“Today, NHI is one of the most respected and largest schools of massage therapy in the world. Their history and network of relationships in the field continue to help graduates have success and help keep their fingers on the pulse of the dynamic field of massage therapy.” – Massage Magazine

When you go to work every day and you love what you do, it’s surprising and humbling to receive recognition for it.  That’s how all of us at NHI felt when we heard that the World Massage Festival had chosen us as the Massage Therapy School of the Year.  For several years, this well-established festival has been home to the Massage Hall of Fame, complete with a who’s who of massage profession inductees.  To now be permanently acknowledged alongside those industry luminaries is an incomparable privilege.  For all the staff and students who have and will come through the NHI doors over the decades, we look forward to accepting this honor on their behalf.

More than three decades of hard work and commitment to the massage field has led to this recognition. Carol Carpenter, founder of NHI, had a vision of what massage education could be. Carol built a school whose roots still feed and support the organization today.  The foundation she built was made of knowledge, professionalism, and a deep dedication to excellence. In 2003, Carol Carpenter retired and Mason Myers and Tim Veitzer stepped in and continue to lead in the tradition of excellence.

Tim and Mason have grown NHI to be a statewide massage school with six (soon to be seven) thriving campuses. Today NHI offers the most current state of the art education available in massage therapy. Over the years, we have continued to refine our curriculum in order stay current with the growth of the massage industry and ensure that our graduates are ready to be successful in any area of the massage field they choose.

Our graduates work in a wide variety of industry specialization including the allied medical professions, spa industry, private practice, sports and fitness. Today the possibilities are virtually endless. The massage industry has grown tremendously and more and more job opportunities open up every day. It is a very exciting time to be a massage therapist!

NHI is growing along with the field. In addition to a foundational education in massage therapy, NHI now offers a 400-hour Advanced Neuromuscular Massage Therapy Program for massage therapists wishing to specialize in therapeutic massage. We also have robust sport massage and professional on-site teams that provide massage at events and locations around the state. We have had as many as 120 massage therapists gathered together to offer massage to the runners of the Nike Women’s Marathon, and participate in many more events year round.

We are proud of our growth and achievements, but our biggest accomplishment is our students. They go out into the field and bring professional, positive and healing touch to so many. We are proud to know that we have sent thousands of massage professionals into the field, and they in turn have enriched the lives of thousands and thousands more whom they’ve touched. Our graduates have helped those suffering from long-term and sometimes debilitating pain, supported women as they go through pregnancy and childbirth, provided comfort and care to those who need it,  helped professional athletes improve their performance, and generally have helped to decrease the stress levels of all with whom they come in contact.  You might even say our graduates are changing the world one touch at a time.
 

To read Massage Magazine’s article about the prestigious award bestowed on NHI, click the following link.
http://www.massagemag.com/News/massage-news.php?id=12079

This year marked the eighth year for the event that draws over 22,000 runners from around the world to the half and full marathon.  The course is filled with steep climbs and beautiful views of the city and the Bay.  The finishers of the race are rewarded with Tiffany necklaces and post-race massages.  Kaiser Permanente, a major sponsor of the Nike Women’s Marathon, contracted The NHI Sports Team to provide these post-race massages.

By 9:00, the massage tables are littered with runners and student therapists working to relax and stretch strained muscles. When the last runner was escorted off of her massage table at 2:15, the NHI Sports Team had performed collectively over 1700 massages.

The students were joined by seven instructors from the various campus, Beth McNeill (SJ), Kristine TenBrink (SJ), Curtis Hisao (SJ), Mark Nielson (PE/EM), Lucas Nevarez (SAC), Phil Okazaki (SJ), and Gabriel Posner (SF/EM) and 15 Teaching Assistants who supported the students by coaching bodywork, issuing and managing breaks and injuries.  The San Jose Campus Student Services and Career Life Coordinator, Chris Pavao acted as Master of Ceremonies directing the line and finding open massage tables for the athletes.  The average wait time was a mere 15 minutes.

The NHI Sports Massage Team prepped for this event by holding sports-specific training sessions where students learned about the marathon, athlete training plans, common injuries and massage techniques.  While it was a mild morning in the city, the team was equipped with skills to combat thermal injuries.

The calm before the storm

The student therapists had fun, worked hard and finished the day with a sense of accomplishment.  They each provided at least 15 massages through out the day, more clients than they see in a regular week.  Emily Luckett from On Board, who is the event planner for the Nike Women’s Marathon, “Thanks for all of your hard work, NHI!  Everything seemed to be managed very smoothly.  We appreciate your efforts!”

In response from the post-event report given by NHI Staff lead, Beth McNeill, Curshanda Woods from Kaiser Permanente had this to say, “Thank you, NHI.  Great job, Beth!  Everything looked great.”  The NHI Sports Massage Team ended the day taking a group picture and a group WHOOSH!  Kudos to NHI and to the students participating in the Sports Team.

We want to help you make the best decision when it comes to choosing the right school and the right career path. We want you to have the chance to experience NHI before you decide become a student.

You keep hearing that it is an amazing journey from beginning to end and the testimonials give you a sense of how this program impacts a student’s life, but what is it really like to be a student at NHI?  After all, going to school is a big commitment and an investment in your future. Well, what if you could attend a class for the day with no commitment?  Could you imagine yourself as a massage therapist?

Well, this is your turn to experience it. We are giving you the opportunity to observe and participate in a class at a campus near you. We know you will love what you see. After all, we want to help you have work you love.

There are many ways to find out when the next Class Observation will be!

-Tell our Admissions Team that you are interested in learning more about classes at NHI!

-Like our NHI Facebook Page and your campus Facebook Page to receive invites in your news feed!

-Keep an eye on our Campus Events Calendar!

I have two passions that I earnestly pursue, and they universally transcend common barriers. They are massage therapy and music. I became interested in massage therapy during my tenure in the restaurant industry via waiting tables.  A simple shoulder rub and the compliments that ensued soon piqued my curiosity about where massage could take me. It is always a gratifying experience to bring relief to someone in need.  I however placed massage on the back-burner for quite a while to pursue music; particularly singing.

After a decade or so without truly rewarding jobs or the connections I needed in the career in music, I returned to massage in order to at pursue an occupation that I enjoyed. NHI was the answer for me in more ways than one. Not only did I garner the skills and education needed to legitimize this vocation, my current position practicing massage therapy has now enabled me to open my own doors regarding music. I never doubted that I would sing, but I did not think that massage would accelerate my musical aspirations.

Being an independent contractor allows me to select positions that not only suit my skill set but also my scheduling needs around music. I have the option of both self employment and / or traditional work structure, allowing me to focus my time and energy on multiple passions.  I will be performing in the downtown Oakland area on Sunday August 28th in my 1^st recorded concert. If you would like to see the show, follow the link below. Friday the 26^th is the last day you may purchase the tickets online. http://rwjazz.eventbrite.com/

May your pursuit of massage therapy bring you as much joy as it has brought to me.
-Reggie Wright
NHI Graduate, 2011

Some of the easiest ways to increase overall wellness are to improve our diet, do regular exercise, get plenty of rest, and receive regular massage.  Massage supports all the body’s systems, making it easier for the body to repair itself, fight infection and disease, clear toxins, maintain energy, and balance our moods.  We understand how massage improves circulation, makes breathing more efficient, augments our body’s maintenance functions, improving overall health and reducing the likelihood of debilitating and expensive illness.  Moreover, the beneficial effects of receiving regular massage are cumulative.    Clients often only seek out bodywork once every few months, when stress overwhelms them, and they use massage to return to neutral.  If they were to get massage regularly – once a week or once a month — their wellness would improve and they would find themselves better able to cope with stress.

HMOs now see that improving wellness is as important as providing critical intervention.  Because Health Maintenance Organizations are responsible for paying for the care they provide their members, they understand that it is more profitable to keep their members healthy than treat them when they are sick.  HMOs  are leading the way by covering complementary services like massage, acupuncture and yoga and meditation classes.  They understand that these are inexpensive, non-invasive ways to keep their members from contracting conditions that will cost them hundreds or thousands times more money to treat.  And it is HMOs – and many hospitals – that are leading the way in hiring more and more massage therapists to provide these therapies to improve wellness. 

As people and institutions realize that taking responsibility for our own health and avoiding disease are critical to tackling the problem of health care in this country, the opportunities for trained massage therapists continues to grow.  There is no better time to become a massage therapist. 

~ Doug Blanc
Group 07 Mentor, NHI Emeryville Campus

This past week, National Holistic Institute’s own Mark Nielsen conducted an in-depth workshop on Sports Massage for Therapists at the Ritz Carlton Spa at Half Moon Bay.  Rianon Cepriano, the Spa Therapy Supervisor at the Ritz, was extremely grateful to Mark for expanding her staff’s professional skill set. She said of the workshop,

“…the attendees were not only impressed with the knowledge Mark shared with us, but the feedback we’ve been receiving from our guests has been positively glowing! We truly enjoyed Mark’s method of teaching and the knowledge he shared gave us a new perspective on what Sports Massage is and how to apply it in our spa setting.”

Sports Massage is not just for Olympic athletes; it can be beneficial for anyone who actively uses their muscles. It can be applied before activity, to loosen and warm up muscles; during and just after physical exertion, to relieve pain and stress; or anytime to boost performance by reducing stiffness and muscle fatigue. Mark is always thinking about how Sports Massage can be more effective, and shared this mindset with the Spa Staff at the Ritz.  Laura Ford, the lead Massage Therapist at their Half Moon Bay Spa who gave great insight into Spa Massage Therapy at the NHI Emeryville Campus’ Expert Panel on Dec 1, was also grateful for Mark’s unique teaching methods.  Mark said of the experience,

“It was great coming up with a workshop on Sports Massage. I used the years of my experience doing competitive sports and thinking about the needs I had as an Athlete in regards to my body & training; then turned that into sharing what those needs are, to therapists who are called upon every day to work on other Athletes.

I knew that the information had to be a step up from what they have already had and considering several of them were NHI Grads, I really had to show them something different that they could take away to use immediately.”

Graduates of NHI walk away prepared to work with athletes from pre- and post-event massage to muscle maintenance and injury prevention. In addition, Mark organizes continuing education classes and externships for students, from giving massages at marathons, triathlons and other events, to classroom style sports-based bodywork sessions.  Mark will continue to define and push the limits of the field by thinking about what an athlete needs or wants and applying effective massage techniques to fulfill those needs.

For more information on Sports Massage at NHI, check out:
http://www.nhi.edu/massage_school/sports_massage.html

Or join NHI’s Facebook Sports Massage Groups:

San Jose Sports Massage Facebook Group

North Bay Sports Massage Facebook Group

Jason Daniels & Marla Aird of Financial Planning, Marz Jaffe of Placement, and Doonam LeSon of the Business Office greet visitors to the new campus at 59th & Doyle.

The National Holistic Institute campus in Emeryville has a new home.  After 23 years in its former location, NHI Emeryville is now located in its very own building just one block east.

The morning of April 23 saw the final classes at the old campus with the afternoon classes inaugurating the freshly appointed new classrooms across the street just 30 minutes later.  Students, staff, and clinic clients have expressed rave reviews!

With the new Emeryville campus and the launch of NHI’s 400-hour Advanced Neuromuscular Massage Therapist program (read article), we’ve completed two of our three 2010 resolutions (read article) in less than 4 months.  Stay tuned for progress on our third, but certainly not final, goal this year.  Until then, enjoy these pictures of the new campus.

Admissions Supervisor Raquel Rodriguez welcomes visitors at the reception desk.

Dean of Students Ron Peat tries to figure out where to put the last few remaining boxes.

Teachers India Harville & Lisa Mendiola-Flores settle into the new Teachers' Office.

The Admissions Department visits the new Emeryville Campus for which they will soon be enrolling.

Students who join us in January often do so because of a New Year’s resolution they’ve made – a promise to themselves to achieve a specific goal in the coming year.  In this case, to start a new career in massage therapy.

National Holistic Institute is no exception.  Every year we make New Year’s resolutions that will benefit our students and continue our unrivaled streak as California’s best massage therapy school.  This year, our 31^st year helping people have work they love, looks to be our best yet.  Among our 2010 goals and plans:

• New Emeryville Campus – In March, the Emeryville Campus will leave its home since 1989 and move 1 block away into its own building at 5900 Doyle.  This state-of-the-art, eco-friendly facility was designed and built with the NHI student in mind.  Admissions Representatives (pictured above) have started enrolling for classes in this new location.
• Advanced 400-hour Program – NHI has long set the standard for massage therapy education, becoming California’s first nationally accredited massage school back in the late 80’s.  We continue the trend by adding an additional 400 hours to our already comprehensive, foundational 720-hour program.  NHI has teamed with expert and American Massage Therapy Association Vice-President Cynthia Ribeiro to develop a 5-module neuromuscular course that will include cadaver classes, anatomical clay modeling, and integral anatomy work.  Classes begin February/March in Emeryville with other campuses to follow.
• Los Angeles Expansion – With wait lists for many of the classes at our Los Angeles Campus in Encino, expect to see a larger NHI presence in Southern California later this year.

As we fulfill our New Year’s resolutions, we look forward to helping our students fulfill theirs.  We wish you all a prosperous and very happy New Year!

Dean of Students Ron Peat checks out the soon-to-be new home of his students.

The new NHI Emeryville Campus as seen from Doyle & 59th.

For the holidays this year, the National Holistic Institute Emeryville Campus again invited seniors from the Emeryville Senior Center to come and enjoy a free massage from our students during our Holiday Senior Center Day.  Group 16 students provided relaxing and therapeutic Swedish massages to 30 senior attendees!  Lisa Mendiola-Flores supervised clinic again this year, and she made everything go wonderfully smoothly.

Student Life & Career Coordinator Aviana Lynn heard from many seniors that the students did an excellent job, and all clients seemed relaxed and happy after their massages.  A couple of them even went so far as to write a thank you note on the dry-erase board in the Student Resource Center.

NHI provided holiday eggnog, cider, and cookies, which many of the seniors enjoyed while chatting with each other after their massages.  The morning was a great success!

We look forward to keeping this NHI holiday tradition going in years to come!