Welcome to our Small Animal Acupressure Foundation program.
The Northwest School of Animal Massage (NWSAM) is excited to have brought three of the acupressure community’s top names together to develop this 200 hour Foundation Acupressure program. Kim Bauer is both an Animal Acupressure master and an Animal Massage Practitioner with a successful practice in Hood River, OR. She has been practicing and teaching acupressure for over a decade and is highly regarded here in the U.S. and internationally. Angie Hughes is a Licensed Human Acupuncturist, a Small Animal Massage Practitioner and a long-standing professor at Bastyr University, world-renowned for their Acupuncture and Naturopathic programs. Our veterinary advisor and guest lecturer is none other than Dr. Michael Salewski, DVM. Dr. Salewski practices Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) and is the author of two textbooks on acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. This trio of masters bring tremendous knowledge and compassion to our program.
We believe you need a strong background in Traditional Chinese Medicine theory to be an effective acupressure practitioner. Therefore this Foundation program was designed not only to teach you about TCM theory but also how to locate and perform acupressure on acupoints and meridians. This information is spread out in the following 5 chapters:
- Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory and Concepts
- Understanding Zang-Fu Organ Systems
- Anatomy and Acupressure Points, Channels & the 8 Extraordinary Vessels
- Assessment, Acupressure Point Classifications & Point Work Techniques
- Bi Syndromes, Contraindications and Equine Common Conditions
There is a great deal of material to learn and it will require effort to put it to use. Please be prepared to take notes, do the learning activities for each chapter, participate in the hands on practical, take part in classroom discussions, complete the case studies after the practical, and keep an open mind. During the practical we will use the information in this curriculum to observe, discuss, assess and practice the application of acupressure on dogs. By the end of this course you will have a specialized level of training that will equip you to uniquely address the specific needs of canines.
At NWSAM, we supply the information for your mind, which will guide, supplement, and magnify what your heart and body learn through touch. Over time, your touch will become increasingly more effective and efficient at influencing positive changes for your animal clients. Rather than teaching you a specific routine, our goal is to provide you with a variety of tools and a process of assessment, decision-making, and application that empowers you to treat each animal as an individual.
Always remember, some of the most important learning comes AFTER graduation. As you continue to spend time touching animals with your focus on connecting the mind, body and spirit, your level of learning will increase. We anticipate you will refer back to your class materials for years to come and practice, practice, practice. In time, the information presented in your curriculum and during the practical will become second nature. Do not feel pressure to memorize the information it is your very own resource. The wise person is not the one with all the knowledge; but rather the one who knows where to find it.
Namaste,
Lola Michelin
Founder and Director of Education
Northwest School of Animal Massage
Instructions on the Course Materials ( PDFs )
As part of your tuition cost, NWSAM provides you with a printable pdf of each of the five chapters included in this Canine Acupressure course. Some students prefer to study the chapter content offline, and/or off screen in a printed context.
It is your choice and responsibility to access, save, and print these pdfs for use during and after completion of the course. Inclusion of the pdfs in the Resources section fulfills NWSAM’s responsibility to provide you with the material to have after your online access is deactivated, upon completion of the course and practicum.
It is IMPORTANT to note that You must read through ALL online pages regardless of where the material is primarily studied, so that the program sees your student progress as completed. ALL ACTIVITIES AND QUIZZES MUST BE DONE ONLINE so they may be reviewed by instructors, and be part of your student records and document completion.
No part of the copyrighted course content, in any form, may be printed, copied, or shared for any purpose other than by the individual enrolled student for his/her studies.