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Traditional Thai Massage Certificate Program

Program Overview

The Traditional Thai Massage Certificate Program (TTM) is a 252-hour (1 semester) program that can be taken independently or as part of the Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork (ETB).

Traditional Thai Massage (TTM) is a 4-month certificate program that introduces students to the philosophies, therapeutic principles and techniques of Thai Massage.Thai Massage forms the "energy medicine" component of the unique healing system of Traditional Thai Medicine. Traditional Thai Medicine is a holistic approach to health that addresses the body (through diet and herbs), psycho-spirituality (through practices such as meditation) and the flow and balance of vital energy in the energetic systems. The roots of Traditional Thai Medicine are found in T'ai hill-tribe shamanism and indigenous medicine. Over the years, Thai Medicine and Massage have adopted and incorporated influences from Indian Ayurveda and yoga practices, as well as Chinese healing arts.During a Thai massage, the practitioner guides the recipient into various postures linked together in a flowing series, applying acupressure with hands and feet, arms and legs. Three levels are addressed simultaneously - the physical body (joints, muscles, organs, etc.), the flow of subtle energy through pathways called Sen (meridians) and the realm of heart consciousness (spirit).

The Traditional Thai Massage Certificate Program can be take as an independent program for students who have an interest in offering hands-on healing as a profession or want to augment current skills in bodywork. Students learn the movements, acupressure techniques, stretches and compressions that comprise a Thai Massage at the basic, intermediate and advanced levels. They also understand energetic anatomy according in the Thai system, and are able to identify and treat imbalances (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and energetic) by applying the principles and techniques of Thai Massage therapeutically.

Curriculum

The TTM program is delivered over 3 months. At the onset, students may enrol in any independent certificate program or may apply for admission into the full Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork. The diploma-specific coursework is an additional semester that integrates all disciplines and applies them to the maintenance of health and the treatment of disease.

The following courses comprise the Traditional Thai Massage Certificate Program. All courses must be completed for a student to be eligible for graduation. New students must complete the General Introduction component. Please see Study Options below for more information.

General Introduction		Total Requirements
Foundations in Eastern Therapies and Bodywork		1.2 credits	18 hours
	During this course, students learn the general background and cultural context for Eastern Therapies and Bodywork with specific attention to Indian, Chinese and T'ai indigenous medicines. This course offers an introduction to the theoretical principles and the history of spirituality and medicine. Both energy medicine and healing are defined, and basic energetic anatomy is explored, all through a comparative approach of Yogic, Ayurvedic, Thai and basic Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) systems.


Total		1.2 credits	18 hours

Traditional Thai Massage		Total Requirements
History of Thai Medicine and Massage		0.6 credit	9 hours
	Students learn the general background and cultural context for Thai massage with a deepening of the historical connections of Thai medicine to TCM, Ayurveda and Yoga. As well, students study the significance of Indigenous Medicine (Shamanism) and Buddhism to Thai Massage. In particular, students follow Thai Massage development from earliest historical records to modern day practice and have an in-depth historical connection to the Shivagokomarpaj Lineage.




Classic Routine		3 credits	45 hours
	This course introduces the 10 major Sen (meridians in the Thai tradition) with their names, locations, physical and energetic associations and functions. Students learn indications and contraindications in Thai massage as well as the 4 principles that govern application of the massage. Pressure application techniques and basic practitioner stances become the foundation for the physical work. From this foundation, students integrate the "classic routine" - a flow of movements, stretches and acupressure techniques that work the client's entire body from toes to head, front and back.
Practical Thai Massage (i)		4 credits	60 hours
	Students of Thai massage need to first master the movements and techniques learned in the classic routine, and then begin to apply them in clinic settings in order to deepen their understanding and application of the material. To help students integrate material learned thus far, this portion of the course is supervised practice with case studies.
Advanced Thai		3.2 credits	48 hours
	Students explore advanced energetic physiology, diagnostics and therapeutics in traditional Thai massage. In particular, this course focuses on advanced Sen theory - breaks and blockage in the Sen, energetic associations of each Sen and therapeutic options for clients. Students also learn intermediate and advanced Thai massage techniques.
Practical Thai Massage (ii)		6 credits	90 hours
	This course allows students to master the movements and techniques learned in the intermediate and advanced routines, and then apply them in clinic settings. This portion of the course is comprised of case studies and supervised practice on clients.
Total		16.8 credits	252 hours

Study Options

The Traditional Thai Massage Certificate Program is a single semester program. Students may take this individually or as part of the Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork. All new students entering into TTM must complete the 18-hour General Introduction to Eastern Therapies and Bodywork.

Post-Graduation

Graduates are eligible for membership with the Natural Health Practitioners of Canada (NHCP) and can seek work in community health centres, clinical settings, therapeutic spas, the health & fitness industry and private practices. Graduates may also choose to enrol in other certificate programs at PRC or transfer into the Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork. This unique 4-semester program integrates Traditional Thai Massage with Yogatherapy and Ayurvedic Marmatherapy.

Admissions

Entering students into the Traditional Thai Massage Certificate Program at Pacific Rim College must have a high school diploma or an equivalency test and all non-native English speaking applicants must demonstrate a mastery of written and spoken English. Any foreign applicant may be required to submit an official score report from an English proficiency exam such as TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Test System).

Pacific Rim College is determined to produce only the highest quality health practitioners. As a result, we reserve the right to admit only students who demonstrate the potential to achieve at the upper-most level. Applicants will be evaluated based on merits such as high academic achievement, emotional maturity, humanitarian activities, community involvement and health-related experience.

All entering students into TTM must have completed the 18-hour General Introduction course Foundations in Eastern Therapies and Bodywork. This course is offered at the onset of the Certificate Program.

Enrolment spaces for the program are very limited and fill quickly. Admissions applications can be submitted at any time, but placement priority is to students enrolled in the Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork program. Confirmation of admission will be sent to all applicants of the certificate program approximately 9 weeks prior to the start of the program, but not before this time.

To apply for the Traditional Thai Massage Certificate Program, please click on the button below. Upon favourable review of your application by our admissions committee, you may be contacted for an interview, which can be carried out via telephone if a person-to-person interview is not possible.

All successful applicants must submit a non-refundable enrolment deposit of $1000, which is credited toward tuition fees. Should a student decide not to enrol for the specific semester of study as stated in the application or registration form, the fee is forfeited and cannot be used to offset any charges that the student may incur. All accepted applicants must submit this deposit within 60 days of the published semester start date, or within 7 days if accepted within this time. Enrolment space will not be reserved without this deposit.

International Students

International students are welcome to attend Pacific Rim College and are encouraged to apply. Canadian law requires foreign students to have a valid study permit to study in Canada. Pacific Rim College provides international students with the necessary documentation to receive a valid study permit. In some cases students can apply for and obtain a permit upon entering Canada.

Canadian law requires that foreigners obtain a work permit for work within Canada during academic studies. See http://www.cic.gc.ca/ for more information.

Academic Calendar

The general program schedule for each certificate component of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork is as follows:

Foundations of Yogatherapy (FYT): May 2010 - August 2010
Fundamentals of Ayurvedic Marmatherapy (FAM): September 2010 - December 2010
Eastern Therapies and Bodywork (final semester of Diploma Program): January 2011 - April 2011
Traditional Thai Massage (TTM): January 2011 - April 2011
Foundations of Yogatherapy (FYT): September 2011 - December 2011
Fundamentals of Ayurvedic Marmatherapy (FAM): September 2011 - December 2011

	Summer 2010 - FYT	Fall 2010 - FAM	Weekly Schedule
Orientation	May 3	September 7	All classes are held Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 8:45am-6:30pm with afternoon breaks.
General Introduction	May 3-7	September 7-10
First Class Day	May 10	September 13
Holidays	August 2 (BC Day)	October 1 October 9-12 (Fall Break)
Last Day of Class	August 6	December 10

	Winter 2011 - ETB	Winter 2011 - TTM	Weekly Schedule
Orientation	January 10	January 4	ETB classes are held Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. TTM classes are held on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Classes are from 8:30am-5:30pm with a half day on Friday.
General Introduction	NA	January 4-7
First Class Day	January 10	January 11
Holidays	February 14-18 (Reading Break), March 18	February 14-18 (Reading Break), March 18
Last Day of Class	April 13	April 14

Class Schedule

Please click on the button below for the Winter 2010 class schedule for the Traditional Thai Massage Certificate Program.

Tuition and Fees

All tuition amounts are in Canadian dollars.

General Introduction	$252

Certificate Program	$3750

Please click here for a description of Academic Fees.

Financial Aid

This program is approved for Canada Student Loans. Please visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca for information about Canada Student Loans. Students must submit a paper application for student loans. The online application process is not available to PRC students at this time. Please print an application from the Canada Student Loans website or pick up an application from PRC or any other academic institution registered with Canada Student Loans.

For a list of all financial aid programs available to PRC students, please visit our Financial Aid page.