IPSB – School of Holistic Massage Therapy

I am so happy that I enrolled in and completed my certified massage technician training at IPSB.
The school has great integrity, depth of knowledge, and a real commitment to teaching the practice of massage. This is not one of those trade schools where you can get a certificate in auto mechanics, dental hygiene or heating and air conditioning, this is strictly for serious massage practitioners!
Each of my instructors was fantastic, and each gave a slightly different perspective which was very useful to me and my colleagues. The school’s fees are reasonable, the policies are fair, and the facility is clean, well-​equipped and professionally and thoughtfully managed.
Real healing goes on through the IPSB experience, way more than I had realized when I signed up. I never imagined how deeply I would be changed by the experience. It made me a professional masseur, which allowed me to let go of my former career. I am happily self-​employed doing what I love.
I still have more to learn, and will take more classes to further my capabilities and master more techniques — generating more income for me as I work to heal even more clients. I highly recommend IPSB!

Been going to class for over a month now (150 hour message technician course) and I have to say that I am grateful for making the decision to come here. The instructors are all amazing (Toi, Jordan, and John), the ciriculum is structured for success, the people the school attracts are wonderful human beings, and the overall experience is so much more than I expected.
The Tai Chi is so relevant I cannot imagine how any other school can teach massage without it. If you are considering a career in body work (or even if you are not, like me who just wanted to try it out), this is definitely the place to be. If you are open minded and appreciate the holistic approach, check it out and you will not regret it!

Hands down the best massage school in town. Let me rephrase that, this is not just a massage school, this is a school of body work and healing. Anyways, I first attended IPSB in 2007. I got my license in Santa Monica shortly after and worked steadily for a couple of years in a casual day spa and also on my own doing home sessions. I took a detour for a few years as some things came up in my life and went off track. Fortunately I found my way back and have decided to update my license again. Happily, and to my surprise, many of the instructors, (who were also once students at IPSB), that were there 7 – 8 years ago are still teaching there! I believe that to be a very good sign. Every time I step into class I get excited to learn new skills and to be in the presence of such talented, knowledgable people who are also very passionate about healing. Even if you never become a body worker, you will learn so much from taking classes at this school. about yourself and about others. My only complaint is that it is so far from my house. The drive can be a bit of a bitch during rush hour. I wish they would open one on the east side of town. ;) Other than that… I would highly recommend this school.

This place is the best!
Wonderful staff who really want the best for you. I have made many great friends here in the past year, there is a real kinship between the students.
The courses are well put together and I’d guess work with most schedules. In my opinion the pricing is reasonable.
Sue, Gil, Jordan, John, Vincent and the rest of the staff make this a really great place to learn.

Why isn’t there a button for «silly reviews»? The complaints in the other reviews seem more like sour grapes … the sad facts is that state rules require you to have all your hours from one school; and it makes neither ethical nor practical sense to have huge gaps in your education (2+ years). Furthermore, the school is a business like any other and has to survive, but to claim that people are failed on purpose in an attempt to extract more money from students is just plain ridiculous. That being said, on to the positive. Great instruction and instructors, concern for students a very wide range of class offerings. Iif you really want doors opened inside your head that lead out into the world, whether you become a massage therapist or not, go to IPSB.

I went to this school several years ago. The training was pretty good both in anatomy and physiology. They also demonstrated other alternative healing practices like energy healing, etc. Actually I really enjoyed the classes and learned a few things (I had already been trained in massage). I was hired right away with a Chiropractor and continued my education at IPSB. I took the test and passed it along with the Tai Chi Test.
Around the time when classes were almost all done I had a family member fall ill and eventually had to leave the state for several months due to a death in the family. Well, I won’t put you through all the details but eventually I had to leave for several years. Came back and my Chiropractor hired me back but IPSB would not let me make up any homework time since it was past the 2 year grace period to make up that homework (I missed a few classes during the family thing, about 20 hours). Besides that, IPSB won’t give you your incomplete transcripts. They won’t give you anything. I was told I would have to pay and take the entire class all over again.
I really don’t mind taking the classes all over again because I had an awesome experience with them and I would recommend this school to anyone. But you must know that if you miss any classes for ANY reason and end up leaving for more than 2 years. You won’t be able to get any of your transcripts and they won’t take the hours you have completed and apply them to any current curriculum that you will be taking. In their words «you have to be and stay in the IPSB program». I was really hoping to get something even an incomplete transcript.
I want to go back to this school and take their 550 hour program but I can’t get passed them not wanting to transfer the hours I did complete and apply them to that program. I do blame myself for not taking care of this before leaving the state but it was a family emergency and when I came back I didn’t follow through. So, this is my experience. I hope this information helps someone out there. Don’t wait too long to make up any classes in case you have to leave for whatever reason…

I graduated from IPSB weeks ago and liked the training. However I am finding out that money is a big motivator for instuctors since they can purposely not pass you on their Tai Chi test just so you can pay for tutoring sessions at a rate of 40.00 per hour since they claim (you have to pay for their time outside of school), and then decide not to pass you again so that you can keep paying them the instructor 15.00 per class until he decides when and if you will pass. (I smell extortion). I am so disappointed with this one instructor which he decided not to pass me on tai chi 3 times because of what reason or another. I have already graduated from massage school previously, and passed all my tests, but never have i been denied my certificate because i didn’t dance correctly for the teachers. Since when do schools deny you certificates when you have done satisfactory work on written and practical massage and paid all the fees? Well this one for sure definitely wont pass you if you don’t embrace their form entirely as the one instructor put it. I don’t have to embrace the form just do it since i am not into New Age spirituality. The training is great but the personality of certain instructors, one in particular Jordan is really to be discerned. I refuse to give them anymore money!)
Furthermore, Customer service in the business office is just as bad. I accidentally wrote them a check in the wrong amount excess 200.00, and needed the funds immediately to pay bills. Call after call and promises of return calls, I had to continue to call for a refund which took excess of 2 weeks, and bills late. Its funny when you own them they come after you immediately like the government, but when they owe you you are waiting forever.

IPSB changed my life! The Institute of Psycho-​Structural Balancing has created a space for everyone who enters through their doors to embark upon his or her individual journey with love, support & acceptance and because of this, I learned how to give an incredible massage & to be a better person for myself and everyone around me! :~)
In 2002, I was an Assistant Director in the film industry working 12 – 16 hour days and was not feeling great about my contribution to human-​kind. After wrapping «Dodgball» I enrolled at the Institute of Psycho-​Structural Balancing with the intent to embrase my passion for massage & to provide the people working in the film industry with massage while they are on their feet for 12 – 16 hours a day.
Once I completed my initial 150 hours of training from IPSB I had a new prospective on life and a desire to learn more about the infinite possibilities in the way that touch can heal! I did, however, go back to work on a few more films only to prove to myself that bodywork is my path in this life! So when I completed the projects, I went back to the Institute of Psycho-​Structural Balancing to learn more modalities of touch and to enrich not only my life but the lives of everyone who is willing to receive my touch!
IPSB has given me first-​hand experience to see that uncoditional love, support & acceptance is more than something that only comes from my family!

i wouldn’t look into any other massage school. the instructors are amazing and are there for you to succeed and progress in this life. love the holistic and organic approach. love the tai chi relationship with massage. look forward to continuing advance classes.

Instuctors are nice there. However, if you work on weekends, or rely on weekend incomes, this school may not be the one for you because most of the hand-​on classes are on Saturdays and Sundays, which are the money –making days for massage therapists. That means, when you are not making money on the weekends but spending money on taking classes! There were some classes on weekdays but ended up they would cancel the classes for whatever reasons they have. Therefore, do not expect to finish the training as plan. I have been attending classes since 2009. I still will not be able to finish the 550 progame in 2011 because some weekdays classes were cancelled and now they only offer the classes I need on weekends! I cannot afford to give up working weekends in this economy…

In the late 90’s, I was set to go to another massage school when I met a massage therapist at a garage sale who implored me to at least check out and IPSB open house before making my decision. GLAD I DID! IPSB greatly exceeded my expectations and was a home away from home more then a school. Throughout the program and after I graduated I continued to TA (teacher assist) for a while for as I said in class, I like the person that I am when I am there. And oh by the way IPSB provided me with a top notch education and fully prepared me to enter the work force as a massage therapist. In addition to anatamony, strokes, and body mechanics, IPSB also covers business aspects, client therapist boundarys, and exposes to a multitude of modalities that you can follow up on if interested. Can’t help but note that IPSB massage therapists that I run into do tend to do better body mechanic wise then our peers. If nothing else, go to the open house if you’re thinking about it.

When it comes to massage schools, there are really bad stories out there. One student from another school shared her experience of only learning a single routine. At the end of class, she was asked to become a teacher to teach the same routine to other students. IPSB is so much better then that. The basic 150 hour level is a class packed with a wide range of material, one class we learned about sounding, another class we learned about postural analysis. The massage technique training started with Tai Chi to learn the proper body mechanics. There is a lot of group bonding going on in the 150 hour class.
The more advanced classes are really more advanced, it is like advancing into whole new territory, not simply learning more routines.
What I liked especially about the school is that they teach massage that takes the whole person into view, how massage influences us emotional, psychological, and energetical.