Participate in a Massage Therapy Clinic

Our curriculum prepares students for careers in Massage Therapy not only with comprehensive classroom instruction, but through hands-on learning in our working clinics. Our clinics form an integral part in the refinement of each student’s learning.

Swedish Institute operates on-site clinics and off-site clinics, in which students can bring the therapeutic benefits of massage therapy to our local community in New York City.

Learn More About Our Massage Clinics

Unlike a massage experience at a private spa, Swedish Institute’s clinics are teaching environments designed to benefit both students and patients. For our students to get the most out of their weekly sessions in our clinics, we request that patients consistently keep appointments.

Swedish emphasizes real world scenarios and feedback is crucial to the development of the student’s skills. Every patient is provided with an evaluation form to complete during their sessions. Once the evaluations are submitted, the student’s supervisor will review the comments with the student, along with their own observations, so the appropriate adjustments, if any, can be made moving forward.

What You Need to Know About Participating in Our Clinics

  • We ask that you please refrain from wearing scents.
  • Please dress simply and avoid wearing a lot of jewelry to appointments.
  • We love spending time with our clients, but once your session is complete, we kindly ask you to allow our students to prepare the area for the next client.
  • Client cases may be used for special projects, presentations, or research. Our director may ask you to please complete outcome surveys or keep a progress journal.

What to Expect at a Swedish Institute Clinic

Every session is unique because the treatment application is based on your individual needs. Although our students are trained equally to meet our high standards, each also has his or her own unique style so your experience can be somewhat different with each student practitioner. Below, we share what you might typically experience.

Medical History Review

When you arrive for a massage session, we will ask you about your medical history so that your therapist can create a custom treatment session to provide you with the greatest benefit. All information is confidential and becomes part of your treatment record. Your therapist may also perform a physical assessment to help establish the most appropriate treatment strategy for you.

Preparing for the Session

If you are receiving a Shiatsu massage, this type of massage is traditionally performed through your clothing. For the best results, clothing should be a thin cotton material, loose, and comfortable. Please bring socks to wear during the session if not wearing them to the session.

If you are receiving a Swedish massage, which includes the use of oils, you will disrobe in private, choosing to leave on whatever clothing may make you most comfortable. The therapist will enter the room once you are comfortably lying down on the massage table, covered with a provided towel or sheet. If you have any concerns at all about the preparation process or anything else about the massage experience, please speak with your therapist about it. As New York State law requires, during the massage, the therapist will only uncover the part of the body that is being worked on.

What to Expect During the Massage

As previously noted, the use of oils is essential to the specialized techniques of Swedish massage. The massage typically involves the shoulders, back, legs, feet, arms, hands, neck, and head, but each case is unique so treatment areas may vary. You can always guide the therapist toward or away from specific areas. You can expect to feel an overall effect of relaxation and easing of tension during the massage.

In some situations, discomfort may be felt during the massage. This usually occurs in areas that are most in need of treatment. Please communicate your comfort level with the process to your therapist. Our therapists are highly trained to appropriately respond to individual differences. When it is time to turn over, your therapist will guide you so that you remain fully draped.

If you receive a Shiatsu massage, the massage usually will take place on a cushioned mat rather than a table. However, some students require a table to work on for their own needs and you may also request a table if it is difficult for you to get down to and up from the floor. Your therapist will begin the session with an evaluation of the Hara, or abdominal area. This initial palpation helps the therapist identify which channels, or meridians, he or she should focus on. Unlike the long, gliding strokes of Swedish massage, Shiatsu massage involves applying gentle pressure using the palms, fingers, forearms, or feet, and a variety of gentle stretches. The therapist will adjust the work based on any conditions or preferences you communicate as the session progresses.

How Will a Client Feel After Being Treated?

Every bodywork experience is unique. Quite often, clients fall asleep while receiving a treatment because the experience is so relaxing. As a result, some clients may feel sleepy for a short period, while others may feel invigorated or energized. When the session is over, you are encouraged to take your time when getting up and you should always ask for assistance if needed. If the treated area is a sensitive spot, then you may feel some slight muscle soreness in the area for up to a day or two after the massage. In some cases, mild bruising may also occur, although this is very rare.

Stress Reduction Clinic


Massage therapy sessions in the Stress Reduction Clinic provide eight (8) one-hour sessions in Shiatsu and Swedish massage, with the intention of alleviating tension and promoting an overall effect of general relaxation. Deep tissue massage is not performed in the Stress Reduction Clinic because of the level of training of the therapists. If a client requires specific work for a complaint or a deep tissue approach, they should submit an application for the Therapeutic Massage Clinic or Graduate Clinic. A different student will provide each session. Individual appointments are not available and clients cannot request a particular modality..

Eligibility

The Stress Reduction Clinic is for people who are generally healthy. No doctor’s diagnosis is required. Anyone with a medical condition or who is pregnant may apply for treatment in our Therapeutic Massage Clinic.

Cost

The cost for the series of eight sessions is $320.00. The client must enclose a check, money order, or credit card authorization form for the full amount with their Registration Form. Once an appointment is confirmed, the fee becomes non-refundable. A $50 fee will be assessed for checks returned for insufficient funds. The client will receive a refund in the event a client does not receive an appointment.

Clinic Hours

The Stress Reduction Clinic holds sessions on Saturdays and Sundays during the day, and Monday evenings. Please see the current application for session dates and times.

Registration

We will use a very equitable and fair lottery process to register in order to provide all applicants the most favorable chance to get a space. The postmark date and thorough completion of an application are important factors, so please answer all questions completely. We will select a random sample of applications received on a given date and register clients in batches of 15 at a time. If a client’s application is not selected in the sample, their application will be added to the next date and only returned once we have filled all clinic spaces.

How to Apply

Because of the popularity of these clinics, advanced registration for the series is required.

Remember, requests for appointments are filled via a lottery system. The order in which your registration materials are received is relevant so please submit your registration form promptly.

The submission of a Registration Form does not guarantee a clinic appointment. Your appointment will be confirmed in a return mail or email. If we are unable to accommodate you in the clinic, all materials will be returned to you via mail and the applicant will be refunded. We encourage you to read a brief description of the educational nature of the clinics on our website so you can get the most out of your clinic session.

Therapeutic Massage Clinic


In their final semester of training, students provide medically-oriented sessions in the Therapeutic Massage Clinic. Clients sign up for a series of 12 one-hour sessions. They will work with one student throughout the 12 weeks of treatment, in which treatment focuses on the client’s specific injury, complaint, or condition. Using the assessment techniques they have learned, students tailor an appropriate treatment protocol for the client’s chief complaint, using both Eastern and Western massage techniques. They consult with a clinic supervisor throughout to ensure adequate care is provided.

Eligibility

Clients in the Therapeutic Massage Clinic must have a particular condition, injury, or complaint. Some of these conditions may make a client ineligible for the Stress Reduction Clinic, but they can be accommodated in the Therapeutic Clinic because it is more medically focused.

Medical clearance from a physician, chiropractor, or nurse practitioner is required for admission into the Therapeutic Massage Clinic. The letter must be on an official letterhead or prescription pad and state that the client has “no contraindication for massage therapy treatments.” Pregnant clients must provide an approval from their OB/GYN. The original copy of the health professional’s letter must be on file before clinic sessions begin. All clients need to submit a medical clearance with their application for the FALL series of treatment sessions. Returning clients to the WINTER and SPRING series will not need a new clearance, so long as the clearance on file is dated after JUNE 15 of the previous year.

Cost

The cost for the series of 12 sessions is $480.00.  The client must enclose a check, money order, or credit card authorization form for the full amount with the Registration Form and medical clearance. Once a client has been confirmed for an appointment, the fee becomes non-refundable. A $50 fee will be assessed for checks returned for insufficient funds. The client will be refunded in the event the client does not receive an appointment, and all material will be mailed back to the client.

Clinic Hours

The Therapeutic Massage Clinic holds its sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays. Please see the current application for session dates and times.

Registration Process

We will use a very equitable and fair lottery process to register in order to provide all applicants the most favorable chance to get a space. The thorough completion of an application is an important factor so all questions should be answered completely. We will select a random sample of applications received on a given date and register clients in batches of 15 at a time. If a client’s application is not selected in the sample, their application will be added to the next date and only returned once we have filled all clinic spaces.

How to Apply

Because of the popularity of these clinics, advanced registration for the series is required.

Remember, requests for appointments are filled via a lottery system. The order in which the registration materials are received is relevant, so please submit your registration form promptly via mail; no faxes or emails please.

The submission of a Registration Form does not guarantee a clinic appointment. Your appointment will be confirmed in a return mail or email. If we are unable to accommodate you in the clinic, all materials will be returned to you via mail and you will be refunded. We encourage you to read a brief description of the educational nature of the clinics on our website so you can get the most out of your clinic session.

Graduate Clinic


Our newest offering is The Graduate Clinic, a non-package based treatment protocol where clients can come in for single sessions instead of committing to one of our multiple-session student clinics.

The practitioners in The Graduate Clinic are all, as the name would suggest, graduates of our Massage Therapy program. They are either Licensed Massage Therapists or are working under a New York State Limited Permit.

Although we can’t guarantee that all of these modalities would be available, we have had practitioners who performed Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue, Medical Massage, Shiatsu, Integrative Reiki, Craniosacral, Reflexology, Polarity, Pre-Natal and Sports Massage.

Unlike student clinics, clients may choose a therapist that suits their needs and continue to work with that person.

Eligibility

All clients are welcome at The Graduate Clinic. Although no doctor’s note is required, it is essential that clients reveal pertinent medical information in order to ensure the health and safety of both you and our therapists. A limited number of walk-in appointments may be available, but it is usually best to have an appointment.

The Graduate Clinic reserves the right to not treat anyone who is unruly, inebriated or appears to be a danger to himself or herself or to others.

Cost

The cost per one-hour session is $75, payable by credit card either as pre-payment or at the time of treatment. Longer sessions are available at a pro-rated price. Please call for more information on 90-minute sessions.

Whereas many spas consider a one-hour session to be 50 minutes, our sessions are always 60 minutes long.

Unlike our student clinics, gratuities are appreciated and can be accepted either directly by the therapist or at the Clinic desk.

Clinic Hours

The Graduate Clinic holds its sessions on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings and Saturdays in the late afternoons.  Please contact us for more specific times.

How to Make an Appointment

You may call us at 212-924-5900, x. 268. A Clinic manager is generally present only during the school Clinic hours below:

  • Monday afternoons and most Monday evenings during our school semesters.
  • Tuesday evenings.
  • Wednesday mornings and evenings.
  • Thursday evenings.
  • Most Saturday and Sunday mornings and afternoons during our school semesters.

Please leave a message if no one is available. Someone will get back to you as soon as possible.

You may also e-mail us at [email protected].