MTI / FHT Holistic Sports & Remedial Massage Therapy Practitioner (Soft Tissue Therapy) Diploma in Birmingham

Holistic Sports & Remedial Massage (Soft Tissue Therapy) MTI / FHT Diploma Training Course in Birmingham UK with JL Meridian School of Massage and Bodywork CIC.

Level 4 and / or Level 5

Why ‘Holistic’ Sports and Remedial Massage?

Holistic means “to see as a whole” - the mind, physical body, emotional self, as well as the more subtle energies. Working with a ‘Holistic’ approach to massage, gives us an opportunity to acknowledge our clients’ unique qualities and their essential beauty - it teaches us about trust and openness – it enables and supports us to work with intuition, put another way, to work with our clients from the heart as well as with our knowledge and skills.

It is widely acknowledged that Sports Massage can work to support a person in many ways including recovery form injury, preparation and recovery from activity, injury prevention and maintaining well-being.

Remedial massage assists a wide range of conditions, and both Sports and Remedial Massage can be used to work complement and work alongside other forms of hands on or medical treatments.

At Meridian we recognise the usefulness of Sports and Remedial work and embrace the ethos of a holistic approach. This course ‘marries’ the two together. It creates a bridge between what are sometimes viewed as two extremes of the massage therapy spectrum.

The Qualification

The Holistic Sports and Remedial Massage Practitioner Diploma - is accredited by the FHT (Federation of Holistic Therapies) and The Massage training Institute (MTI).

The FHT is the UK and Ireland's largest Professional Association, supplying membership and insurance, for complementary and sports therapists. For more information visit FHT.org.uk

The MTI is a national examining body and professional association specialising in holistic massage. for more information visit massagetraining.co.uk

Course Structure 

The course is part-time, comprising 24 days over 10 months plus two additional dates for exams. This consists of monthly weekend or 3 day teaching workshops. There will be a supervised clinical practice session, plus a day working with massage and body work at a sporting event. The course is held in South Birmingham with a maximum group size of 12 students which allows for a good tutor student ratio. There are a variety of teaching methods, aimed at being experiential and participative. During the course students will practice massage and bodywork techniques on each other.

The time between teaching weekends allows you to practice and complete theory / written assignments, a reflective personal journal, a case study project, plus a minimum of 100 hours massage practice, about which students will be required to keep comprehensive notes.

Course Content:

The course aims to equip you in theory, practice, and confidence to continue to develop your journey as a massage therapist to a high professional standard. To achieve this there is close supervision and support throughout, encouraging reflective practise and development of the therapeutic relationship. The course includes:

Holistic Sports and Remedial Theory:

• History of Sports and Remedial Massage
• Benefits of Holistic Sports and Remedial Massage therapy
• Physiological effects of massage and techniques
• Basic sports psychology
• Basic nutrition
• Developing comprehensive client records

Therapeutic relationship and Practitioner self awareness:

• The importance of the therapeutic relationship
• Developing personal reflective practice, your response/reaction when working with clients
• Monitoring self care and body use
• Appropriate client therapist relationship
• Creating safe space
• Creating rapport with clients
• Developing good listening skills (verbal and none verbal)
• Developing good communication skills
• Working with intention and intuition
• Developing awareness around your client’s response.

Massage, Body work techniques and body use:

• Use of equipment and massage mediums
• Safe body use – movement and rhythm
• Developing palpation skills
• working with a wide variety of massage strokes including; stretches, passive movements and stillness
• working with body work techniques to support soft tissue well being and recovery including; Deep Tissue Massage, Myofascial Release, Connective Tissue Massage, Soft Tissue Release, Neuromuscular Therapy, Safe Stretching, Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Technique, Muscle Energy Technique.
• Pre, inter and post event massage
• 60 hours of massage practice
• Supervised clinic practice
• Attendance at a sporting event

Assessment and clinic practice:

• Assessing and creating treatment plans using S.O.A.P.E. and SOCRATES
• Developing client assessment skills including; Range of Movement, Muscle testing, Postural Analysis and Palpation
• Develop and advise appropriate aftercare, rehabilitation and referral

Injury treatment, management and rehabilitation:

• Aetiology and onset of injuries and conditions
• Working with massage and body work to treat soft tissue injuries
• Working with massage to support conditions
• Inflammation, application of cryotherapy and thermotherapy
• Rehabilitation from injury – after care suggestions and referral
• Application of theory and research
• Creating an injury, condition and aftercare file

Professional issues:

• Current legislation around Sports massage
• Code of ethics for practitioners and PA
• Working competently in private practice
• Working competently in sporting arenas

Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology:

Aimed at revising and expanding your existing AP&P knowledge and the physiological effects of massage and body work techniques. Anatomy and Physiology of skeletal system, muscular system and nervous system, will be revised during the first 3 weeks. Learning the pathology of injuries and conditions will be spread throughout the course. 

Examination and Completion Requirements

Internal assessment requirements: Assessment of Postural Analysis, Muscle Energy Technique and Soft Tissue Release; complete injury and conditions file; record of 100 hours massage practice outside the course; completion of case study and presentation; reflective personal journal; successful completion of all assignments; attendance at a sporting event. 

External examination requirements: individual practical with an unknown client and an external examiner who will also scrutinise the massage practice journal and case study; 3 hour written Holistic Sports and Remedial theory paper.

Course Assignments

Students will be set homework from each workshop.

As well as the formal examination and completion requirements listed above, to support student learning there will be informal assessments and feedback throughout by the tutors, peers and by student self-evaluation. Within this there will be at least one individual tutorial, though students will have plenty of opportunity to access the tutor on a one-to-one basis due to the small group size.

Suggested Book List

The suggested reading list with set course books will be given before the beginning of the course and are not included in the course fee. The course manual is included in the fee.

Start Dates and Venue:

Start date 25th January 2019 at the Meridian Centre, 832 Yardley Wood Road , Billesley (Nr Moseley), Birmingham B13 0JS. You will be studying in surroundings appropriate to massage therapy which is very supportive and nurturing of the course and of students. The Centre can offer rooms for your massage practice and support you in finding clients. To contact us call on 0121 244 1846 or 07595 901 909.

Schedule :

• 25/26/27th  Jan (Fri/Sat/Sun)
• 22/23/24th  Feb
• 22/23/24th Mar 
• 19/20/21st  April
• 17/18/19th  May
• 14/15/16th June
• 19/20/21st  July
• 14/15th  Sept (Sat/Sun)
• 5/6th Oct (Sat/Sun)
• 11/2/3rd November
• 29th November Theory exam
• 30th Nov, 1st Dec
• 6/7/8th Dec (Fri/Sat Practical Exams. Sun)

In addition to these dates all students will be required to attend at least one event.

Course Fee: 
£2250 - the fee includes; course manual, on-going student support and supervision throughout the course. The fee can be paid monthly or quarterly if preferred. The deposit is £450 - this is returnable up to 1 month prior to commencement of the course - beyond which it is non-returnable. Examination fees total £130, payable prior to examinations. Students will need to register with FHT, currently £27.50, which includes student insurance or MTI which is currently £35.00.

Entry Requirements: 

To take part in this course, students will need:

• To be 18 or over and must be able to perform the massage techniques listed in the syllabus.
• A good understanding of English for technical detail taught
• A qualification in bodywork and Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology, at level 3 as a minimum OR a qualification in Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology plus the ‘Meridian Access to Holistic Sports and Remedial Massage Diploma’ Course.
• First aid certificate (this can be taken during the course)
• Commitment, interest and enthusiasm for the course subject and a desire to develop personally as a therapist.
• All students must submit an application form. You can download this here.

What Our Students Say:

• This course has been an opportunity to deepen and develop knowledge and techniques in a supportive, caring and holistic context. There has been a lot of work but it has been both rewarding and fun. Although challenging at times it has been inspiring and enriching. S. M. Birmingham
• The Holistic Sports and Remedial course has really added a new dimension to my life as a therapist. It is great to learn in such a nurturing and supportive environment and it has given me the opportunity to expand my knowledge, techniques and confidence. It is hard work and you do feel at times that you'll never make the grade but it is absolutely worth doing if you are serious about massage. Jane Hobbs, The Therapy Hub, Birmingham
• I have been waiting for a course like this for years; a truly Holistic way to look at Sports and Remedial massage work. Very in-depth, allowing us to develop our massage skills with clients and giving us more tools to use, in turn giving me more confidence in my ability. Emily P, West Midlands