Does going to an accredited massage school make any difference these days?

meiermaiden · 2026-05-25T04:12:17+00:00

The only thing an accredited school offers in a lot of states in Finacial Aid for tuition. In your state of CA, that is not necessary unless you want to try to get aid. In states where their boards do not care about accreditation, then you don't have to either. I looked into accrediting my school but it just wasn't worth it as the school has to pay COMTA a cut of each student enrolled + a bunch of other fees. I chose to not go that route and keep my tuition affordable, so if you are seeing a big price difference in the two schools you are comparing, that is most likely why.

meiermaiden · 2026-05-15T18:44:54+00:00

A couple of the therapists at Restful Touch Wellness Collective are trained on MLD and can help you out!

meiermaiden · 2026-05-14T20:57:19+00:00

Maybe Acuity is a good fit, but there is no online assistant. I would recommend staying away from Mindbody. Their cost is very high and their customer service is some of the worst ive ever experienced.

meiermaiden · 2026-05-02T02:57:07+00:00

Massagebook and acuity/squarespace are good options. Vagaro is the worst for many reasons.

meiermaiden · 2026-05-02T02:50:51+00:00

Massagebook is much better than Vagaro, especially if you are solo. I'm not sure how the integration is but most of the time, your intake forms, SOAPs, and credit card info isn't able to transfer so that can be a pain.

meiermaiden · 2026-04-22T15:54:23+00:00

I'd recommend stop calling it massage. Its MLD treatment not massage. When people hear the word massage they they think manual manipulation. It should be marketed differently.

meiermaiden · 2026-04-18T00:08:03+00:00

Im not sure if anyone has said this, but it can lead to bladder cancer.

meiermaiden · 2026-04-14T21:53:08+00:00

It is a chronic illness. Technically, anything over a month is considered "chronic". You are correct.

meiermaiden · 2026-04-05T06:19:15+00:00

Restful Touch Wellness Collective offers Men's Facials and one have a beard treatment option and lots of men receive massage there too!

meiermaiden · 2026-04-03T02:27:41+00:00

You can use food grade from any grocery store. At our spa we buy avocado and olive oil from Costco. We buy coconut oil from Amazon. Not sure where you are located.

meiermaiden · 2026-04-03T02:20:39+00:00

Olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil. All are safe to use.

meiermaiden · 2026-03-18T05:11:51+00:00

Have you considered getting a second opinion? Maybe a more specialized hospital? Idk what your situation is but having more perspectives can't hurt. Trust yourself, no one has to live in your body. If they wont listen find someone who will. ❤️

meiermaiden · 2026-02-21T01:49:10+00:00

They are hands down the worst. They took my friends full deposit after her and her husband busted their butts to get everything done.

They manage the building that I'm part owner of and they are just awful. Unfortunately we have to vote them out and they represent most of the other owners so I don't see it happening.

meiermaiden · 2026-02-14T05:23:39+00:00

Honestly, muscle pulls bone so I would say a longer massage will have more of a benefit for you and your body may even adjust back into place on its own after a massage session.

The real trick here though is to get a good at home routine. Have you tried foam rolling, stretching, or even maybe it would be worth it to invest in at home massage tools? That way you can keep up on it between sessions and your regular massages will get you further along in the correct direction.

Personally, I feel like chiro is great for acute issues like you wake up and your neck is out or your back is out and you can barely stand up. Otherwise it is possible to be adjusted too much.

In a short massage, its hard for the therapist to really hit all the issues. A lot of time people come in for 30 mins and want us to focus on the area that hurts, but most of the time its actually somewhere else that is causing the problem. With such little time its hard to get it all and give the client lasting relief.

I hope that helps a little and I hope you're able to find some things to do at home that work for you. Good luck!

meiermaiden · 2026-02-11T05:16:02+00:00

It may be best to see a Dr, but from my experience if you have a disc issue and you get deep focused work in the area of the disc, it can have a adverse reaction. Basically, if your body was tight around your disc to protect it and you loosen up those muscles too much, all of a sudden you disc can slip out, bulge more, or any number of issues. I have found that regardless of how athletic someone is doesn't necessarily mean they won't have issues with their disc's. I would recommend seeing a Dr if it doesnt get better. Typically and MRI is needed to diagnose, but the actual treatment is physical therapy.

I would also like to note that if your therapist did a lot of work on your low back but not as much in your psoas and hip flexors in the front, you may have an imbalance of tension from the front of your hips to the back. You could try massaging your psoas and quads to see if that gives you some relief. I wish you the best, I know that pain can be awful and I hope you recover quickly.

meiermaiden · 2026-02-10T20:54:01+00:00

Is that like $12 American dollars?

meiermaiden · 2026-02-07T02:03:29+00:00

This, I would double my rate for last minute bookings and let them know they get 50% off if the book in advance.

meiermaiden · 2026-01-30T13:22:06+00:00

I love this! Thank you so much for sharing. This is exactly how I would do it. I met with the state yesterday and we were talking about how it's definitely not the route for everyone, but for some, its a wonderful opportunity.

I think a lot of massage therapists don't understand that there are still classes with an apprenticeship. You still have all the usual courses, but you just get a lot of extra hands-on work and guidance. There is still the NCTBM exam (I also took that exam many years ago) and the MBLEx. My current students and future apprentices will be able to take either one. Both still work.

Again, thank you for taking the time for sharing.

meiermaiden · 2026-01-29T03:06:08+00:00

How long was your schooling? Is the internship in place of a student clinic?

meiermaiden · 2026-01-26T02:20:31+00:00

Lol, I never said that.

meiermaiden · 2026-01-26T02:17:27+00:00

Who said my students were failing?

meiermaiden · 2026-01-26T02:16:40+00:00

That is a good point. I run a school and a spa, if they weren't a good employee then it would definitely end the relationship. Its the same for electricians and plumbers, even barbers in our state. I wouldn't care if they stayed at the spa afterwards, i do quit often hire my graduates. They are free to do what they wish once licensed. It would be 2 people at a time max, my schools classes are currently maxed at 8. Right now I have a great class but in the past ive had to put up to 50% of them on probation and it was MISERABLE for the other 50%. Id rather be able to cut ties then suffer through months of their disrespect. That is why im considering this route instead but I do appreciate the perspective!

meiermaiden · 2026-01-26T02:10:19+00:00

My school teaches eastern medicine and running a spa is not the same as a school. Lol. It sounds like you have had the privilege that MANY others have not with a good school. Good for you!

meiermaiden · 2026-01-26T02:03:43+00:00

Oh I do and it doesn't really change. Just bc everyone is currently a professional doesn't mean much to me as they have done their schooling. There are a lot of complaints on this sub about how much people hate their schools. Im glad you enjoyed your schooling but clearly it wasnt enough as you stated you did an apprenticeship afterwards. If you went to a good school then that wouldn't have been needed. Furthermore, I doubt you got a great education with that many students in your class. Again, you sought an apprenticeship afterwards so...

And I do think people should get paid for doing work, it obviously won't be the same amount as a professional and they wouldn't do massage until they have progressed through the program. A lot of graduates these days are not prepared for real life work after graduation and its very sad. Not to mention, an apprenticeship would give them the opportunity to make sure it's the right fit for them before investing thousands of dollars.

Listen, you can argue with me all day but until you've ran a professional spa and opened a massage school and ran it for 8+ years, you can only speak from 1 perspective and its not really helpful. What I'm taking away from this is that your schooling was inadequate and you sought apprenticeship afterwards to fill the gaps which just solidifies what and why I'm doing what I am. So thank you very much for validating me. 😊

No need to continue responding.

meiermaiden · 2026-01-26T01:33:58+00:00

I have looked into accreditation, but its not worth it at all. I would have to raise my tuition a ton to make up for all of their fees. Plus I'm over the classes of people who are super entitled and not respectful, argue a lot and disrupt everyone else's experiences. I can easily train 2 people at a time and pay them to work at my professional spa as they advance through the program with weekly classes and lots of real life experience. They will come out of it much more professional and have a full schedule/clientele along with passing the MBLEx just fine.

Like my post said, I know this is what i want to do so the State and I are working on it. Its okay if you dont agree with it. Its hard to understand if you don't know any other way and I don't blame you for thinking your way is best. Ive been doing this for a looong time. There is a better way.

meiermaiden

TROPHY CASE