$395 training bundle - 15 total ce with 5 classes (3 ce each) - learn in small group via live webinar
Our complete Grief Massage training program is available in live webinar format. Learn in real time, with a small group, from the comfort of your home via live webinar. Our training is priced accessibly with a 15 CE bundle (all 5 classes in the series) for just $395. Winter Series meets on Sunday evenings (5-8 pm EST) throughout March 2025. Spring Series meets on Friday mornings (9:30 am - 12:30 pm EST) throughout May 2025. Summer Series meets on Saturday afternoons (1:30 - 4:30 pm EST) throughout August 2025. Fall Series meets on Friday mornings (9:30 am - 12:30 pm EST throughout October 2025. This live webinar training includes printable workbooks for each meeting, instructor-led presentations, group discussions.
frequently asked questions
How is Grief Massage different from traditional massage therapy? What will "The Joy of Grief Massage" Five Class (15 CE) Series teach me?
Traditional massage therapy can be relaxing and grounding, however, most massage therapy schools do not provide in-depth education on the grief experience. So, an empathetic and attuned understanding of how grief and loss can impact the physical body and the massage experience are absent from many massage therapists’ skill sets.
Grief Massage is a unique modality because we blend our hand-on relaxation massage skills with deep understanding and empathy of loss (how grieving can be stressful and how touch can help); the understanding of grief provided by our training can help you curate a deeply validating experience for grieving clients during every part of their time with you, from first contact and appointment booking to the hands-on session and aftercare.
Class 1 provides a foundational understanding of how grief can land in the physical body, how the stress of loss can manifest, why massage can help, and how to be grief-informed (we cover several grief theories and provide a cultural critique of modern grief-phobia in society).
Class 2 teaches approaches for crafting a grief-sensitive booking and intake process (including how to communicate boundaries such as a cancellation policy in a caring manner).
Class 3 provides instruction and support in implementing or creating a Grief Massage sequence, with research backed techniques (we also watch demo videos of the signature “Safe and Gentle Grief Massage” sequence).
Class 4 prepares you for setting boundaries around your massage therapy scope of practice and helps you distinguish between being a deep and empathetic listener/space holder and providing therapy/counseling. As a dual trained massage therapist and grief counselor, Aimee is able to provide valuable insights on how to stay within the massage therapy scope of practice. Class 4 also supports you in learning how to handle emotional release in a Grief Massage setting.
Class 5 presents you with options for bringing Grief Massage into your community, and provides information about various formats and options for doing this work (private practice, employment based and non-profit). This class offers ideas and discussions around Grief Massage pricing, marketing, and burnout prevention to ensure longevity in the field.
This 15 CE bundle of 5 classes covers all aspects of providing Grief Massage, to prepare you to begin seeing grieving clients in your practice.
Does Grief Massage “fix” grief?
In this "The Joy of Grief Massage" live webinar 5 class series, we train students on the importance of witnessing (not “fixing”) grief.
This can be a shift in mindset and intention for some massage therapists, because many traditional massage modalities do focus on “fixing” problems such as tense muscles, pain or even stress levels.
Grief is not something to be fixed. Grief is a part of the human experience and the loss experience needs to be tended, witnessed and honored.
So, a significant focus of our training is to help massage therapists learn to hold space, trust the moment, and “just be” with a client. There’s a lot more to Grief Massage than a simple list of techniques or a particular bodywork sequence. One of the biggest takeaways we hope to impart to students is that releasing the need to “fix” grief is essential for doing this work.
What can I expect from a live webinar training?
Our live webinar classes are housed within the Thinkific website. You can access the Zoom class meetings from within our course hub (no need to keep track of Zoom links for each of the 5 meetings).
As a small group, we will share insights and experiences, in a warm and accepting atmosphere. Each class is capped at 9 students, and the instructor will prioritize interaction with all group members. Your voice matters and we will want to hear from you! At the same time, if you prefer to be in a group setting with less interaction/sharing, that will be respected! You are welcome to use the chat function within the live webinar to participate if you prefer. We encourage you to have video “on” but this is not required.
Lecture and discussions will center on the "big picture" (preparing you to offer Grief Massage to your clients and community).
Our comprehensive training will empower your work by covering a wide range of important factors such as:
-empathy for the experience of grieving (Class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
-how the physical body responds to loss (Class 1)
-how grieving influences the nervous system (Class 1)
-special considerations for intake and appointment scheduling (Class 2)
-grief and the massage therapy scope of practice/emotional release (Class 4)
-creating a safe space for clients (Class 2, 3, 4)
-self-care and boundaries (Class 2, 3, 4, 5)
-Grief Massage techniques & sequence (Class 3)
-insights on how to gain experience with Grief Massage (Class 5)
-marketing ideas for sharing this work with your community (Class 5)
-and much more
Important Details About Continuing Education:
Each of the five distant learning courses in the series is approved by the NCBTMB for continuing education.
Classes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are approved for 3 CE each. The total CE for the entire class series is 15 CE.
You will receive an individual 3 CE certificate for each weekly class completed, not a single certificate for a combined total of 15 CE.
After each weekly class meeting, you will take a short quiz on the subject matter covered. After scoring at least 70% score on the quiz (and evaluating the class) you will receive your CE certificate.
Each class must be attended in its entirety and students are responsible for ensuring their computers, internet access, and Zoom application are in working order.
If a student misses any portion of the class, they will not be eligible to receive their CE certificate.
If a student misses class or misses a portion of class, the instructor MAY be able to schedule a make-up session but this is not guaranteed, If a makeup session is able to be scheduled, students are responsible to pay the additional tuition.
Each class meeting will include a 10 minute break per hour of the course and time is scheduled for students to complete their quiz during the class.
Very Important: Please note that while this course is approved by the NCBTMB, it is the sole responsibility of each student to check with their individual state board/licensing body to ensure that the CE from these classes will be accepted toward licensure renewal.
The instructor makes no guarantee that the CE offered in this class will be accepted by any individual state massage board.
New York students: This NCBTMB approved course is NOT sponsored in New York by the NCBTMB and will not be accepted toward license renewal (to the best of our knowledge).
Please also note that this is a training course and not a professional certification. You will earn continuing education credits through this course but will not be certified as a result of taking this introductory course.
Registration Policy:
Register by creating a Thinkific user account, and registering and paying tuition for either the 5 class bundle (a total of 15 CE for $395) or by purchasing each of the five classes individually for $199 each (each individual class is 3 CE).
It is recommended to register for the entire 5 class series and it is not recommended to take just one of the 3 CE classes from the series.
Once you have registered and paid tuition, you will have access to the class workbook for each class in the series, as well as a Zoom link for the class meeting (all contained within the Thinkific portal). You can log in at class time through the Thinkific portal.
Please contact the instructor at the email address provided within the portal with any questions once you have registered.
By registering for this class series and paying the tuition, you agree to be fully responsible for attending each class in its entirety, as well as for ensuring that your computer, internet access, Zoom download/running of the Zoom application are in working order.
The instructor is not responsible for any technical failure, internet connectivity issues, or other factors that may interfere with a student's ability to attend or participate in a scheduled class.
Further, by registering for this class, you affirm that you are a licensed massage therapist and hold an active massage therapy license (or that you are a massage student and the laws of your governing body allow you to participate in continuing education courses).
Registration Deadline:
The deadline to register for the Winter class series is March 1, 2025. The deadline to register for the Spring series is May 1, 2025. The deadline to register for the Summer series is August 1, 2025. And, the deadline to register for the Fall class series is October 1, 2025.
Payment and Fee Information:
Each individual 3 CE course in this 5 part series is priced at $199.
Accessible bundle pricing is available. The bundle price for all 5 classes (15 CE) is $395.
Payment is due in full at the time of registration and no refunds will be offered for any reason except in the event of an emergency on the part of the instructor (which causes the instructor to reschedule or cancel class) or a technical failure on the part of the instructor that causes class to be cancelled.
In the rare event of such an emergency or technical failure, the instructor will offer to reschedule the class and/or offer a refund if a makeup class cannot be scheduled.
Please note that, per the attendance policy, if you miss part of any class, you will not be eligible to receive the CE certificate at the end of that class.
Cancellation Policy:
Class will only be cancelled in the event of an emergency or technical failure on the part of the instructor.
In the event of an emergency or technical failure that requires the instructor to cancel class, every effort will be made to reschedule the class session. If the cancelled class session cannot be rescheduled, that individual class session will be refunded.
Refund Policy:
Refunds will not be offered, except in the rare event of an emergency or technical failure that requires the instructor to cancel the class session. If a class session is cancelled, every effort will first be made to reschedule the session.
Only when/if a class session that was cancelled by the instructor cannot be rescheduled will a refund be made available.
The Joy of Grief Massage℠ and Safe and Gentle Grief Massage℠ are service marks of Aimee Joy Taylor/The Institute for Grief Massage Inc℠