Advanced Bodywork Practitioner

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Come discover the healing power of touch...by learning touch technologies that are NOT traditional massage - rather hands-on healing techniques known as bodywork.

One of the major distinctions between bodywork and massage is that the bodywork techniques are done while the client is full clothed, rather than having their client disrobing to the level of their comfort, as is the case with massage therapy. The other major difference is that in the state of Arizona Bodywork Practitioners practicing a clothed modality such as Reflexology, Tui Na, Zen Shiatsu or Polarity do not have to be licensed as a Massage Therapist.

If you are drawn to the healing arts, and yet feel Massage Therapy isn't exactly your calling, consider one of the Advanced Bodywork Practitioner specialties offered at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA). There are core science classes that are required (open the PDF to review the REQUIRED core classes) and then you decide what specialty you have a passion for: Reflexology, Hypnotherapy, Reiki, Yoga Teacher Training, Therapeutic Imagery one of the Asian Arts, Polarity, and more...

Our mission is to help you discover YOUR gifts... one of the best ways is for you to try a variety of our classes as a Guest until YOU determine which healing modalities really sparks a passion for you:  Reflexology, Polarity, Cranial Sacral Unwinding, Tui Na or Zen Shiatsu.

Reflexology, as taught at SWIHA, is a very comprehensive focus, based on the theory the body is made of many holograms (located in the hands, feet, ears, face, and abdomen) reflecting the greater whole. Working on the reflective hologram will create release and healing in the whole - body and mind.

Polarity is a complete holistic system designed by Dr. Randolf Stone, taught at SWIHA under the direction of Gary Strauss.  It is a synthesis of ancient Eastern and alternative medicine health care ideas centered on the concept of a Human Energy Field. Using touch, verbal interaction, exercise, nutrition and other methods, practitioners of Polarity Therapy seek to balance and restore the natural flow of energy which, it is claimed, flows from the universe and into the body through the chakras. The aim is to re-establish "balance". In addition to polarity bodywork, specific polarity yoga exercises, counseling/positive thinking, and nutritional recommendations are used to enhance vitality.

Chinese Shamanistic Medicine traditions brings old tools into modern application in the healing practice. The peaceful path seeks to cure illness, not by masking symptoms, but by restoring balance to the entire body. Designed by Joel Seigneur, this certificate is designed to give a deep understanding of the Chinese Shamanistic philosophy of medical treatment along with practical skills that can be applied to the paradigm of Holistic Health from an eastern perspective.

Cranial Sacral Unwinding is a bodywork technique where a practitioner uses a featherweight touch to test restrictions of the cranial system. Students learn to feel a mild cranial rhythm or pulse along the cranial sutures. When there is tension or stress at certain points in the body, the membranes are being pulled; therefore, the body may be out of synchronization, causing ill health.  Cranial Sacral Therapy practitioners attempt to balance the life force energy within the body.  It is relaxing, safe and effective.  Cranial sacral therapy may heal or alleviate numerous conditions including migraines, chronic fatigue, motor coordination impairments, stress, tension, and orthopedic problems.

Entrepreneur: We know from interviews with incoming students, the dream of owning their own business is in the hearts and minds of over 85% of our students. Holistic Health, Life Coaching, Hypnotherapy are largely entrepreneurial pursuits and SWIHA is absolutely committed to helping graduates “do their dream” by providing the business fundamentals needed to start and grow a successful business. Our mission states that we help individuals discover their gifts and ultimately take them out into the world in a loving and profitable way.

Holistic Nutrition Specialist: This 200-hour specialty covers the basics of human nutrition, dietary therapies, obesity and eating disorders, and a survey of contemporary dietary practices including alternative theories for body detoxification. This certificate prepares the student to assist individuals on healthy eating practices, including recommendations for weight management and preventative health.

Life Coaching is an exciting new profession that first helps you to get clear on your own life values and personal mission, and then gives you the tools to be in the world as a powerful, clear and compelling communicator. It was created and designed to assist individuals just like you to embrace your own greatness and learn to bring out the greatness in others. Coaches support and encourage, without passing judgment or holding anything back. Life Coaching is the act of empowerment - expanding people's awareness through powerful and thought provoking questioning technologies.

Reiki is a specialty of choice for the Mind-Body Transformational Psychology degree program and the 600 hour Mind-Body Wellness Practitioner program due to the deepening spiritual component. The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy."

Therapeutic Imagery Certificate of Excellence program at SWIHA teaches you the skills to heal, balance, and transform your life by discovering how and where you are stuck and what to do to get unstuck. It does so by teaching you how to interview personifications of your hopes and fears, your potentials and your deficits. Through doing so you will align yourself with the intrinsic, organic pattern of spirit within yourself as it manifests through six core qualities: fearless confidence, compassion, wisdom, acceptance, inner peace, and witnessing.

Trans-personal Hypnotherapy is the form of Hypnotherapy taught at SWIHA, and it is the bridge between the mind, body and spirit. Our program embraces the clinical aspects of hypnosis, with many therapeutic interventions taught within the program, as well as we fully embrace the spiritual and metaphysical side of the hypnosis. Hypnotherapy is accepted by the American Medical Association (AMA) as an officially recognized therapeutic model for healing. Completion of this Program qualifies you for certification with the American Board of Hypnotherapy.

Tui Na is a hands-on-body treatment using acupressure for the purpose of bringing the body into balance, taught by world renowned teacher, Joel Siegnor. The principles being balanced are the eight principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The practitioner may brush, knead, roll/press and rub the areas between each of the joints (known as the eight gates) to open the body's defensive (wei) chi and get the energy moving in both the meridians and the muscles. The practitioner can then use range of motion, traction, or the stimulation of acupressure points to treat both acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions, as well as many non-musculoskeletal conditions.

Yoga Teacher Training: This program is designed to support all who wish to deepen their personal spiritual connection through learning to master the principles and practice of Yoga. The Yoga Teacher Training program offers students the tools to facilitate personal growth and development. Some students who complete the program Yoga Teacher Training program in Tempe, Arizona choose to offer what they’ve learned to the community at large; others simply wish to use these tools for their own growth.

Zen Shiatsu, under the direction of Master Practitioner, Lyn Matthews, is a form of bodywork administered by thumbs, fingers, palms, elbows, feet and knees. Pressure is applied to all parts of the body along specific pathways known as meridians. It is understood this technique stimulates the natural healing powers of the body, wherefore symptoms of disease lessen and vitality is regained.

Students who attend the program full-time can be completed in as little as eleven months, or earning up to 38.25 credits.  This program will prepare graduates for stimulating careers in various settings, including day spas, salons, and physician offices. We have found the majority of the graduates from 600-hour Advanced Bodywork Practitioner program choose to start their own holistic health healing practice. This program is eligible for Federal Financial aide for those who qualify.

We invite you to contact us today to assist you on your destined path.

**IMPORTANT: Because this program has bodywork clinic requirements, students must choose a specialty where body work clinic is included. Examples of these specialties are: Reiki, APP, cranial unwinding, etc. Therefore, students may not choose Life Coaching, Hypnotherapy, Nutrition, and Yoga Teacher Training as their only specialties.