Keep Growing – Keep Serving Your Clients
Whether you are renewing your license or simply want to sharpen your skills, our Continuing Education classes are designed to help you grow as a therapist and better serve your clients. We are proud to offer hands-on, accredited courses taught by experienced, practicing therapists.
Why Choose The Institute For Massage And Bodywork Therapy For Your Continuing Education?
You serve your clients and their needs, we believe where you receive your continuing education should care just as much as you do.
Accredited Hours
Our Continuing Education courses are approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, so every hour you spend with us counts towards your license renewal.
Hands On Learning
Just like our core program, our Continuing Education classes are built around real, practical experience and science – not just theory. You will leave with skills you can use immediately.
Local And Accessible
Quality Continuing Education options in the Fayetteville area are limited. We are here to change that. Great in-person training close to home, plus online courses are being added soon.
1
Browse Available Classes
Take a look at our current Continuing Education course offerings below. Each class lists the topic, CE hours offered, cost, and available dates.
2
Register For Your Class
Click the registration button on the class you want. You will be taken to our registration portal to secure your spot.
3
Show Up And Level Up
Come ready to learn. Our instructors are working therapists who bring real-world experience into every class.
Upcoming Classes
The Ethics of Presence: Silence, Emotional Labor, and Clinical Boundaries in Massage Therapy
Course ID: CE4027351
This course helps massage therapists strengthen therapeutic presence by learning how silence, non-verbal cues, vocal tone, and emotional regulation influence client comfort, trust, and treatment outcomes. By developing greater awareness of both the client’s subtle responses and the therapist’s own emotional state, participants can communicate more intentionally, maintain stronger professional boundaries, and provide more ethical, client-centered care.
CE Hours: 4 Hours
Cost: $80
Date: Please contact us for dates
Class is approved and ready to teach
More Details About This Course
This 4-hour continuing education course explores the often-overlooked clinical skills of silence, non-verbal communication, and emotional regulation within therapeutic massage sessions. Designed for licensed massage therapists, this course reframes silence not as an absence of communication, but as an intentional and ethical component of client care.
Participants will develop the ability to recognize and interpret subtle client cues—such as changes in breath patterns, muscle guarding, and body language—to guide clinical decision-making in real time. The course also examines the impact of vocal qualities, including tone, tempo, and volume, on the client’s nervous system and overall therapeutic experience.
A central focus of this course is the concept of the “professional mask” and the role of emotional labor in bodywork. Therapists will critically evaluate how to maintain a grounded, consistent presence while navigating personal stress, avoiding burnout, and upholding professional boundaries. Emphasis is placed on balancing authenticity with neutrality to ensure that the therapist’s internal state does not interfere with client outcomes.
Through lecture, guided discussion, and hands-on exercises, participants will gain practical strategies to enhance therapeutic presence, strengthen ethical decision-making, and create a more intentional, client-centered treatment environment.
This course is ideal for therapists seeking to deepen their clinical awareness, refine communication skills, and elevate the quality of care through mindful, ethical presence.
Foundations of Post-Isometric Relaxation (PIR): Principles, Physiology & Clinical Application
Course ID: CE4028209
This foundational course gives massage therapists the knowledge needed to apply Post-Isometric Relaxation safely, effectively, and with greater clinical precision. By understanding the science, neurophysiology, and principles behind PIR—and how it differs from other muscle energy techniques—participants will be better prepared to use the technique confidently and advance into region-specific PIR training.
CE Hours: 2 Hours
Cost: This will be included as a bundle, please contact us for details
Date: Please contact us for dates
More Details About This Course
Post-Isometric Relaxation (PIR) is one of the most precise and effective muscle energy techniques used to reduce muscle hypertonicity and restore normal range of motion. Before applying PIR to individual muscles, therapists must understand the science behind the technique, how it differs from other muscle energy methods, and the principles that make it clinically effective.
This course provides the essential foundation for learning PIR. Participants will explore the history and development of the technique, compare PIR with other muscle energy and stretching methods, examine the neurophysiology responsible for post-isometric relaxation, and learn the universal principles that guide safe and effective application. These concepts prepare participants for advanced regional PIR courses where individual muscle assessment and treatment techniques are taught.
Continue To Elevate Your Experience With NCBTMB Approved Continuing Education Classes
Your clients count on you to bring your best. Our Continuing Education classes make it easy to stay sharp, stay compliant, and stay passionate about the work you do. Browse our current offerings and register today — spots fill up fast.
Questions? We Have Answers.
Who are these classes for?
These Continuing Education classes are designed specifically for Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapists who are already practicing. If you have your license and are looking to expand your skills, deepen your knowledge, or simply fulfill your renewal requirements, you are in the right place. The therapists who seek out CE classes are the ones who truly care about the quality of care they provide to their clients — and that is exactly the kind of community we want to build here at IMBT.
Do these classes count toward my license renewal?
For North Carolina, yes. All of our Continuing Education courses are accredited and count toward the CE hours required to maintain your massage therapy license. IMBT is also an Approved Provider of Continuing Education through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB), meaning our courses meet the rigorous standards set by one of the most respected credentialing organizations in the profession.
If you practice outside of North Carolina, you need to check with your state to see if they will accept classes through NCBTMB.
How do I know the material taught is credible and up to date?
Every course offered at IMBT is grounded in science. We do not teach trends — we teach what the research supports. All of our course material is backed by current, peer-reviewed science with cited sources, so you can walk away from each class confident in both what you learned and why it works. Your clients deserve evidence-based care, and we are committed to helping you deliver it.
How do I register for a class?
Registration is simple. Each course listing on this page has a “Register Now” button that will take you directly to our registration portal to secure your spot. Spots are limited to keep class sizes small and the learning experience hands-on, so we recommend registering as soon as you see a class that interests you.
I did not attend IMBT for my initial training. Can I still take CE classes here?
Absolutely. Our Continuing Education program is open to any Licensed Massage Therapist, regardless of where you completed your initial training. We believe that great education should be accessible to every therapist who is committed to growing their practice — and with limited CE options in the Fayetteville area, we are proud to be a resource for the entire local LMBT community.
Please note that if you practice outside of North Carolina, your state needs to accept NCBTMB approved classes to count towards your renewal requirements.
Discounts may be available for IMBT Grads on a class by class basis.
We are proud to be an approved provider for continuing education through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB), meaning our courses meet the rigorous standards set by one of the most respected credentialing organizations in the profession.
NCBTMB Approved Provider #1003416
