The Sun Sunnyvale's Newspaper Photograph by Skye Dunlap The Human Touch De Anza College's massage program helps legitimize a once marginalized field By Pam Marino A group of De Anza College students is busy twice a week rubbing lots of people the right way, while learning a business that's set to explode in popularity in the next century. The students are part of a class called "Clinical Practicum in Massage Therapy." But it's not just a class, it's also one of the valley's best-kept secrets as a massage clinic. For $15, anyone can get a 45-minute massage from the advanced students, some of whom are already working professionally around the county. Students can get massages for $5, faculty for $10. And from the looks of contented clients as they come down refreshed and relaxed from the clinic's upstairs massage room, it's quite a deal. Although many private schools teach the art of massage, De Anza is one of only six colleges in the nation--one of two in California--to offer an associate degree in massage therapy. De Anza's classes are so popular, there's usually a waiting list. The clinic--which teaches students the business end of massage therapy--and the entire massage therapy program are the brainchildren of instructor Jeff Foreman. The courses were born out of necessity, when budget cuts forced the closure of another De Anza program for disabled students. The program, called hydrokinetics, helped disabled students exercise and improve their range of motion. The program hung on after Proposition 13 in the late '70s but finally got the ax about 10 years ago, Foreman said. "I like to service the disabled students because it helps them," Foreman said. "It helps reduce their pain and improve their circulation and flexibility. If you're in a long class and you're in pain, how can you sit through it?" After hydrokinetics was canceled, Foreman asked himself, "How can I get this back?" Forman, who had practiced massage as a form of therapy for athletes since he was in high school, decided he could start a class that would teach students how to massage. The subjects who would receive the massage: disabled students. "So my dream came true--we're helping disabled people," Foreman said. From that class in 1991, Foreman developed an entire program that gives students the opportunity to earn either a certificate of achievement in massage therapy, a certificate of proficiency or an associate arts degree. The certificate of achievement requires a total of 588 hours of training; most local cities require a minimum of 500 hours of training in order to be licensed as a massage therapist. Students start with an introductory course that Foreman calls "academically rigorous," which includes anatomy and physiology. It's designed to filter out those people who think massage is just for fun and retain those who are serious about continuing toward a career. Last June De Anza graduated its first three students with associate arts degrees in massage therapy. Foreman, who said he's never advertised the program to the general public until now, expects that number will grow each year. There are approximately 75 students enrolled. A beginning class is available in the spring quarter. The program also provides continuing education for people who are already working in the field, as well as in other fields such as nursing. Massage therapy is becoming increasingly popular in the United States as its health benefits become more well-known. Before medicine in early human history, massage was often the only form of relief available, Foreman said. In the Dark Ages, however, touching became taboo in Western culture. "If you touched someone and made them feel better, you were burned at the stake as a witch," Foreman said. But massage continued to be used in other parts of the world, and around the turn of this century it became more accepted in Europe. After World War I, massage was used in this country to help returning wounded soldiers. By the 1950s, however, Americans were looking for "a magic pill," Forman said. "Massage was put on the back burner," he said. "It became more associated with brothels and the red-light district." In the 1980s the American Massage Therapy Association was formed and a certification process developed, which helped legitimize the profession. The first national certification exam was offered in June 1992--and Foreman was one of the first people in the country to take the exam. The profession is expected to continue to grow as massage becomes more accepted as a way to relieve pain, decrease stress, prevent injuries and improve health. The De Anza clinic, which is open two mornings a week during the winter quarter, gives advanced massage therapy students a chance to learn about the growing business. "Right from the first day I tell them this is your clinic," Foreman said. "Of course, I've been doing this a long time so I steer them in the right direction." As well as giving the massages, students answer phones, arrange appointments, confer with clients, fill out paperwork, keep track of expenses and advertise for business. The clinic is so popular among students, faculty and retired faculty that its 11 tables are usually filled. "It's excellent, it's outstanding," said Gary Ressa, a retired faculty member who looks forward to the clinic every winter. "It gets me out of hibernation." Clients must make reservations in advance and pay by check at the cashier window in the administration building. Before coming, they are advised to take a warm shower. Once at the clinic, they fill out a brief recent medical history form and then are led upstairs to the massage tables. The room is kept extremely quiet--only whispering is allowed--with the faintest of soothing music playing in the background. No nudity is allowed, so clients are told to wear a bathing suit under their clothes so that they can disrobe quickly. The students keep the clients covered with white sheets during the massage. Ressa said the massages help relax him, and promote "good mental stimulation." Overall, Ressa called the clinic "a good deal." Students interviewed said a career in massage therapy is a good deal as well. "It's nice to help people," Cat Dagostino said. "It's also a very low-stress job." Dagostino called massage "a gift you can give to loved ones; a skill you can use your entire life." Like other students in the program, Dagostino is already working in the field. She works for a physical therapy clinic and a salon. She has already completed De Anza's physical therapy assisting program; she said she will be more employable if she also completes the massage therapy program. Student Ti Pence completed a program at a private massage school and clinic, but he is taking the clinic class to fill in his knowledge about massage. "It's just amazing what you can do so people don't have to go to doctors and pay a lot of money," Pence said of massage. In the end, Foreman and his students said, there's nothing like human touch to help heal and to remain healthy. "We all need to be touched," Foreman said. The clinic runs through March 18 and is open Tuesdays and Thursdays. Appointments are available at 9:15 a.m., 10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Call 408-864-5645 for information. [ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, January 20, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.