Massage for People Living with Cancer

Our first continuing education class of the year, Gayle MacDonald’s Massage for People Living with Cancer, comes to the Encino campus Feb 6, 7 & 8.  This class is a must for massage therapists specializing in the medical community.  When we last hosted Gayle back in 2007, participants raved at the chance to learn from this oncology massage expert and renowned author.

Comfort-oriented massage or touch can be administered to people with cancer regardless of the severity of their condition.  The purpose of this class is to train touch therapists in the basics of oncology massage.  The experience derived from this training creates new-found confidence in bodyworkers about working with clients, particularly private practice clients, who have cancer or are recovering from it.  Therapists who focus on hospice and hospital work also find this course to be valuable for their special needs patients.

Participants must be a professional massage therapist or other touch practitioner, a student who has completed the basic Swedish massage course, or be licensed in another health care field, such as nursing or chiropractic, that involves touch therapy, or by permission of the instructor.

This course will take place Friday, Saturday, and Sunday – February 6, 7 & 8, 2009 – from 9am-6pm.  Students will receive 24 NCBTMB approved CE hours.  The cost is $495.  Enrollees who sign up before January 16 will save $25.  Call Denise at 818-788-0824 x 354 to register.

Gayle MacDonald, MS, LMT, is the author of Medicine Hands: Massage Therapy for People with Cancer, 2nd Ed. (Findhorn Press) and Massage for the Hospital Patient and Medically Frail Client (Lippincott Williams and Wilkin).  Her expertise comes from more than 13 years of work with oncology patients at Oregon Health and Science University.  She has also supervised massage students and therapists in the oncology unit, in chemo infusion, radiation oncology, and the bone marrow transplant unit. Find out more at http://www.medicinehands.com/.