• Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Program
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• Core Massage Therapy Training Program
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Jessica Gomez, NHI Santa Ana Core and Advanced Program Graduate

The career opportunities as a graduate of NHI’s Core Massage Therapy Training Program are vast. According to NHI Santa Graduate Jessica Gomez, if you also complete the Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy (ANMT) Program, then there’s really no limit to your career possibilities.

Get to know Jessica and the breadth of opportunities she has available to her, by reading her story below.

I Found NHI, Took a Tour, and the Rest is History

I grew up playing sports and knew I wanted to have some kind of career in the sports related field. I graduated from college with a degree in kinesiology and was contemplating a career in physical therapy. I wasn’t looking forward to all the extra school and tests that came with that so I decided to try something I had always thought of doing but never thought I could…I decided to become a police officer.

I applied and began moving through each step of the hiring process, all was going well. About half way in, a few months before I would find out if I was selected to the academy, I tore my ACL. I withdrew my application and began my long rehab process. I had surgery and went through some intense physical therapy but after my knee was feeling good enough to consider re-applying, my desire was gone. I was tired and frustrated and didn’t know what to do. My friend suggested I go to massage school, which I didn’t even know was a thing.

However, I did know the impact massage had on my rehab so I decided to look into it. I found NHI, took a tour, and the rest is history. I’m now a Certified Neuromuscular Therapist with a job I love and absolutely no regrets.

In Love with All Things Anatomy, Muscles, and the Like

Prior to attending NHI, I got my bachelors degree in kinesiology, which made me fall in love with all things anatomy, muscles, and the like. I wasn’t sure massage was a career that would allow me to fully put my education to good use. I decided to take a tour of the school and found out that I was wrong. I chose NHI because they are dedicated to making informed and educated therapists. They focus on anatomy, physiology, pathology…science! They make sure you know exactly what you’re working on and why.

NHI changed the way I viewed massage therapy. I went from seeing it as a luxury to a valuable part of recovery and overall health. They helped me see how much a difference I could make in being a well educated/trained therapist.

I graduated from the Core Program in November 2020 and began the ANMT Program shortly after. During my time in the Advanced Program, I began working regularly with some private clients. I immediately began putting my education to use from abdominal work to PNF stretches to detailed hand work. I spent a few moths working as an independent contractor in a chiropractic office where I was able to continue to use all that I was learning to help improve my client’s overall quality of life by decreasing pain and tension they assumed would be a regular part of their life.

I Decided to Take the Advanced Program

I’m the kind of person who if they decide to do something, they want to be the best they can at it. That was my thinking when I decided to take the Advanced Program. If I was going to be a therapist, I wanted to know as much as I could to be the best therapist I could be. It mostly appealed to the part of me that wanted to be as prepared as possible to help whoever I would have the privilege to and to the other part of me that desires to be seen as a true professional with the skill and ability to help others.

The ANMT Program has given me a different set of eyes when viewing people’s pain complaints. I no longer see it as simply the region they feel it in. Thanks to the Advanced Program, my brain begins to form a well-rounded strategy not just for where they feel pain but for all the areas that could be contributing. It has also given me different tools to help decrease client’s pain and sensitivity, as well as, ways to work/access different muscles.

Multiple Options for Employment

Additionally, the Advanced Program has definitely made my resume stand out to various employers which has given me multiple options for employment. It has also made me feel very prepared to work in any setting. Not that it was ever a priority of mine, but it has made a difference in employers determining starting pay range.

There are many things that have stuck with me from the program but I would say the thing that consistently comes to mind is something Cynthia Ribeiro (ANMT Program Founder) said when people would ask her what her specialty is…”my specialty is people.” It has truly shaped how I approach my career. While there are client situations I find more fun than others, it truly feels good knowing that I have the training to help just about anyone.

There are no limitations to your career when you realize that all the education and training you’ve been able to accumulate is to help people, whoever you have the privilege to. The tools I’ve been given through both the Core and Advanced Program have allowed me to help a wide variety of people and its the best feeling ever.

I Make a Difference in Peoples’ Lives

I currently work for Massage Matters where I get to see a wide variety of clients, from athletes to weekend warriors to pregnant mothers. I’ve personally been able to help a client suffering from chronic migraines, which I know for a fact my training from the ANMT Program made all the difference in my ability to help her.

I truly believe I wouldn’t be half the therapist I am without the education I received from NHI, especially the Advanced Program. I love that I get to make a difference in peoples’ lives and play a small part in helping them feel and move their best.

Get the details on how to pursue a career in Massage Therapy and Neuromuscular Therapy with National Holistic Institute. Complete this form to connect with an admissions representative today.