Our Vision
Hands on Healing Institute, from its founding, has always been about respecting the whole person, with both practitioners and clients.
We believe that the body, mind, and spirit are inextricably connected, and each informs the others. When you touch the body, you cannot help but touch the thoughts, emotions, and memories as well. We, as practitioners, are here to create a safe healing space for our clients, so that the body can devote its energy to its own natural healing processes. We practice and teach a trauma-informed approach to healing and to learning.
As science advances, we now have growing evidence for these things that many traditional practices of wellbeing have always known. Our education goal is to ground you in evidence-based knowledge of science and critical thinking skills, and to introduce you to the vast array of ideas and practices of wellness traditions from all over the world, so that you have the knowledge and skills to decide for yourself what kinds of practices suit you best in your work in the world.
We believe in a very personalized approach to learning. Each student is unique, and will become a practitioner that is unlike any other in the world. The gifts you have to bring to the wellness field, to your clients, and, arguably most importantly, to yourself, are unique and immeasurably valuable. Therefore, it is our goal as instructors to learn you—your interests, your talents, your desires—and to help you grow into the practitioner you wish to become. Our class sizes are small, and each student gets individualized attention and instruction in every class.
We believe in the importance of a safe learning environment. We believe in respecting the whole person in the classroom, as well. We do our best to make learning accessible and enjoyable, including for those with “non-traditional” learning styles. Some of you may not have been in a classroom in decades. Some of you may have school-related trauma. Some of you may not consider yourself “academic.” We will meet you where you are. Some of you may learn best with your hands. Some of you may need to move or stretch while you learn. Some of you may need things explained more than once, in different ways. We will support you. No matter what kind of student you are, we want to help you feel safe and supported in the classroom.
At Hands on Healing, you will get more than just a solid education in the practice of massage. You will be changed by your time in massage school. It is a journey of self-discovery, and of healing. You will learn things about yourself that you never knew before, no matter what chapter of life you are currently in. We understand that journey, and have been guiding students through their journeys for years. It would be our honor to guide you through yours.
