Featured Classes

(Highly recommended to take the classes in sequential order)

Trauma Informed Care (TIC) is increasingly being implemented by companies, hospitals, and health practices. As Massage Therapists, we adhere to ethical standards, and our training already aligns with TIC principles. This class will explain various types of trauma, the nuances of each, the six key factors of TIC, and how they intersect with massage therapy and health equity. TIC emphasizes understanding the prevalence of trauma, and it is more common than you think. This class explains how it can present in the treatment room while defining the scope of our practice to ensure a safe environment for both therapists and clients.

The class covers a bio-psycho-social approach to trauma, highlighting the ripple effect on individuals and its potential to cause chronic pain. It also focuses on the importance of building a safe therapeutic relationship through our interactions, words, tone, and demeanor.

Massage therapists work with fascia and muscles but also are highly influential to the nervous system. Understanding stress and trauma's impact on the nervous system can be advantageous. The class addresses related topics such as stress response, Polyvagal Theory, neuroplasticity, and therapeutic breathwork. It includes self-care, resilience strategies, and practical interventions to support clients' nervous systems for faster recovery.

Breathwork is highlighted as a powerful tool for managing stress and enhancing resilience. The class teaches techniques for both therapists and clients to optimize breathing, leading to longer-lasting relief and reduced stress. Proper breathing can prevent maladaptive postures and chronic upper back pain, making massages more effective and enjoyable.

Clients with a history of trauma may have a dysregulated nervous system, higher pain sensitivity, and chronic conditions that require gentle approaches. The class provides key techniques for regulating the nervous system, applicable to clients with pressure sensitivities.

Overall, the class aims to equip therapists with a deeper understanding of working with clients recovering from trauma, drawing on Brandi Higbee's expertise in injury treatment, stress management, Trauma Informed Care, Embodied Healing, and Breathwork.

Foundations #1

Trauma Informed Care for Massage Therapists

6 CEU

The fascia system is a complex network of fibers, cells, and fluid that plays a crucial role in bodily function. This class offers invaluable insights into understanding the fascia system and the mechanisms of tension within the body. Chronic pain is not merely a result of tight muscles; it stems from various underlying reasons.

This course delves into the fascial system's role in force transfer and its connection to the somatosensory system, shedding light on the origins of chronic pain, including unresolved pain and hypersensitization. Massage therapists can address conditions such as fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, and connective tissue disorders like Marfan and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. The course covers effective, gentle techniques for treating these patients and explores advancements in pain science, applying this research to massage therapy.

Neuroplasticity, which can either aid or hinder the pain cycle, is also examined. The class includes lectures and hands-on practice, focusing on common complaint areas such as the back, shoulder, neck, knee, and sciatica, and provides guidance on session planning for maximum benefit. Brandi Higbee has extensively studied the fascia system and its connection to chronic pain to better understand her clients.

Foundations #2

Fascia, Chronic Pain and Therapeutic Interventions

6 CEU

Many clients suffering from chronic pain have scar tissue that restricts them in various ways. While the brain understands that the injury or surgery occurred years ago, the body continues to protect the area, leading to chronic pain over time. This class aims to help therapists understand and assist clients who are unaware of the origins of their pain.

Building on the previous class, we will explore fascia and its role in scar tissue, mechano-transduction, and the healing process. The principles of biotensegrity will be explained to demonstrate how a scar can affect the entire body through predictable patterns. There will be ample hands-on time to learn, palpate and treatment techniques for actual scars.

Brandi Higbee conducted research based on this theory over the past decade and presented her findings at the 6th Annual Fascia Research Congress in 2022. She is excited to share this knowledge with other therapists, as it has been crucial in addressing perplexing cases and stalled rehabilitation outcomes.

Foundations # 3

Biotensegral Scar Tissue Therapy  

6 CEU

Coming Soon…

The Smart Deep Tissue Tutorial Series

  • Head, Face & Neck

  • Axillary Region, Thorax, Upper & Lower Arm, & Shoulder Complex

  • Abdomen & Torso (Middle /Low Back)

  • Pelvis, Pelvic Floor, Inguinal Region, Glutes, & Thigh

  • Popliteal Fossa, Knee Complex, Lower Leg, Ankle & Foot

These classes will be segmented into regions for an in-depth look at the following

  • Caution Areas - (and how to safely massage there)

  • Fascial Expansion Points

  • Force Transfer / Distribution

  • Flat Tendons/Aponeurotic Tissue

  • Muscle Compensation Patterns

  • Localized Massage Techniques

  • Scar Tissue Implications