How do I practice Acupressure legally in California? In other states?
Acupressure is usually included under the category of massage therapy and/or bodywork in state legislation. Thus, to obtain a business license a practitioner must meet the qualifications to practice massage. The state of California has set a minimum of 100 hours of education for licensed massage therapists, and has allowed individual cities and counties to formulate their own qualifications depending on their needs. Therefore the requirements vary widely—from 100 hours to 1000 hours within California alone. And, if you want to practice in more than one city, you must fulfill the business license requirements for massage of each separate entity within which you plan to work (unless you can convince the town/county that acupressure is not necessarily considered massage). If you plan to work for someone else and not own your own business, the requirements are usually different for being an employee versus an independent contractor. Make sure you know what you are aiming for. Also, many cities do not allow you to work out of your residence. You will probably have to call the business license office in your town for detailed information.
For updated information on specific state requirements go to:
www.careeratyourfingertips.com

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What is the difference between the Acupressure and Shiatsu program?
The 150-hour program can result in a certificate saying either Shiatsu or Acupressure. The difference between the programs is in the electives you choose. For the acupressure certificate you can choose any three electives from the seven basic electives, including some shiatsu electives. Any electives you do not take in the 150 hour program can be taken as part of an advanced training program.
Shiatsu is a specific style, or modality, of acupressure that originated in Japan. It is a rhythmic and deep form of acupressure. It is a popular form of massage, especially along the Pacific Rim. The shiatsu electives are Zen Shiatsu, Tui Na (Chinese meridian massage), and Ashiatsu (Barefoot shiatsu). You do not have to take all the Shiatsu electives to give a shiatsu treatment; you can complete the 150-hour acupressure certificate and still incorporate shiatsu into your bodywork sessions. Should you then choose to focus more on shiatsu, you can enroll in the 200-hour Advanced Shiatsu program.

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Do you offer a payment plan? Scholarships? Loans?
We do not offer scholarships or student loans, although we can accept them as payment if obtained from outside organizations. If you cannot pay the full cost of the program upon registration, you are welcome to put down a $200 deposit (which is considered the last payment of the program and includes the registration fee) and pay class by class until you have paid the full cost of the program. We allow a year to complete the 150 hour program, two years for the 200 and four years for the 850, so there is ample time to spread the payments out.
We do offer a Work Trade program, which has been created with the intent of offering financial assistance to students who may otherwise be unable to attend the Acupressure Institute. A prospective work trade applicant is required to enroll in a program (pay the deposit) to be eligible for work. An application must be filed and an interview will occur to assure that the student can meet the needs of the staff in regard to schedule and task. If scheduling and tasks can be arranged, a contractual agreement stating work trade amount and hourly wage will be made by the student with the work trade supervisor. A maximum of half of the program cost (after deposit) may be agreed upon for the contract. Any work trade credit accumulated must be applied toward the program cost.
Once the work trade contract amount has been determined, the student has two payment options: 1) the student can choose to pay the remaining amount of the program cost up front, which would secure their place in their selected classes, or 2) they can choose to pay as they go; which would entail paying for half of the class, and applying work trade credit to the other half once the hours have been worked. If the student chooses the pay-as-they-go method, their position in the classes will be secured (a number given) once they have successfully completed the work trade probationary period and proven their reliability. However, if this option is chosen, the classes must be spread out over time in such a way as to allow the student time to work off half of the class cost prior to taking the class. A work trade student who has not completed the contracted amount of work for their program cost will not receive a certificate until the program has been paid in full. It is understood that the work trade contract amount is for the payment of program fees only, and cannot be received in cash.
Work trade is a valuable program to both staff and students, and the Acupressure Institute wants this partnership to be a success. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the school or e-mail us at: worktrade@acupressure.com.

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How fast can I complete the program and start practicing?
The 150-hour program is offered five times a year as an “intensive” which means that all the required classes are scheduled within four weeks. We offer this schedule because we know many people are eager to start their practices, and some may be travelling to Berkeley from long distances, and can only stay for a short period of time.
The advanced programs may also be taken in intensive form. We schedule Emotional Balancing and Women’s Health 200-hour intensives at least once a year. It is also possible to meet with a student counselor, in person or via phone, and organize your own intensive schedule. People have completed the 850-hour program by creating their own four to five week intensive schedules, finishing the entire program in three trips to Berkeley over two years’ time.

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Do I have to wait for the “new semester” to start my classes?
The Acupressure Institute offers an ongoing schedule, meaning you can start the program whenever you are ready! We try to schedule the classes so they are available to people with different needs—we offer weekend classes, night classes, and weekday classes. In this way even the busiest person can complete the Basic training program.

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Do you provide job placement?
We do not have a formal job placement program, however we do have counselors available to assist you in defining your goals and career path. We have a bulletin board where many employers post openings, as well as a career and volunteer opportunities notebook that we update and make available to our students. Give us a call to meet with the appropriate counselor for career counseling.