News

Swedish Institute named one of the top schools in the U.S. for massage therapy education

In a special report on Spa Therapist Training in the September/October 2007 issue of Luxury Spafinder magazine, the Swedish Institute is named one of the top five schools in the country for learning massage. The article points to the growing demand for massage therapists, driven in part by the booming spa industry.

The author, Aimee Lee Ball, asks, “Who sets the standards for massage therapists and is quality keeping up with demand?” What Ms. Ball finds out is that there are no national standards for massage, 12 states have no statewide requirement and there are no requirements at all in some foreign countries.

While she finds some assurance in the quality of people drawn to a nurturing field like massage, Ms. Ball is quick to point out that spa goers should take the initiative to find out some basics before they turn their body (and money) over to an unknown therapist. She suggests that readers ask, “How long has the therapist been licensed? What massage school did the therapist attend? And how much training he or she has in the modality” being offered.

New York and Nebraska top the list of the 10 Toughest States for licensing requirements with 1,000 hours each. The national average is 560 hours. Individual talent aside, Ms. Ball reports that recent studies show that the extra hours of study translate to more satisfied clients who get greater relief from therapists with more education.

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New York City as a college town

How many college students live in New York City?

There are 594,000 students in New York’s varied schools, making it the largest college town in the world, according to Italian TV reporter Andrew Visconti. Mr. Visconti included the Swedish Institute in his survey of interesting schools for his feature, “Manhattan Transfer,” which is aired on Repubblica TV in Italy. Check out the link below to view the report on their website:

http://tv.repubblica.it/home_page.php?
playmode=rub&cont_id=7376&cat_id=1320&
stream=video

Look for Massage Therapy Program teachers Robert Volinsky and Carrie Taylor, as well as current students April Martucci, Francisco Alfonseca and Aurea Tomeski. The report is in Italian, of course, so be prepared with your phrase book, a bi-lingual friend or just enjoy the images and music!

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Scholarship Winners

Congratulations!

Scholarships for Winter 2008 have been awarded to the following students:

The Jennifer A. Plumhoff Scholarship (Massage Therapy) has been awarded to Laurel Steinhauser.

The Liu Yun Goon Scholarship (Acupuncture) has been awarded to Vanessa Hortian.

For more information

Description of scholarships can be found at

Massage Therapy Program Financial Aid or
Acupuncture Program Financial Aid.

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News Archives

March 2007
On January 12, 2007, producers from Korea's Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) visited the school to tape faculty and students from the Acupuncture Program for a documentary on the growth of acupuncture in the U.S.  Read full article

October 2006
Eighty students provided sports massage for more than 300 cyclists who completed the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society Bike Tour fundraiser, which finished at Manhattan’s Chelsea Piers. Read full article

July 2006
Students get the opportunity to gain confidence in their new personal training skills at Fitness Fairs held in local recreation center. Read full article

May 2006
Children’s Hospital of New York Presbyterian Columbia University Medical Center organizes an annual event for families of children in the hospital, where free massage therapy sessions provided by graduates are a big hit. Read full article

September 2005
Massage Therapy Alumni Gary Bergman and Andrea Lunkins featured in Sports Illustrated online and Essence magazine. Read full article

April 2005
President's Award Presented to Off-Site Clinics.
Read full article

Fall 2004
The Acupuncture Program established a new off-site internship clinic at September Space, a Manhattan based program which offers free services to anyone adversely affected by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. From the first week it became available, acupuncture was a popular addition, with all of the treatment time slots filled.  Read full article

October 2004
Massage Therapy alumnus Tom Bisio (’85) returns to discuss treatment of external injuries and signs copies of his new book, Tooth from the Tiger’s Tale, published by Simon & Schuster.  Read full article

April 2004
David Lobenstine, while in his final semester of the Massage Therapy Program, wins a scholarship in an essay competition from the AMTA New York City Chapter.  Read full article 

March 2004
Massage Therapy Program receives "Community Partner of the Year" award from the NYC Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  Read full article 

October 2003
Acupuncture alumni return for panel discussion of "How Acupuncture is Changing Patients' Perception of Health Care" as part of the national observance of North American Day of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.  Read full article 

June 2003
Valerio Pasqua, a graduate of the 1947 class in massage therapy, returns to campus to share his memories of school founder Captain Theodore Melander and what it was like to be a student back in the day.  Read full article

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