UPDATE: The Jan/Feb Zoom class is now full.

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“The Joy of Grief Massage” 5 Class Zoom Training Series

Visit our Eventbrite page to register. Click here for the Eventbrite page.

This series meets on Mondays 10 am - 1pm EST on the following dates:

1/4, 1/11, 1/25, 2/1 & 2/8

About this class

In times of deep sorrow and grief, massage therapists can offer tangible comfort.

Massage therapists have unique skills that can be used to create grounding, nourishing physical retreats for heart-broken clients.

If you are a massage therapist with an interest in serving grieving people through touch, this training is for you!

In this "The Joy of Grief Massage" webinar class series, we train students on the importance of witnessing (not “fixing”) grief.

At The Institute for Grief Massage, we help compassionate massage therapists feel skilled, confident and prepared to serve grieving clients.

We 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.

The good news: becoming more grief literate can help you be a much more effective Grief Massage practitioner (as well as an overall more sensitive, empathetic and compassionate human).

Grief Massage asks us to create and hold safe space. We prepare you to do so, while also providing the practical information you expect from any massage therapy continuing education course.

Virtual class dates:

Here’s our class schedule (registration is for all 5 classes):

1: Monday 1/4 10 am – 1 pm EST - "The Joy of Grief Massage Class One: Grief, the Body & the Nervous System" - Distant Learning- 3 CE

2. Monday 1/11 10 am – 1pm EST - "The Joy of Grief Massage Class Two: Grief Massage Intake and Protocols" - Distant Learning - 3 CE

3. Monday 1/25 10 am – 1pm EST - "The Joy of Grief Massage Class Three: The Grief Massage Sequence" - Distant Learning - 3 CE

4. Monday 2/1 10 am – 1pm EST - "The Joy of Grief Massage Class Four: Emotional Release & Scope of Practice" - Distant Learning - 3 CE

5. Monday 2/8 10 am – 1pm EST - "The Joy of Grief Massage Class Five: Developing Grief Massage Programs" - Distant Learning - 3 CE

What to expect

This class can be your guide for offering massage to bereaved or grieving clients.

As a small group, we will share insights and experiences, in a warm and accepting atmosphere.

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

-how the physical body responds to loss

-how grieving influences the nervous system

-special considerations for intake and appointment scheduling

-grief and the massage therapy scope of practice/emotional release

-creating a safe space for clients.

-self-care and boundaries

-Grief Massage techniques (including a very simple & calming Grief Massage sequence)

-insights on how to gain experience with Grief Massage

-marketing ideas for sharing this work with your community

Your experience

Learning will be personal.

You will be a part of a very small group (1 instructor and a maximum of 6 students) and upon completion of the training, you will be invited to join our private alumni Facebook group.

Class will meet five times online via Zoom (live web conferencing) and you will be encouraged to learn, take notes, share, and reflect during class.

Not only will you be supported in developing skills to be present with grieving clients, you will also learn specific tools and techniques.

This training will encourage you to meet grieving clients where they are – accepting them just as they are – by letting your presence and touch communicate support and empathy.

Why this class matters

It's so easy to feel powerless and overwhelmed in the face of great suffering.

Do you feel inadequate or ill-equipped to "fix" the pain you see in the world at large or in the faces of those near you?

It's human to want to fix suffering.

But what if the impulse to "fix" the pain of others is actually part of the larger problem?

What if instead of "fixing" grief, you could learn to simply communicate support and acceptance through touch?

What if you, as a massage therapist, could learn to ground yourself, take a deep breath of courageous empathy, and create a space where grievers can rest amid the hard work of grieving?

What if steadfastness, empathy and gentle touch in a safe, respectful and sacred environment were contribution enough?

What if you could embark on the lifelong quest to train your hands and heart to let go of the need to "fix" suffering?

What would that ability bring to the world?

(Whether or not you join this class, you encouraged to ponder those questions and let those questions become a part of your work.)

Important Details

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 ($22 per CE credit hour).

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 for this class series by purchasing a ticket on Eventbrite. Click here to visit our Eventbrite page. Once you have purchased your ticket through Eventbrite, you are officially registered for the entire 5 class series.

Once you have registered and purchased your ticket through Eventbrite, the instructor will contact you within 48 hours via email with welcome information and some optional suggestions to help you prepare for the class.

Please contact the instructor at aimeetaylor@griefmassage.org with any questions once you have registered through Eventbrite.

An electronic class workbook with handouts and fill-in-the-blank forms will be emailed to you prior to the start of the class series.

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 this class series is January 1, 2021. However, space for this workshop is limited and once 6 students have registered, the course will be full and registration will end. If all spaces are not filled by January 1, 2021, the registration period may be extended.

Payment and Fee Information:

The tuition for this 5 week class series (15 CE combined total for the five individual classes) is $329.00. Please note that this price is subject to change at any time.

The current tuition rate breaks down to approximately $22 per class hour.

Payment of tuition 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℠