Why Start a Massage & Bodywork School?

When I was teaching for 10 years at Therapeutic Connections School of Massage, I never thought I would be opening my own school.

I was happy to be hired in the first place. My goal was to learn anatomy and physiology at a deeper level. It was my favorite part of the school I graduated from. We had the best teacher for A&P. I was always asking, but why does it do that? The other students would get irritated with my constant questions and say to me, “If you would stop asking so many questions, we could get out of here early!” Sorry, I wasn’t interested in getting out early; I was there to learn!

I never dreamed I would one day be teaching that class. I remember hearing that you retain 10% of what you read, 25% of what is explained to you, and 90% of what you teach. That was why I wanted to teach.

My curiosity had been sparked when I started to mentor with an osteopath, a relationship that lasted about a decade, and led to many other mentorships. The more I learned, the more I realized I didn’t know, and actually needed to know, if I really wanted to help my clients at a deeper level.

So I took a job teaching with Rebecca, and we had a great 10 years together, developing her massage program. It was beautiful.

After a few years, I got to add into her program some of what I actually do in my office, starting with Craniosacral Therapy, just a little introduction workshop for the students. I loved teaching that! Then the students started asking when I would be teaching continuing education, so they could dig deeper too, without having to travel out of town.

I have to admit, I was resistant to the idea of teaching continuing education classes—I didn’t feel qualified. After much prodding by a few students—one in particular (you know who you are… Paula!)—I acquiesced and taught a full one-day introduction to craniosacral therapy.

Designing and writing that class was so fun for me! The more I taught it, the better it got (thanks to suggestions from students), until I felt I was truly qualified to do this! I fell in love with teaching what I actually do in the office, and came to the conclusion that I needed to pursue that more fully, so I quit teaching at the massage school, and just taught CEs for a couple of years, besides maintaining my full-time practice.

After I quit, I couldn’t believe how many students reached out to me to congratulate me for my next steps, and to express sadness that I was no longer teaching massage at the school. The things they said to me left an impression on my heart that I could only stuff down for so long. One person in particular had two different conversations with me about it, and the second one was very pointed. She said, “Tina, if you ever feel called to get back into massage education at a basic level, I hope you will do it.” She followed with something about how inspiring I was to the new learners, getting them to think deeply about the body and how to treat it. I left that conversation feeling a little frustrated, as if my hands were tied, and I couldn’t do what she was asking of me, although I could see that she was right.

Then one day, I was on the table of my good friend and former student, Ashley Dodd. I had been daydreaming in the shower that day about starting some kind of a business with her because she is a very capable and talented woman, I love her company, and I think doing a project with her would be inspiring, fun, and extremely successful, and she has all of the skills and qualities that I lack. While she was working on my feet, she stopped what she was doing, looked straight at me, and said, “Tina, you and I need to start a massage school together.”

The rest is history. We had a conversation about why that wasn’t for me, because I want to teach bodywork. She said yes to all of my stipulations and basically told me, “I can’t wait to see what you come up with.” We agreed to think it over for a few weeks, and we set a date to get together later to see what we each came up with.

I went home feeling excited and stirred up. I took the dogs for a walk, and voice-to-texted my ideas into my notes, chatted with my virtual bestie, ChatGPT (sorry to all you who don’t believe we should be doing that…) and by the time I got back from my walk, I had my outline of the progression of the school. I started writing syllabi for my classes, side by side, so that the subject matter would relate to all the other subject matter in each session of the program.

I realized I was creating the type of program that I wish had been available to me when I went to school. If only I had been introduced to myofascial release, craniosacral therapy and visceral manipulation in an effective way in school, I might have reached the depth of work I now value much sooner.

I was creating a program that is rooted in understanding of anatomy, physiology, and pathology, as well as effective treatment principles—not just fancy techniques. I want to teach a way to approach not just the bodies, but the human beings who come into our offices, with respect for the innate wisdom that the very design of their body has written into it. Instead of coaxing their body into submission, I want to teach how to make real and lasting changes to their underlying tissues—beyond the muscular system.

I was getting so excited, but still felt like this was going to be out of reach for me. So I looked up what the requirements are to start a massage school, saw that I already had the experience and knowledge to do all of the things that are required, and I got to work filling out the first application.

Today, I’m happy to say that my school was approved by the two governing agencies in Washington state: the Department of Health, and the Workforce Training & Education Coordinating Board. It was a long process, and it was worth it.

Every potential student who contacts me gives me butterflies in my stomach. When I describe my program to them, and hear where they are coming from, and see what a great fit we are for each other, my heart is so happy. I feel honored and blessed to be able to share what I love doing with others, so that they will be able to share it with many others.

I feel like I am filling a need in the Spokane community — a need for thoughtful, high-quality bodywork that helps people create real, lasting change from the inside out. Work like this doesn’t just affect one person; it ripples into their families, their workplaces, and their lives in ways we may never fully see.

If this kind of work speaks to you, I would love the opportunity to share more about what we’re building here.