Course Conventions and Content

test composed of one hundred multiple choice questions. Furthermore, it must be taken at a test center in one of the fifty United States.

When you pass the written exam, you are not yet a massage therapist. Rather, you have a license to become a massage therapist. There are many more steps you will encounter as you move along the entire hiring process.

In a little bit, I will give you a brief overview of what you will hear in this course. Before I do, though, I want to tell you about what you can expect as we go through the material together. Thank you, again, for your interest in the course, and for your desire to help people increase their overall wellbeing through massage therapy. If you are ready, let’s begin.

COURSE CONVENTIONS AND CONTENT

Welcome to the section on the course conventions and content! When I say course conventions, I mean how I will present the course material to you. The course is divided up into several chapters, with many of those chapters being split up into smaller sections. Each time I start a new section or chapter, I will give you its name.

During the course, I will present small quizzes to you. You will find the quiz material in the Follow-Along PDF Manual. I will discuss that a bit later. These quizzes are used to help you learn the material and retain the information. Take the quiz and consult the answer key to see how well you understand the material. Alternatively, I will discuss the correct answers in the lectures, so you can pause the audio, take the quiz in the PDF manual, and then listen for the correct answers. Quizzes are typically found near the end of a chapter and consist of ten questions.

To help you summarize and retain as much information as possible, I will finish every chapter with a list of takeaways the most important points to remember from the chapter. There will typically be ten of these important points. At the end of short chapters, though, I may limit it to five.

I addition to quizzes, each Audio Learn test preparation course comes with a final exam that you will find in the Follow along PDF Manual. The exam has one hundred questions

and provides an accurate sampling of the questions you will find on the actual certification test. This is your chance to put all that you have learned in the course to good use. You will develop a good sense as to how ready you are to register for and take the MBLEx certification exam.

I mentioned a Follow-Along PDF Manual a bit earlier. Each Audio Learn course comes with a companion study guide a Follow-Along PDF Manual.

These manuals contain summaries of important material as well as links to supplemental information. They contain quizzes as well as your final exam for the course. You can print out the manual or read it in digital format. Should you decide to print out the Follow along PDF Manual, you can also use it to write additional comments and notes as you see fit. This strategy often helps individuals retain the information and better understand the material.

During the course of my lectures, I will probably use the expression “he or she” or “him or her.” While it is a bit more awkward to speak in those terms, it is important for me to acknowledge the fact that more women are interested in becoming massage therapists. Statistics from a survey completed in two thousand and eighteen show that the field of massage therapy is predominantly female, with eighty eight percent of licensed therapists being female. It is not, however, uncommon to work with male therapists.

For many learners, repetition is invaluable for effective learning. Soon you will discover that I will repeat many terms and concepts. When you hear ideas that have been repeated, even multiple times, take note of them. We consider them to be very important concepts.

Speaking of repetition, I whole heartedly recommend your listening to every lecture in this course at least twice, or even more if you have the time. You are about to be given a great deal of information: facts, terminology, techniques, and suggestions for supplemental study. It will be extremely difficult for you to fully grasp everything in just one listen. Depending on where you are listening, you can take notes as well. Many chapters are best absorbed if you can sit and follow along in the PDF manual as I present the material. If, however, you are only able to listen while commuting to work, for example, forget the manual for now. Consult it when the time is more appropriate,

and you can focus on reading. You can still get valuable information just by hearing what I have to say.

Now, I want to give you an outline of the material I will present to you. This is just an overview to allow you to hear what to expect from the course. I hope that much of what you hear motivates you to listen to the entire course. I also hope it excites you about the prospect of becoming a licensed massage therapist.

My lectures will begin as I give you the basic profile of a licensed massage therapist. It includes not only the skills you will need, but also the responsibilities and duties you can expect upon being hired or opening a private practice.

From there, I will walk through the process of applying for and taking the MBLEx certification exam: eligibility criteria, registration, how to prepare, test center regulations, and what are the policies related to results and retakes.

Once your application to take the written exam is accepted, what comes next? The written exam is the first step in the hiring process. If you do not pass, then your path to becoming licensed massage therapist ends there unless you retake the test and pass. So, I will tell you about the written test. At this point, my explanation will just be a summary.

Next, I will get into the nitty gritty of the written examination. Here is where you can expect to get most of the quizzes in the course. After providing an introductory overview of the test structure, I will cover material about general test taking. For example, what is the best and most effective way to navigate through a written multiple choice test? And what are some scientifically based study habits? Or, what should you do during the time leading up to your test date?

As I get into specific topics, I will discuss human anatomy and physiology. This will include information on system structure and the function of circulation. I will discuss other topics such as digestion, endocrinology, integumentary function, lymphatic function, and muscles. You will hear about the nervous system, reproduction, respiration, skeletal function, senses, and finally, urinary function.

Then I will cover Kinesiology. This information will provide you with an in depth study of muscle function, movement, joints, and more. After that comes a lecture on pathology, contraindications, areas of caution, and special populations. These sections will provide you with the necessary information surrounding the human body and how it can be manipulated.

What follows will be more specific to massage therapy and the benefits of touch.

Leaving human anatomy behind, I will discuss the benefits and physiological effects of techniques that manipulate soft tissue. This section will focus on different techniques and modalities and how they can be employed to help individuals.

Now that you have learned all about how the body works and the benefits of tissue manipulation, I will discuss client assessment, reassessment, and treatment planning. This will include information on sessions, consultations, data collection, goal setting, and more.

From clinical information, I will shift to ethics, boundaries, laws, and regulations. In this section, I will specifically discuss ethical behavior, professional boundaries, the client therapist relationship, misconduct, and scope of practice. In this section, I will also cover communication and confidentially. I will provide you with the information that is important to running an ethical massage therapy practice.

Then comes the final section: Guidelines for professional practice. This section will include information on what it takes to be a professional massage therapist. Specifically, I will discuss proper and safe use of equipment, therapist hygiene, sanitation and cleanliness, and safety practices. Other important aspects of professional practice that will be covered include: therapist care, draping clients, and business practices. At the end of this section, you should have a good idea of how a professional massage therapy center or practice runs.

The course will close out with a summary of the steps you need to follow once you pass the MBLEx certification exam. Now that you have received your exam results, what happens next on your road to becoming a licensed massage therapist?

You can hear that we have quite a bit to cover. Work at a pace makes sense to you and enables you to absorb the information effectively. Listen as often as you can. Retake written portions of the test questions I present, especially if you get anything wrong. Remember, the whole purpose of your taking this course is to put yourself in the best position to successfully take the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination. The more you know the material and the more you understand the information, the more prepared you will be. In addition, the more you know about the other necessary requirements, the more prepared you will be for your career as a massage therapist.