Massage School History

1975 - Honora Wolfe and Christina Hammond establish the Boulder School of Massage Therapy (BSMT) as a non-profit organization.

1976 - The first class is held on February 7, at 7 pm.

1976 - Integrative Therapeutic Massage is developed by Christina Hammond and continues to be an integral part of our curriculum.

1979 - The first internship program is developed with Boulder County Hospice.

1986 - Student Clinic is created to offer the community low-cost massage, while allowing students to practice their skills in a professional setting.

1987 - Zen Shiatsu is added to the curriculum.

1988 - The Zen Shiatsu Clinic begins.

1989 - Continuing education courses are added to BSMT's educational programs.

1990 - Anatomiken™ is introduced; a course that allows for the study of human muscle and anatomy through the use of clay.

1991 - BSMT becomes accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology; the highest level of accreditation for a career school.

1995 - Normalization of Soft Tissue (NST), a customized version of Neuromuscular Therapy, is developed for the BSMT curriculum.

1997 - Boulder School of Massage Therapy is renamed the Boulder College of Massage Therapy (BCMT).

1997 - BCMT moves to its current campus on Longbow Drive, a spacious 33,000 square foot facility complete with clinic, spa classroom, lecture rooms, hands-on classrooms, student lounge, computer lab, library, and bookstore.

1997 - Advanced Certificate Programs are established for practicing massage therapists/bodyworkers.

2000 - BCMT becomes one of the few colleges to offer an Associate of Occupational Studies in Massage Therapy Degree Program (AOS), allowing students of the 1000-Hour Certificate Program to continue for an additional quarter and receive a degree.

2001 - Pilot study is conducted to investigate the effects of massage therapy on tension headaches.

2002 - Research, funded by AMTA, begins at BCMT to study the effect of massage therapy on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

2004 - National Headache Foundation funds BCMT research study titled, "Pain, psychological affect, and stress in chronic tension headache subjects receiving massage." Research, funded by Oakworks Inc., is conducted to evaluate the effects of massage on muscle recovery from an intense physical effort.

2005 - BCMT celebrates its 30th Year of Success and looks forward to another 30 years.

2006 - BCMT secures funding to purchase its campus building and surrounding grounds. A testament to BCMT's commitment to remain an independent, not-for-profit educational institution.