Grief Massage Online Classes
Why Online Learning?
not all massage therapists can travel
At IGM, Grief Massage training started out very small, with tiny live in-person classes. And it was inspiring to see how far massage therapists were willing to travel to attend these events!
Compassionate, dedicated massage therapists flew from across the country. Others drove from out of state. Learning about Grief Massage was so important to them, that they were willing to pay for travel, hotel accommodations and class tuition.
But we realized that not all massage therapists could afford the expense of traveling to a training and Aimee began offering live webinar Grief Massage trainings in 2016. It began with Skype (remember Skype?) and eventually evolved to Zoom (even pre-pandemic).
Eliminating the in-person requirement allowed therapists from around the world to take classes - logging in from Canada, France, Australia, England and across the U.S.
NOTE: Registration is currently open for our weekend live webinar (Zoom) training! Join Aimee and a small group of future Grief Massage practitioners for a Saturday (9 am - 7 pm EST ) and Sunday (10 am - 5 pm EST) learning experience. One hour scheduled for lunch each day. Total of 15 CE (distance learning) - Approved by NCBTMB. More info here.
not all massage therapists have flexible schedules
Even with the Zoom live webinar option, we learned that not all massage therapists had schedules that allowed them to attend.
We heard from many massage therapists who wanted to train in Grief Massage but needed a fully online home study option.
So, online course production began. The dream? A deeply educational and heart nourishing self-paced program with 5 parts - each modeled on the training Aimee had long offered via in-person and Zoom trainings. Lots of CE, lots of support, and an experience that felt accessible on many levels, including financially.
Class 1 (10.5 CE) and Class 2 (10 CE) were launched during the pandemic. Aimee became a new mom in 2021 and took time to soak in the long-awaited experience of parenthood, caring for her little one and enjoying the many facets of being a mama before resuming the labor of love that course creation can be..
Class 3 (7.5 CE), Class 4 (6.5 CE) and Class 5 (5.5 CE) were added in 2023 and 2024.
40 hours of Grief Massage training available online in a fully self-paced format! All 40 hours of training are approved by the NCBTMB for CE credit!
Students in any of the self-paced online courses are invited to join Aimee for a monthly group mentoring Zoom call, to find community, gain support and advice, and ask questions or share ideas. Each group mentoring call is 2 hours in length and offered free to currently enrolled students in any of “The Joy of Grief Massage” online courses.. Learn more here.
The entire process of synthesizing and transforming the live in-person and live Zoom classes into a fully self-paced and recorded experience took Aimee 5 years! She took a great deal of time, went at a slow pace and poured her heart and soul into creating a start-to-finish, fully immersive, gentle yet thorough, academically grounded, evidenced based, lived-experience sourced learning experience for our online learners.
To take each of the 5 classes individually, tuition is $199 per recorded class. A Grief Massage training bundle is also available, with all 5 courses for $395. This bundle provides learners with 40 hours of online instruction (40 CE approved by the NCBTMB), plus access to the optional monthly group mentoring Zoom calls with Aimee.
online course info
These courses offer in-depth explorations of the same topics and issues covered in the live and live-webinar versions of the course. Aimee expanded the online course hours from 3 CE per class to longer versions, allowing for students to dive deep into the material, apply their knowledge, and hear from Aimee via recorded videos and audio files (like podcasts).
At IGM, we believe it is vital to make Grief Massage training accessible for as many massage therapists as possible. Once you enroll in one of our online classes, you have lifetime access. We look forward to making it simple, enjoyable, and easy to train in Grief Massage from the comfort of your home.
The value of each individual course is $199.
If you are a spa owner, group practice owner, or would otherwise consider yourself to be financially able to pay $199 per online course, we will gratefully accept the tuition rate of $199 per course. Math: $199 x 5 = $995 for all 5 classes at the full rate.
However.
This Grief Massage work is deeply, heartbreakingly, achingly needed in our world.
Writer and activists Adrienne Maree Brown recently said something that touched me. She said, “We are living in an open wound.”
I believe this is so, so true. We, as Grief Massage practitioners are being called to offer our hearts and our hands to the humans around us.
And, the most important thing, is doing all we can to support the roots of a growing Grief Massage movement. To train world-changers. To help create webs, ecosystems of support.
So, for all massage students and massage therapists who want to train in Grief Massage online, we will make a bundle available for just $395.
All 5 classes are included in the bundle and a total of 40 CE hours approved by the NCBTMB. Ready to get started? Visit our online school to view the individual courses as well as to check out the bundle option.
The current bundle contains Class 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. 40 CE/40 hours of self-paced home study training.
The Joy of Grief Massage Class 1 of 5: Grief, the Body & the Nervous System- 10.5 CE
You want to connect the dots between grief and massage therapy
You feel curious about how loss affects the human body and you’re interested in exploring relevant research. You want to understand why grief states create high levels of stress.
And, you are fascinated by the idea that modern North American culture is “grief phobic”. You want learn how grief, the body, stress, and cultural grief taboos intersect.
You also want to know how massage therapy can make a difference.
This class, the first in our five part training series, will help you feel confident and knowledgeable on the relationships that exist between grief, stress, modern culture and massage therapy.
By the end of this class, you will have the information and understanding you need to create a “Grief Massage Elevator Speech” and speak accurately and compassionately about the benefits of massage therapy during times of loss.
you enjoy learning from home, on your schedule and at your own pace
We recommend that you create a cozy place to study and learn - stocked with soft blankets, relaxing lighting or candles, hot tea, snacks, and a “do not disturb” sign on the door. Take the time to create a nurturing learning environment before you get started.
You gain lifetime access to the online class material, so there’s no need to rush. Take your time and absorb the material at your own pace.
you’re ready to take the next step
The investment for this class is 10.5 hours of your time and energy. The tuition for this course is $199. Once you complete the final quiz, you’ll be awarded a 10.5 CE Certificate of Achievement, and you will become eligible to register for Class 2.
Please visit our dedicated class page to explore all the class chapters and details, to review registration details, and to sign up. Click here now to visit the class page.
The class combines:
-check-in videos with Aimee
-a fill-in-the-blank workbook (with short podcast-style narration)
-narrated slides (like listening to short podcasts + viewing beautiful slide images)
-opportunities to apply your knowledge (fictional case studies + practice quiz questions)
-options to make community posts + respond to other students (sharing your questions or comments about the material)
The Joy of Grief Massage Class 2 of 5: Grief Massage Intake & Protocols - 10 CE
You want to create a grief-sensitive & compassionate intake experience
You understand that modern North American culture encourages grief-suppression and death denial. You are thus aware of how important your interactions with grieving clients are. You want to communicate safety, acceptance, and grief sensitivity in every aspect of your intake with grieving clients.
You are also curious about how to set appropriate client expectations (i.e. Grief Massage is not a form of counseling). And, you are concerned about how to handle no-shows and cancellations in a Grief Massage setting.
You want practical, actionable advice on how to ground and center yourself before greeting a client, as well as what to say when a client arrives & how to explain your role to ensure that your client understands your scope of practice.
This class, the second in our five part training series, will help you feel skilled, confident and knowledgeable when taking appointment requests from new Grief Massage clients, when booking first time sessions, when establishing boundaries such as cancellation policies, and when conducting pre-session intakes in a Grief Massage setting.
By the end of this class, you will have the information and understanding you need to create a “What To Expect” document for new Grief Massage clients and you’ll be prepared to communicate compassionately with potential, new, and current grieving clients while also establishing healthy boundaries and role expectations.
you enjoy learning from home, on your schedule and at your own pace
We recommend that you create a cozy place to study and learn - stocked with soft blankets, relaxing lighting or candles, hot tea, snacks, and a “do not disturb” sign on the door. Take the time to create a nurturing learning environment before you get started.
You gain lifetime access to the online class material, so there’s no need to rush. Take your time and absorb the material at your own pace.
you’re ready to take the next step
The investment for this class is 10 hours of your time and energy. The tuition for this course is $199. Once you complete the final quiz, you’ll be awarded a 10 CE Certificate of Achievement.
Please visit our dedicated class page to explore all the class chapters and details, to review registration details, and to sign up. Click here now to visit the class page.
The class combines:
-check-in videos with Aimee
-a fill-in-the-blank workbook (with short podcast-style narration)
-narrated slides (like listening to short podcasts + viewing beautiful slide images)
-opportunities to apply your knowledge (practice quiz questions)
-options to make community posts + respond to other students (sharing your questions or comments about the material)
Also Available
“The Joy of Grief Massage Class 3 of 5: The Grief Massage Sequence” - 7.5 CE (pre-requisites are Classes 1 & 2)
“The Joy of Grief Massage Class 4 of 5: Emotional Release & Scope of Practice” - 6.5 CE (pre-requisites are Classes 1, 2 & 3)
“The Joy of Grief Massage Class 5 of 5: Developing Grief Massage Programs” - 5.5 CE (pre-requisites are Classes 1, 2, 3 & 4)
About Your Instructor
Aimee Joy Taylor is a massage therapist and licensed clinical mental health counselor-associate specializing in grief. She created and named the Grief Massage modality, pioneered the first Grief Massage training program, and is the author of “Massage for the Grieving”, an article published by Massage & Bodywork magazine in their September/October 2017 edition.
Aimee Joy Taylor is approved by the NCBTMB as a continuing education Approved Provider. Approved Provider #521. You are encouraged to check with your individual state board as to whether classes will be accepted toward license renewal. Please note that our courses are not yet sponsored by the state of NY.