The Massage Center school offers massage therapy students two accredited programs to become eligible for certification in the state of California. As part of the program, an elective class is offered in the area of hot stone massage. This course is 12 hours and teaches massage therapy students about the principles and application of hot stone massage. While this course is for students enrolled in the program, workshops are sometimes offered to the public in the centers in the towns of Thousand Oaks and Chatsworth.
The Hands on Healing Institute, located in Tujunga, offers a seven-hour class in heated stone therapy. The course focuses on the use of heated river rocks along with traditional Swedish massage to be able to take a client further into relaxation. Specific topics include using rocks as tools, gaining awareness of pressure, how this process benefits the massage therapist and keeping connected with the client.
The a2z Health Massage school offers basic massage therapist training programs as well as advanced electives for continuing education. Students can enroll in individual classes, such as the hot stone massage course. Other advanced courses include acupressure, anatomy, aromatherapy and chakra balancing. The hot stone class at a2z emphasizes increasing circulation in order to work deep tissues with minimal effort. Trainings are located in Thousand Oaks and Reseda.
The National Holistic Institute, based in Emeryville, offers a comprehensive 720 hour massage program for individuals interested in becoming certified massage therapists. The training includes a section on hot stone massage, which teaches therapists how to apply the stones as well as how to perform a massage while holding stones in her hands. The program also includes information on shiatsu, pre-natal, lymphatic, sports, deep tissue and Swedish massage theory and techniques.