Brenda Howell, owner of Healing Hands Body Therapy, is opening a new massage school at the start of the new year. 

Launching in January 2022, Institute for Massage and Bodywork Therapy will be located at 806 Stamper Road, Suite 202. 

Howell initially used her massage therapy license to help her military husband. “Jumping out of planes, running obstacle courses and everyday physical training at Fort Bragg, resulted in a bunch of injuries, and I thought massage would help him heal,” Howell said. 

Although Howell saw her husband experience the benefits of the massage therapy, in her research, she discovered more advanced and specific techniques in medical massage. 

“Going further than the traditional modalities where applicable accelerated my husband’s healing, and I knew I had found my niche,” Howell said. 

Howell’s practice has a staff of therapists who are familiar with sports massage, post-op lymphatic massage, relaxation massage, and other techniques; Howell has implemented her medical massage knowledge to further serve the company’s clients. 

The practice has been in operation for nearly seven years. 

As time has gone by, Howell has realized a shortage of therapists. 

Fayetteville has one massage school, but it does not provide training insofar as the medical aspects go. 

From this realization, the idea for the new massage therapy school was born. 

To fill the training needs of the area, Howell has established a program that explores the sciences that surround massage therapy. 

Graduates of IMBT will be equipped to pursue any aspect of massage therapy they desire, including medical.

With the building, accreditation, curriculum and instructors in place, The Institute is ready for its approaching launch. Applications for the first class are being accepted now. 

“In as little as thirty weeks at the massage school, students will learn the skills and knowledge needed to achieve a career as a massage therapist,” the press release said. “The training comes from instructors who are practicing therapists with current real-world experience. This team will help students succeed in the classroom as well as launch a career. As a level up, supervised clinicals will allow students to provide hands-on training with paying customers in order to further develop classroom skills. Part-time and full-time programs are available to accommodate modern busy schedules.”

Registration for the first class is ongoing, and applications can be found online at https://imbtnc.com. 

For additional information, contact the school at admin@imbtnc.com.