Somatherapy, Inc.

Desert Resorts School of Somatherapy

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it take to get a license in massage?
How long does it take it to finish the program?
Does Desert Resort Schools accept transfer credits from other schools?
Where is Palm Springs?

What does it take to get a license in massage?

There is no state license for massage in California. To practice massage, you have to get a massage permit and business license from the city where you want to work. Each city has its own requirements, varying from 100 hours of training to 1000 hours of training. Almost all cities require that the training be at a state-approved school, and that you provide a certificate and transcript as proof of training. This means that if you took your training at a school in a different state, it is probably sufficient, if your school is approved by your state department of education or a similar government agency. By the way, correspondence training is not acceptable in California, you must take the course at a school, under the supervision of qualified instructors.

Most cities differentiate between employment and self-employment. Usually they require more training (500 hours or more) for therapists who want to be self-employed, and less training for therapists who will be employed at a facility. Generally, self-employment means "out-call," taking your service to the client's home, office, or hotel room. If you want to open your own office and have clients come to you, there are separate requirements for your office, so it pays to check with the requirements in the city where you want to open a business, before you invest any money in the project.

How long does it take it to finish the program?

We generally schedule classes so that the Massage Technician course (300 hours) can be finished in one three month quarter. This is a heavy-duty schedule, however, and some students take six months, or two quarters, to finish Massage Technician. We schedule classes so that students can finish Massage Therapist in a year, part-time, after finishing the Massage Technician course. Most of our students are working by the time they enroll in the Massage Therapist program, so they are only able to take 2 or 3 classes per quarter, and sometimes during the busiest work season they only take one class at a time.

Does Desert Resort Schools accept transfer credits from other schools?

Yes we do, within the following guidelines: classes transferred must have similar content and length to our required classes, and must total no more than 50% of our requirements. In other words, to receive a certificate from our school, you must take at least 50% of your classes at our facility. To be accepted by us, training must have been taken at a state-approved school, such as a community college, college, university, or vocational school such as another massage school. Classes or seminars at schools not licensed by the state in which they are located, or training from individuals, employers, or associations are not acceptable. For our purposes, three semester units at a community college equal 48 classroom hours. If you are not sure whether your previous training meets our requirements for transfer credits, please contact us. We will be happy to help you.

Where is Palm Springs?

Palm Springs is located about 100 miles east of Los Angeles on Highway 10, about 125 miles northeast of San Diego, and about a 4-hour drive south of Las Vegas.

From Los Angeles: Take highway 10 east, to the Palm Springs exit (Highway 111). Follow Highway 111 (which is also called North Palm Canyon) all the way into Palm Springs. Turn left on Via Escuela, and then turn left into our parking lot. Although the address is on North Palm Canyon, the entrance is actually on Via Escuela

From San Diego: Take highway 15 north, then 215 north in Temecula, then 60 east, then 10 east. Once you are on Highway 10, follow the directions above.

From Las Vegas: It is best to consult a map as there are several possible routes. The shortest route is through Cima and Amboy, but that area is desolate and you may prefer to stay on the freeways.