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Becoming certified

Marilyn Beech, executive director of the IASI, affirms that structural integration is getting more publicity, more people are seeking practitioners and more people are seeking certification.

“I would say there are about 6,000 structural integration practitioners in the world, and that’s probably doubled from 10 years ago,” says Beech. “It started with one school 30 years ago, [and there are] about 12 schools now that do a good job.”

For anyone interested in pursuing structural integration as a career advancement option, the best place to start is through a series of sessions, which is required by most schools as a prerequisite to enrollment anyway. Then start looking at the variety of programs available. Some schools, such as the Rolf Institute, offer accelerated programs for massage therapists that allow them to skip basic bodywork classes that were covered in their massage training.

Each school’s approach to structural integration is slightly different. For example, Hellerwork is known for a strong mind-body component that involves the practitioner talking to clients about their awareness and attitudes associated with different parts of the body, as well as what inspires the client and where that inspiration might be felt physically in the body. The Rolf Institute has a special Rolfing movement integration course of study that emphasizes how people experience and use their bodies as well as their structural organization. This program teaches practitioners how to make clients aware of inhibiting movement patterns so they can better use their bodies.

“There are plenty of schools out there, and most are really good,” says Michael Mitchell, a Hellerwork practitioner at Body Solutions in Solana Beach, California. “Talk to people to find a school that’s right for you.”

Keep in mind that structural integration is not something you can learn in one course. The IASI requires a minimum of 650 hours of training for professional membership, and according to Eason, it’s not possible to practice structural integration without that level of training.

Your future in structural integration

Structural integration is a practice that massage therapists can easily grow into if they’re seeking new challenges and solutions. The benefits of becoming certified include gaining a deeper understanding of the human body and how it works, branching out into a growing field and, for many people, increasing job satisfaction.

“It’s transformational work,” says Eason. “I learn something new every time I do it.”

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