Tag: equine massage
Happy Valentines Day from NWSAM! Are you ready for a sweetheart of a deal?
Enroll in any of our 2-Day Biomechanics and Stretching classes or any of our Online Massage or Acupressure Certification online courses. Use Code LOVE10 and you get 10% Off Tuition.
In addition, NWSAM will donate $10 for every class enrolled in to our friends at Emerald City Pet Rescue (Ghost Owl Farm) for Valentines Day. This offer is good on select courses through Monday Feb. 17th at midnight.
For the Love of Animals!
Learn Visceral Therapy for Animals with Veterinary Osteopath Dr. Kris De Ceulaer, DVM, D.O.
NWSAM is proud to host Dr. De Ceulaer again in 2025. Her courses are in-depth and engrossing. Study the neural anatomy and learn how to gently restore communication between the organs and the nervous system for better health of all systems and improved mobility. “Stuck” organs contribute to decreased range and freedom of movement. Suboptimal digestion, respiration, circulation and even reproduction can improve dramatically even within the first treatment.
Enroll in the Online Visceral Therapy for Animals and Choose a 1-day hands-on training from the following dates:
May 30th Canine Visceral Therapy
May 31st Equine Visceral Therapy
Receive $50 OFF when you use Code VTX50 at check out!
Dr. DeCeulaer will also be offering a NEW Advanced Visceral Therapy practical on June 1st. This course can be added to your enrollment and is also available to anyone who has taken the Visceral Therapy course in the past. It will be a combined equine/canine format.
We are fortunate to have Dr. DeCeulaer travel from her busy osteopathy practice in Belgium to teach for NWSAM. She visits every other year and 2025 may be one of your last opportunities to train with her in the United States. Veterinarians and veterinary technicians are encouraged to attend. Osteopathy is one of the most rapidly growing therapies in the animal health industry. NWSAM is proud to be able to bring you two training options based in osteopathy with this Visceral Therapy course and our Manual Ligament Therapy courses. These massage techniques are based in the principles of osteopathy using gentle approaches to restore balance without the use of forceful manipulations.
NBCAAM Approved CE Course
We recommend that you give yourself at least 30-45 days to complete the online video course prior to attending the courses in May.
ARE YOU A WASHINGTON STATE RESIDENT INTERESTED IN ANIMAL MASSAGE AND BODYWORK?
LIVE OUTSIDE OF WASHINGTON STATE, BUT WANT TO PROVIDE SERVICES WITHIN WASHINGTON?
Did you know? Washington State is the only state to legally recognize Animal Massage Therapists as independent Health Care Providers!
While many states regulate or even restrict the practice of animal massage, currently only Washington State Therapists can carry a professional license. This not only provides additional recognition and protections to therapists, but ensures that your clients get a standard of care that meets the highest standards in the nation.
NWSAM was the first school ever approved by Washington State Department of Health to provide training.
What does that mean for you? To qualify for licensure in Washington State, students must complete the following steps:
- Complete 300 hours of training in either small animal or large animal massage through an approved program.
- Complete the National Board of Certification for Animal Acupressure and Massage (NBCAAM) exam for your subject
- Submit the Washington State Animal Massage application along with your NBCAAM exam scores
- Request transcripts from NWSAM to be sent at the same time as your application.
PLEASE READ THE INFORMATION BELOW BEFORE ENROLLING
NWSAM offers several programs that meet the Washington State Requirements. To ensure that our out-of-state students have an opportunity to study, our Foundation Level program is set at 200hr, the national recommendation for board certification. Washington State residents must take an additional 100 hours of training to qualify for state licensure. The additional training hours can be met through our advanced courses (performance massage, rehabilitation massage or animal acupressure).
YOU MUST COMPLETE AT LEAST TWO NWSAM CERTIFICATION COURSES TO QUALIFY FOR LICENSURE IN WASHINGTON STATE
Here is a typical example of a curriculum of study that qualifies for state licensure. A certification course at NWSAM includes a distance-learning course and an in-person practical.
Student A completes the following:
- Small Animal or Large Animal Foundation Level Distance Learning course
- Small Animal or Large Animal Foundation Level Practical + case studies
- Small Animal or Large Animal Rehabilitation Level Distance Learning course (or similar qualifying course)
- Small Animal or Large Animal Rehabilitation Level Practical + case studies (or similar qualifying course)
NWSAM will guide you through the steps to completing your training and obtaining your license. NWSAM is separate from NBCAAM and WADOH. Students must apply for testing and licensing through the appropriate agencies. But we will provide information and assistance to make the process easier for our graduates!
When you are ready, contact our office and a Student Services Representative can help you chart your course for success!
Learn Equine Anatomy in CLay from the Inside Out
NWSAM is proud to host Equinology for a 7-day exploration of Equine Anatomy. Debranne Patillo is an engaging instructor whose knowledge and experience are unparalleled in our industry. Jon Zahourek is world-reknown for his unique method to learning the anatomy by hand. It was life-changing to complete his training in human anatomy during my massage training. Collaborating with Equinology has long been a goal at NWSAM and I could not have chosen a better class to bring us together.
SAVE THE DATES: JUNE 5th-11th, 2025
This course is being hosted on the NWSAM Vashon Island campus. To enroll, please visit EquiLearn
The cost of this course includes all materials and instruction: $1995USD.
*This course has been approved for 56 hours of continuing education credit in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval.
Learning equine anatomy should be fun and interactive. It should not entail memorizing! After this class, when someone asks about a muscle, you will actively recall building it on the Equiken® model in clay. You will remember where and how you felt it on the horse (or located for deeper muscles). Memorization is just not the way most brains work! Experience (build, associate, palpate), store (your brain makes notes) and then recall – that’s the ticket. This course utilizes the brilliant system developed by Jon Zahourek, founder of ANATOMY IN CLAY® Learning Systems.
We have a blast at this course! Some participants may consider it an art class, but artistic skills are not necessary. So much information is shared among the participants, loads of questions are explored, light bulbs are constantly going on and huge smiles of comprehension continue throughout the duration of the workshop.
The difference between the average equine bodyworker and a great one is accuracy. Anyone in the equine healthcare profession – whether you use your hands, tools or machines – will find this is a great opportunity to expand and enhance skills. This course is also useful for the trainer or rider because analytical skills are honed after understanding the structure of the horse. This knowledge improves your riding and teaching skills.
This seven-day course is taught in increments in a study group format with a hands-on approach. It is run in 3 days on, one day off for self-study and finishes with another 3 days on. Using bones, models, visuals, books, hand-outs, reference material and live horses, Debranne Pattillo, MEEBW will lead and direct the group. Students will work in teams of two, building the muscles on the Equiken® models at a comfortable pace, researching each muscle as the building progresses. Students become very familiar with various published books, publications and internet resources during the course, thus enabling them to better research anatomy. Students will have a chance to ensure they have understood the information by completing a self-assessment before the beginning of each class. Students are responsible for attending all six days of class in the classroom and are expected to spend the off day reviewing material for at least 8 hours.
This is not like those anatomy classes you’ve attended with a dry lecturer reciting from a book. Debranne’s wit and style make this a fun course. She uses various approaches that leave you with the increased knowledge to continue on in your own studies. Past students rave about this course and return year after year.
Please note that registration for this class closes 30 days prior to the course start date to ensure the appropriate number of models are ordered.
*This class runs from 8:00am-5:30pm daily with 30 minutes for lunch and an additional 3 hours of evening studies. Day 4 is spent out-of-class for independent study.
The Equiken® models used for the course were created by Jon Zahourek of Anatomy in Clay® Learning Systems. Anatomy in Clay offers several courses at their Colorado, USA base. Have a look at www.anatomyinclay.com for additional courses on equine, canine and human anatomy. Please register directly with them for those courses or write to info@anatomyinclay.com for dates and costs. The 6-day courses that are taught there are suitable for the required anatomy modules for continued education.
ANATOMY IN CLAY® and EQUIKEN® are registered trademarks of Zahourek Systems, Inc. or affiliates in the US or other countries. Authorization for limited trademark use licensed by Zahourek Systems, Inc., a sole provider of Anatomy in Clay® Learning System. www.anatomyinclay.com or as otherwise requested by Zahourek.
© Zahourek Systems, Inc. and affiliates. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied, rewritten, broadcasted, or redistributed. Authorization for limited copyright use licensed by Zahourek Systems, Inc., a sole provider of Anatomy in Clay® Learning System. www.anatomyinclay.com or as otherwise requested by Zahourek.