Heart Touch Training in
Compassionate Touch
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare certified massage therapists, body workers, and other medically licensed healthcare professionals to volunteer to provide weekly free massage to clients at one of our partner hospice organizations. Chaplains and caregivers may also enroll.
Using demonstrations, experiential exercises, lectures and group sharing, participants learn a mindful, compassionate approach to caring touch in working with individuals at the end stages of life or with those in hospital settings.
This course is a pre-requisite for taking Massage for Medically Fragile Infants and Children.
Course Content
- Mindful, Heart-centered Approach to Working with Medically Fragile and Terminally Ill Clients
- Positioning for Wheelchair and Bed bound Clients
- Client Assessment and Communication Skills
- Issues related to Aging, Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease
- Issues of Loss and Death
- Volunteer/Client Boundaries
- Volunteer Self Care
- Infection Control Procedures
- HIPAA Guidelines
Participant Benefits
- Heart Touch Training Manual
- Free TB Screening Test
- Free Background Check
- HIPAA Certification
- Certificate of Completion
- Twenty continuing education hours from the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) or from the California Board of Registered Nursing. Members of the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) may also earn twenty continuing education hours.
Our Hospice Partners
Graduates are placed with a partner hospice organization, based on geographic location.
Course Requirements
No prior massage or medical experience is needed to attend the course however most of partner hospices require 150 hours from a certified massage school or a medical license or credential (doctor, nurse, occupational or physical therapist) to volunteer.
Schedule
- 5:30 on Friday—registration opens
- 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm on Friday
- 9:00 am to 7:00 pm on Saturday
- 9:00 am to 7:00 pm on Sunday
Fee
Tuition is $250.00, due with application.
Location
The training is held at the offices of The Heart Touch Project
3400 Airport Avenue, Suite 42, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Click here for the application.
Click here for course calendar.
For more information, call Jennifer at 310-391-2558 or send an email to jennifer[at]hearttouch.org.

