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We have many inquiries about seminars from practitioners
in countries outside of North America and Europe asking whether
we could come and teach our program. The answer is a qualified
"Yes."
TouchPro is interested in developing Affiliate organizations
such as we have in England. We are not interested in going
to a new location and simply teaching one-time. The only way
we will enter a country is with the idea of developing an
ongoing presence.
This, unfortunately, is not done quickly. The biggest roadblock
is developing high quality Trainers. We see expertise of our
Trainers as the linchpin of our program. From the time a practitioner
first attends our Seminar it takes a minimum of two years
to create a TouchPro Trainer. Please review the chart on the
Other Roles page.
The most ideal way for us to teach in a new country is to
have someone who is already a TouchPro Trainer and is fluent
in the local language move there.
The next, more common, scenario is to have one or two practitioners
from a new country come train with us in America. If they
like our program, and we like them, then they can proceed
through the certification process by commuting. Once they
have become Senior Practitioners we can begin to schedule
seminars in their country of origin. They can begin to assist
a TouchPro Trainer for the first three or four classes until
they are ready to teach themselves.
Another development path is to have one of the Senior Trainers
begin teaching on a regular schedule in the new country and
developing pool of local practitioners. This is more difficult
because all of the logistical considerations would have to
be resolved right away, rather than over time. Here are some
of those considerations.
- Before we start teaching in a new country, we need a thorough
understanding of the massage climate, including the status
of professional training, continuing education, and national
and local laws governing the profession.
- If a trainer is not fluent in the local language, the
whole seminar needs to be translated simultaneously. This
extends the total in-class hours from 25 to at least 30
and requires a fluently bilingual assistant.
- The seminar handouts (including video, audio, and print)
have to be translated.
- A budget needs to be prepared that covers the cost of
air transportation, accommodations, ground transportation,
and instructors fees. This is particularly a problem if
the local economy does not support the level of tuition
we charge in the USA, currently $380 for both the Technique
and Marketing seminars.
- Provision needs to be made for supplying the seminar with
massage chairs for the practitioners to work on; one chair
for every two students. Again, this can be quite expensive,
given shipping and duties.
- A clear plan for marketing the seminar to qualified practitioners
needs to be developed and in place. Typically this means
that there is an already established marketing channel to
massage practitioners; perhaps through a sponsoring school
or massage association.
- This is not an "entry-level" course. We presume
that our students have already been through a professional
training program and learned their anatomy, physiology,
hygiene, and basic touch skills. This is continuing education
only.
With these considerations in mind, we invite your inquiries
and will be happy to assist you in any other way we can. If
you have questions, drop us an email
or call to let
us know.
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