

When doing my practise hours at home, I found that, even though it was a little daunting at first to run my own session, everyone who attended were delighted, gave good feedback and wanted more! This is so motivating when you are doing something completely different to what you are used to and need to find your own way, while being mindful of your client’s needs.”

Lorraine, Whitchurch