Training In Therapeutic Massage Therapy

In order to practice Therapeutic Massage Therapy (TMT) in South Africa one is legally required to be registered with the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA). It, therefore, follows that any training that is undertaken needs to be such as to permit registration.

Training Requirements
Currently, training for 2006 / 2007 comprises a two-year diploma course in TMT, which includes subjects of anatomy, physiology, chemistry, pathology, pathophysiology, theory of therapeutic massage, therapeutic massage practical as well as the additional subjects of business skills, nutrition, counselling and jurisprudence.

Training Institutions
For contact details of training institutions in South Africa, contact the AHPCSA.

Registration With AHPCSA
Upon graduation and prior to the commencement of professional practice, registration with the AHPCSA is required. All TMT graduates whose training has met the registration requirements will be required to successfully complete the Council registration Examination (CRE) prior to registration. CREs are held twice yearly, usually in March and August.

AHPCSA Contact Details
P O Box 31565, Wonderboom Poort 0033
Tel: 012 329 4001
Fax: 012 329 2279
E-mail: admin@ahpcsa.co.za
Website: www.ahpcsa.co.za

Important Note
It should be noted that it is not the name Therapeutic Massage Therapy that is registered but the practice of the profession. So, whether one calls it holistic massage therapy, relaxation massage therapy or sports massage therapy (to give just a few examples), they all fall under the umbrella of Therapeutic Massage Therapy and the legislation that governs a registered health profession. It should further be noted that Aromatherapy and Reflexology are not types of therapeutic massage therapy but registered health professions in their own right.

Short Courses, Workshops, etc
For information on short courses, workshops, etc please visit the Workshops section.