How much training and experience do Thai Massage Practitioners require?
Sirius Health is proud of our team. But we believe that an excellent Thai massage practitioner is continually challenging themselves to become better and deepen their knowledge of Thai massage.
We have created a practitioner roadmap for our clinic that consists of seven different levels of Thai massage proficiency. Each class has explicit criteria, including association membership, hours of hands-on training, hours of practice, years of experience, and the number of certifications in Thai massage modalities. Our practitioner rates then correlate with these seven different levels of Thai massage proficiency.
Training + Practice + Experience = Proficiency
The advantage to our customers is twofold. First, since we document the progress of our practitioners each step of the way, there is no surprise when the rates rise for a practicing practitioner. But more importantly, the more we learn and progress in our professional field, the better service we can offer you when you book with us at Sirius Health.
Accreditation
The Natural Health Practitioners of Canada (NHPC) represents over 6,300 practitioners that work in over 60 massage and holistic health practices, including Thai massage. NHPC is committed to strengthening and maintaining professional standards for its practitioners across Canada.
Certified Thai Practitioner: To certify as a Thai massage practitioner, NHPC requires that a practitioner have a minimum of 150 hours of in-person training at Thai massage schools recognized by NHPC.
Thai Healing Alliance International (THAI) is an international network of massage therapists, teachers and schools that work in traditional Thai massage. THAI promotes basic standards of study and practice of traditional Thai massage worldwide and offers the general public information about Thai healing arts.
Registered Thai Therapist (RTT): The minimum requirements to become an RTT are 250 hours of formal hands-on training with two different teachers or schools, and 40% of this training must be with teachers or schools affiliated with THAI. And at least 18 months must have elapsed since the completion of your first training.
Advanced Registered Thai Therapist (Advanced RTT): The minimum requirements to become an Advanced RTT are 350 hours of formal hands-on training with at least three different teachers or schools, two of which must be associated with THAI. Advanced RTT members must also have studied at least once in Thailand and have completed at least 10 hours of Thai cultural studies. At least three years must have elapsed since the completion of the practitioners first training in Thai massage.
Registered Instructor: The minimum requirements to become a Registered Instructor are 500 hours of formal hands-on training with at least three different teachers or schools, and 40% of this training must be with teachers or schools affiliated with THAI. Registered Instructors must have a wide range of study and experience with many different teachers over a minimum period of 3 years. In addition to manual techniques, they should also have some study experience in Thai acupressure protocols and basic knowledge of Thai element theory.
Hands-On Training
With formal hands-on training, a student learns Thai massage by performing massage on other students under an instructor’s guidance. Working with instructors and other students in person provides opportunities for a more significant interaction. More importantly, the instructor is available to work with the student to provide guidance.
Certified Thai Practitioner: NHPC requires that a practitioner have a minimum of 150 hours of in-person training.
Registered Thai Therapist (RTT): THAI requires 250 hours of formal hands-on training for a Registered Thai Therapist.
Advanced Registered Thai Therapist (Advanced RTT): The minimum requirements to become an Advanced RTT are 350 hours of formal hands-on training. Advanced RTT members must also have completed at least 10 hours of Thai cultural studies.
Registered Instructor: The minimum requirements to become a Registered Instructor are 500 hours of formal hands-on training. In addition to manual techniques, they should also have some study experience in Thai acupressure protocols and basic knowledge of Thai element theory.
Schools Attended
In the Western tradition, becoming an expert means becoming more and more specialized in your field. Thai massage is not a static discipline with an established set of techniques taught identically in every Thai massage school. Schools share the basic understanding of Thai massage, but each school does Thai massage a bit differently.
Two Thai massage practitioners who come from two different Thai massage schools will do Thai massage differently. So to become more proficient in Thai massage, a practitioner must learn from more than one school.
Certified Thai Practitioner: NHPC requires that a practitioner only study at one NHPC-approved school.
Registered Thai Therapist (RTT): THAI requires formal hands-on training with two different teachers or schools, and 40% of this training must be with teachers or schools affiliated with THAI.
Advanced Registered Thai Therapist (Advanced RTT): The minimum requirements to become an Advanced RTT are 350 hours of formal hands-on training with at least three different teachers or schools, two of which must be associated with THAI. Advanced RTT members must also have studied at least once in Thailand.
Registered Instructor: A Registered Instructor must have a wide range of study and experience with at least three different teachers or schools, and 40% of this training must be with teachers or schools affiliated with THAI.
Client and Teaching Hours
Simply learning new skills is only the first step to proficiency. Once a practitioner learns new skills, the next step is to deliberately practise the acquired skills. Deliberate practice involves attention, rehearsal and repetition and leads to new knowledge or skills that can develop into more complex understanding.
Neither NHPC nor THAI requires specific hours of client practice or teaching practice for their designations.
Years Experience
The final component to proficiency is experience. The difference between practice and experience is that practice is usually done in a controlled environment. But the real world has many more variables. The more you encounter a variety of different variables, the better you become at dealing with and anticipating them.
Certified Thai Practitioner: A practitioner may apply for certification upon completing their hours of hands-on training at an approved school.
Registered Thai Therapist (RTT): THAI requires that 18 months pass after a student first studies Thai massage before they are eligible to become an RTT.
Advanced Registered Thai Therapist (Advanced RTT): THAI requires at least three years of practice before a practitioner can qualify as an Advanced RTT.
Registered Instructor: A Registered Instructor does not require any more hours of practice than an Advanced RTT, simple more training.
Sirius Health Practitioner Roadmap
A Student Practitioner requires no formal hands-on training, and the Apprentice Practitioner requires 60 hours of training, which is equivalent to taking Level 1 and 2 at most Thai massage schools. The Certified Practitioner must meet the same requirements of NHPC, while THAI requirements define the education requirements for the Registered, Advanced and Instructor Practitioners. The Senior Practitioner must receive an additional 500 hours of hands-on training after becoming a Registered Instructor.
The Student practitioner does not require any hours of practice as it is a learning position, but the Apprentice practitioner requires at least 60 hours of training. For a Certified Practitioner, Sirius Health requires a minimum of 150 hours of client sessions in addition to the 150 hours of training.
Once a practitioner is certified, we set the bar even higher and require 10 hours of practice for every 1 hour of study needed from a previous level. For example, to move from being Certified to Registered, a practitioner needs to accumulate 10 hours of practice for each of the 150 hours they spent training to be Certified. Likewise, a Registered practitioner needs to complete 10 hours of preparation for each of the 250 hours they spent training. And so on up the list.
If a practitioner wishes to advance beyond the level of Advanced RTT, they will need additional skills such as communicating well, organizing subject material and more. The best way to learn is to practice teaching Thai massage, so we require teaching hours equal to the number of hours of hands-on training necessary for both the Instructor and Senior Practitioner.
Student Practitioner
Rate: $50/hr
Accreditation: None
Hands-On Training: 0
Client Hours: 0
Apprentice Practitioner
Rate: $60/hr
Accreditation: None
Hands-On Training: 60 hrs
Client Hours: 60 hrs
Certified Practitioner
Rate: $70/hr
Accreditation: NHPC
Designation: Certified Thai Practitioner
Hands-On Training: 150 hrs
Schools Attended: 1
Client Hours: 150 hrs
Years Experience: 0
Level 1 Modalities: 1+
Level 2 Modalities: 0
Level 3 Modalities: 0