Providing an exceptional massage therapy education for a career you will love while helping others!
Let us put a profession into your hands!
Angie Ruley
Rustic Relaxation, rural Baldwin Iowa
A music teacher in the public schools for 18 years, Angie was ready for a career change that allowed her a better life balance. The part time program was a perfect opportunity for her to continue as a full time teacher while still being a full time “Mom”. Were there sacrifices in time and energy over the time in our program? For sure! Was it worth it? DEFINITELY!
If you build it, they will come! A famous Iowa quote that also applies to Angie and her massage business. Living in the country, Angie created a rural oasis for her client within her home. Her home office is incredible and even includes an option for massages done outside! With her education at CCMT and as a level two Reiki practitioner, she is able utilize all modalities within a client’s time for an optimal wellness experience.
Angie has created a career as a massage therapist that is perfect for her! A career in massage therapy allows for flexibility and time with her two kids, Mia 14 and Brad 10 which is her primary desire.
We are proud of you, Angie. You took the leap of faith to leave a career of nearly two decades that you were phenomenal at. Now you have built the perfect place of peace and healing for you and your clients. As you and your clients have learned, you are ALSO phenomenal massage therapist! Keep up the great work!
Nicole Sander
Drift Away within Salon 30 (Lisbon, IA)
A busy single mother of three kids (teens and tweens!) that needed a change. Meet Nicole Sander, a graduate of our Spring 2019 Part Time program. She knew she wanted a career that brought joy, fulfillment, passion and life balance. Nicole held a family meeting and got the support of her kids to attend our part time program. This was truly a commitment made by her entire family. The part time program meets three evenings a week and the scheduled Saturdays. This meant that for nearly a year mom would be busy doing “her” thing attending CCMT and working full time. Plus there was the needed study and practice time….although I think the kids enjoyed the practice massages very much! It was well worth that sacrifice!
In early 2020 Nicole graduated CCMT and opened her business, Drift Away Massage. Drift Away is in Lisbon within Salon30. Nicole enjoys working with a diverse clientele including those seeking relaxation massage and those that need rehabilitation techniques. Owning her own business allows Nicole to be available for softball games, volleyball matches, school dances and anything else necessary for her and her family.
Nicole, we are proud you are a CCMT graduate and thank you for letting us be a part of your journey!
There is not a better person to represent the massage therapy profession or CCMT. Congratulations on finding balance in your life!
Paris Smith
Motion Studio (San Francisco, CA)
Paris has known forever she wanted to have a career that was rewarding and made a difference. She attended Simpson College and earned her BA in Criminal Justice. Criminal justice is a great career with tons of rewards but it just was not the perfect fit for her so she kept soul searching. While recovering from many elbow surgeries, Paris found some of her best pain relief came from the work she received from her massage therapist. That’s it! Become a massage therapist that focuses in on injury rehabilitation!
Paris enrolled on a Sunday afternoon (literally!), moved temporarily from Ankeny to Anamosa and joined the Full 2019 Time program the following week! This group of students she became a part of was special. They laughed together, cried together and even had disagreements at times too. Just like a family, they supported each other as they successfully completed our program.
Today Paris is achieving her dream. She is the owner of Motion Studio in San Francisco. She is working with the clients that brought her to our profession: athletes and those needing rehabilitation. Daily she is experiencing reward and gratitude as she assists a client out of pain and back to normal functioning.
Keep up the incredible work, Paris. You are doing great things for your clients and our profession. We are all extremely proud you are a CCMT graduate!
Nathan Porter
Lifetime Athletic Club (Urbandale, IA)
Nathan is a graduate from our Spring 2017 Full Time program. Nathan came to us after he experienced a labrum tear in his left shoulder. During the rehabilitation from that injury he found massage to be a critical component in his care. In his previous work as a CNA, Nathan loved the patient care and found the relationships to be rewarding. These experiences, along with Nathan’s fascination with the human body, led him to investigate a career as a massage therapist.
While living in the Des Moines area, Nathan began interviewing massage therapists and researching schools online to find the school that best fit his career goals. The feedback he received was that attending Carlson College of Massage Therapy would best align with his professional goal of working in a rehabilitative and sport performance setting after graduation. We could not have been happier that Nathan choose to attend CCMT!
Shortly after graduation Nathan took his talents to Lifetime Athletic Club in Urbandale where he is predominately working with athletes to assist them to return to peak performance following an injury or pain. “Everyday is something new and I use my CCMT massage techniques daily. I love trouble shooting a client’s problem area and finding the root cause of their pain. I enjoy showing them ways to isolate areas with stretches, and now that I have my Pilates instructor certification, I am recommending corrective exercises too.”
Nathan, we are so proud of the young man you are and the work you are doing. Thank you for choosing Carlson College of Massage Therapy and congratulations on your personal and professional successes.
Terry Tikovitsch
River Reflections (Iowa Falls, IA)
An encore career! Terry joined our Spring 2015 Full Time program following nine years as the director of the local library in Iowa Falls. Today Terry is enjoying a career in massage therapy that is on her terms. She works as much (or as little) as she wants and that suites her PERFECTLY. Terry set up her business out of her home which has a wonderful backyard that borders the Iowa River. An oasis to enjoy with her clients and the basis for her business name, River Reflections.
We are so proud of you, Terry. Thank you for representing CCMT and the massage profession so wonderfully. Keep up the great work!
Graduate Spotlight
Chantal (Channy) Sheridan
Hands in Harmony (Cedar Rapids, IA)
Channy is a graduate from our Fall 2015 Part Time program. Channy knew since she was a child that she wanted to do something with her life that was meaningful and something that helped others. Massage therapy was the answer to her personal life puzzle.
After graduating in the fall of 2016, Channy took her passion to help others and her awesome massage skills and joined the team at Hands in Harmony. It is there that Channy and her family of massage therapists provide outstanding care to the corridor.
Fast forward to today…..Channy is a new mother to Brynlee (what a cutie!). Her career as a licensed massage therapist allows a great balance between working and being a parent. We are guessing Brynlee is benefiting from the Infant Massage portion of our curriculum!
Channy we are so proud of the life you have created with your massage education. Brynlee is a lucky little girl to have a mommy like you to look up to!
“To serve others” is a phrase that best describes Ashlyn. Ashlyn has always wanted a career that allowed her to help people and to express herself. Starting her professional life as an Occupational Therapy Assistant and adding Licensed Massage Therapist to her expertise is a great way to achieve these goals and truly make a difference in the lives of others.
Ashlyn attended Kirkwood community college and graduated in 2019 as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA/L). Ashlyn enrolled at CCMT in the Spring 2020 Part Time Program (forever likely known as the Covid class). In February 2021 Ashlyn graduated from CCMT and took her goals of helping others to another level by adding massage therapy!
Ashlyn is continually learning and since graduation has taken additional training in reiki, cupping, lymphatic massage, and infant massage. Ashlyn continues to serve patients in the OTA field doing “as needed” work at Millennium Therapy. She is currently working at Hands in Harmony in Cedar Rapids providing outstanding client care in the field of massage therapy.
When she is not working, Ashlyn loves hanging out with family, friends and being outdoors.
We are so proud of the work Ashlyn is doing and we know that she is making a difference in the lives of many as a Massage Therapist! Keep up the great work Ashlyn!
Keyonna Parnell
Sanctuary Spa (Marion, IA)
Meet Keyonna! Her personality is as bright as her smile.
Keyonna originally had her sights on an educational path that would have meant a couple more years of college and less control of her career. That is when she learned about a career in massage therapy! Keyonna pursued her passion for helping others and enrolled in our Fall 2016 Part Time program. Knowing she had to work while attending school, our part time program was perfect for her!
Keyonna is currently employed at the Sanctuary Spa. She primarily works out of the new Marion location which opened at the end of 2019. Keyonna is eager to help others who are in pain or those who are wanting relaxation and stress reduction. Her outstanding massage therapy skills and optimistic attitude make her a delight to be around.
We are proud of your work and that you are a CCMT graduate, Keyonna. Keep up the great work in the Cedar Rapids and Marion area!
Lisa Lewis
Hands in Harmony – Angels Nest (Mount Vernon, IA)
After years of doing photography as a full time career, and advocating for her father and grandmother (who is 102 this year), Lisa felt the call to help people on a more personal level and joined the Fall 2019 Full time program at Carlson College of Massage Therapy.
Currently partnered with the Angels Nest in Mount Vernon, Lisa continues her education with passion in Neuromuscular Therapies, Craniosacral, and Lymphatic studies. She also just completed her 200 hour Yoga Teaching Certificate and is working on a Nutrition Certification. Her end goal is to help people as they age to keep moving and stay independent as long as possible.
Lisa shared that her experience at Carlson College of Massage Therapy was a life changer and one of the most memorable experiences of her life. The family she gained and bonds made was an important part of the experience. The support and encouragement from staff and fellow students was what she needed as a non traditional student embarking on a new career at 55.
Lisa, you and your presence at CCMT in this program was a life changer for everyone who shared it with you. Your commitment to being a life long learner is incredible. We are so happy for the life you are creating for yourself and your family.
Chandal Geerdes
Pure Serenity Cedar Falls IA
As an Occupational Therapists Assistant, Chandal works at Central Rivers Area Education Agency. A passion for helping other led her to a career as an OTA. She felt a deep desire to expand her reach even further to help even more people which is why she wanted to learn massage. Enrolling in the Spring 2019 Part Time program, Chandal begin her journey to become a massage therapist. With her background and knowledge in the human body and sciences, Chandal immediately became a tremendous help to her classmates. The Quizlets she built for every CCMT course quiz (literally!) were a great help to everyone!
After nearly a year balancing life, a full time job and an hour commute to class, Chandal completed our program with flying colors! Chandal is continuing her OTA work and now also works at Pure Serenity in Cedar Falls.
We are so proud Chandal is a CCMT graduate. Her exceptional massage therapy skills and positive attitude make her a joy to be around. Keep up the great work in Cedar Falls!
McKenzie Kruchten
Finding Balance Therapeutic Massage (Johnston, IA)
McKenzie is a 2014 graduate of CCMT. She came to us at a time that she needed a change in her career and wished to do something more personally meaningful. She found that working in the corporate world was incredibly stressful and it was not providing the life purpose she wanted. She wanted to help others. A career in massage therapy could provide that inner connection she was needing and wanting in her work. Married, with two kids under 10 years old and working full time, McKenzie joined our part time program. The CCMT Part Time program meets in the evening and the scheduled Saturdays. It was a perfect match for her busy life. Now McKenzie has a career that completes her! She works full time in Johnston, Iowa in her own business, Finding Balance Therapeutic Massage.
Thank you, McKenzie, for representing CCMT and the massage profession so wonderfully. Keep up the great work!
Jo Curley
Agape Therapy (Cedar Falls and Waterloo) and home based business (Fairbank)
Jo is a graduate from our Fall Full Time 2017 program. After being an Athletic Trainer for 15 years, massage therapy was the perfect addition to her previous education.
Jo felt that CCMT was an obvious choice due to the inclusion of therapeutic and alternative styles of massage techniques in our curriculum. Jo committed to our program and felt the one hour and twenty minute commute (one way) was well worth it. She found that the six months went so fast and with her four kids at home the drive became a great time to listen to YouTube study questions and get a little separation between school life and home life.
Jo is working at Agape Physical Therapy Clinic in Cedar Falls and Waterloo as a massage therapist and wellness specialist. She loves working at the new Agape Performance location using massage therapy to enhance athletic performance!
With the great family support system through it all, Jo thrived in our program! In retrospect the only thing she says she would change is that she would have attended CCMT earlier in her career!!
Congratulations Jo on a great career in massage therapy. Keep up the awesome work in the Cedar Falls and Waterloo area. We are proud to have you as a CCMT graduate.
Cost & Payment Options
- Class Schedules
- Current Cost & Payment Options
- Financial Options
- Affordable Tuition (so everyone can afford it)
Next Class Starts Soon
Classes are filling up quickly.
