Become Certified as an SFH Oncology Massage Therapist!
Cancer Rates and Survivorship are Rising!
There is an urgent need for knowledgeable and skilled healthcare practitioners capable of safely working with those affected.
This is essential training that all clinics should have.
Fundamentals of Oncology Massage Level 1 (one day)
Join us for the Level 1 Fundamentals of Oncology Massage course, designed to help you overcome any fear or misunderstanding about providing massage therapy to individuals living with cancer or who have undergone cancer treatments.
After this course, you will have the following:
Acquire knowledge of biomedical cancer treatments and the adaptations to pressure, site, duration, and position necessary to offer safe massage
Enhanced critical thinking skills necessary to work with a client with cancer
A checklist of how to recognize lymphedema and when to refer out
Introductory knowledge of integrative cancer care.
Increasing rates of cancer and survivorship require knowledgeable and skilled healthcare practitioners who can safely work with people with cancer. Fundamentals of Oncology Massage Level 1 will give you the foundation to confidently support oncology patients and cancer survivors.
This course is a prerequisite to the 3-day Oncology Soft Tissue Manipulation Level 2 course. Once both levels and the exam have been completed, you will be an SFH Oncology Massage Certified therapist.
Prerequisite for Level 2: Fundamentals of Oncology Massage Level 1
(Unless you have recently taken an oncology course or previously taken the Massage for people living with Cancer course)
Become proficient with the manipulation of soft tissues in patients affected by cancer. The Oncology Soft Tissue Manipulation course is a 3-day long course predominately hands-on. Based on Canadian Cancer Society standards, this highly anticipated course provides all Health Care providers with the knowledge and skills to safely and effectively provide soft tissue manipulation. Addressing the fear and misunderstanding of providing soft tissue manipulation to individuals who have had a cancer diagnosis, participants will gain insight into the mechanism behind cancer spread and how, with proper assessment and adaptations, muscle and joint manipulations can be very beneficial to this population. Scars that result from surgical incisions, medical devices (eg. drains inserted after surgery) as well as the broader tissue damage/scarring caused by radiation treatment will be addressed, and you will learn how to assess a scar based on stages of healing and, with that information, how to best treat scars. The surgical scar portion of the course will be very detailed.
Podcast
Not sure if this course is for you? Our instructor has a series of podcasts that may help you decide if this is the right course for you! Check them out below.
Students must be present for the whole duration of the course length to become certified.
Students must participate and safely execute all hands-on components of the course.
Students must pass the final written exam.
Please note that the instructors can ask the students to execute any hands-on component at any time. Refusal will deny you from the exam process and your certification.
SFH instructors can refuse students from writing the final exam if they feel that the participant cannot safely perform the material despite adequate training.
Although taking the exam is not mandatory to obtain credits from your association, certain insurance companies may insist on it as a prerequisite for covering your practice in this therapy. As a result, it’s recommended that you verify with your insurance provider to determine their criteria.
Exam: Within three days of course completion, Seminars for Health will send students an email with a link to access the online exam. You will have 14 days of access to complete your exam, starting when you sign up. Upon passing (>70%), log in to your online account to obtain your certificate. To view the digital certificate, navigate to your online account.
Remember to submit your certificates to your association to receive credit.
Benefits of Being an SFH Certified Therapist
It demonstrates your comprehension of the course material to a level where the certifying body is assured that you can safely integrate their teachings into your professional practice.
Certain insurance companies may insist you write an exam and be certified as a prerequisite for covering your practice in this therapy.
Being certified gives you confidence that you understand the material to put it into your practice safely.
By obtaining certification, you can confidently advertise to your clients that you are officially SFH certified.
Acquiring certification boosts your level of expertise among colleagues in your profession.
What Distinguishes “proof of attendance” from “Certification”?
Upon completion of our courses, students receive “proof of attendance”, which entitles them to the designated credits approved by their association. There’s no need to take an exam for getting continued education credits.
In contrast, students have the option to obtain certification by passing our exam. Upon passing all required exams, they’ll receive an SFH certificate that acknowledges they have met all the necessary requirements to become a “Certified Therapist.” Some insurance companies do require certification for coverage. It is recommended that you verify with your insurance provider to determine their criteria.
Looking for CEUs only
You can still receive your credits if you choose not to become certified.
Who qualifies to take this course?
All healthcare providers who work directly with oncology patients are welcome to take this course. Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Nursing staff, Massage Therapists, Acupuncturists, Athletic therapists, Manual Osteopaths, Osteopaths, Myotherapists, and Kinesiologists.
2nd Year Massage Therapy students who have completed Pathology are welcome.
Who is the Instructor?
Janet Penny, RMT and co-author of Oncology Massage: An Integrative Approach to Cancer Care (Handspring 2021, use discount code to get 20% off PENNY23) is instructing the SFH Oncology Massage Program for Seminars for Health. Janet has been practicing as a massage therapist in Ottawa, Ontario, since 2007. She is fascinated by the resiliency of the human body and all it goes through.
Janet’s massage practice focuses on working with people with cancer. Her treatment approach addresses the multi-faceted needs of oncology massage clients, including pre-and post-surgical treatments, scar tissue, radiation fibrosis, neuropathy, and pain within the complex context of the client’s emotions that pervade and influence the body.
Janet is the SFH instructor for:
Safe Practices in Oncology Massage – two-hour webinar
Fundamentals of Oncology Massage Level 1 – 7 hrs in-person class
Eligible employers can get government funding to help employees (Massage Therapists) access continuing education training.
This program can pay 2/3rds of the training cost for any of our courses that are three days in length. The employer of the therapist pays 1/3rd of the course cost.
Business owners (incorporated, unincorporated, sole-proprietor, partnerships) with four or fewer employees, including all owners, are eligible to receive the funding.
Take advantage of this excellent opportunity to save money on some of our most popular courses.
Eligible courses that have 21 hrs of in-class training.
SFH Orthopedic Massage
SFH Kinetic Massage
SFH Oncology Massage
Application criteria
Adding more than one in-person course is also accepted as long as there is a minimum of 21 hr of training. However, there is no limit to how many classes you apply for the grant, as long as there is only one government application and one Seminars for Health invoice.
This course contains proprietary information. None of the material in this course may be used without the explicit consent of Seminars for Health. Including paraphrasing or altered versions. Canadian copyright laws protect all Seminars for Health content. In addition, Seminars for Health reserves the right to pursue legal action against any illegal distributions or presentations of any items listed above.
I created this course to support, inspire and enable massage therapists to advance their treatment experience. Revolutionize yourself to be your best; start your journey to becoming an SFH Orthopedic Massage Therapist.