Destress After Class at the Spa

Massage therapy clinic at Centennial College  (Photo courtesy: Janice Yeung)

“Are you stressed?” might have already become a rhetorical question for college students. Endless deadlines, mounds of textbooks to read, pages and pages of papers to write are only a few examples of how stressful college life can be. But don't sweat, there is an alternative to watching television, going on Facebook or shopping when you need to 'de-stress' after school. There is a Massage Therapy Public Clinic situated right on Centennial College's Morningside campus in Room 224 at the Centennial Science and Technology Centre. It is managed by students yet provides high quality professional massage therapy services without the costly price tags.

According to Lori Copeland, Massage Therapy programme instructor, this discipline of study has been established at Centennial College since 1995. Students learn to treat sports injuries, back pains, stress related symptoms and other physical conditions with medical and clinical knowledge. The Public Clinic on campus allows students in this programme to perform their field placement terms which is included in the package of their course requirements. Students also participate in other programmes such as the annual free massage therapy sessions provided to infants and expectant mothers. On October 17, they will also be volunteering at the GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon to provide therapy services to runners after the race. “These outreach events allow our students to gain experiences of on-site therapy while also promoting Centennial's Massage Therapy Programme,' said Copeland.

The Massage Therapy Public Clinic provides services to both students on campus and visitors from outside. Student therapists are supervised by Registered Massage Therapists while they ask customers questions about their health conditions and design individualized treatments that focus on the person's specific needs. Different types of massage therapy are practiced at the clinic, including hot stone massage, hydrotherapy, aromatherapy massage, shiatsu and more. Other services such as manicures, pedicures and facials are also provided to offer a complete pampering experience for the customer. The price of a 70 minute massage therapy session is $7 for Massage Therapy students and $35 for Centennial students from other programmes and visitors from outside.

Third year Massage Therapy student Micheala Williams attends to customers at the receptionist desk of the Massage Therapy Public Clinic as part of her field placement. She describes the course as being “challenging, with a lot of critical thinking”, yet also feels that the practice she recieves is valuable and would aid her in becoming a Registered Massage Therapist in the future. She also says that it is by “word of mouth that students come to this Clinic”. Hopefully with this article, these 'words in print' may be able to lure you to try out this convenient facility on campus. Spare an hour after class and allow on-site student therapists to massage your tension and worries away.

This article was originally published in The Courier (published by the Centennial College Student Association Inc.)  on Sept. 30, 2010.