about asha

The Name ASHA Matches our Philosophy of Education and Healing. Find out Why.

Our objective is to graduate well-trained, highly-skilled, marketable massage therapists that are prepared for a successful future. We focus our curriculum, our staff and instructors, and our learning environment on this objective. ASHA graduates are Certified Massage Therapists, and are prepared for and eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination. A 6-hour workshop to prepare for the National Certification Exam (NCE) and Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx) is included in the course curriculum.
Note: The NCE is administered in various locations in and around Atlanta. Once you graduate and are ready to take the exam, you will fill out the necessary paperwork and send it in. You will then be notified in writing where and when to appear to take your test. It is a computerized, multiple choice test only, and does not involve practical exercises.

Our Name

ASHA has multiple meanings. ASHA is the acronym for the Academy of Somatic Healing Arts. Each word has an important meaning for our school, our students, and our philosophy of education. ASHA also means "hope for the future" and "all that is good" in other languages.

Academy An Academy is usually a private secondary school that provides instruction in science and/or arts.

Somatic In the English dictionary, somatic means pertaining to the physical body. However, somatic comes from the Greek root word soma, which means the body, mind, and spirit as a unit. The flavor of the original Greek meaning more closely matches the holistic perspective, spirit, and philosophy of ASHA. In short, when you receive massage therapy, you are impacted on all levels.

Healing Healing means to restore health or wholeness. In a true medical sense, because of our strong clinical focus, ASHA-trained massage therapists have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to help restore health and wholeness. Furthermore, you will be healthier from the massages you receive, from the personal growth classes you attend, and from the relationships you form.

Art Art means any system of rules and principles that facilitates skilled human accomplishment. That fits ASHA perfectly because it is a school that prepares massage therapists to artfully heal bodies. While you are taught individual techniques, each of us is a potential artist, and your individual expression will be encouraged. And because of the interdependence of body, mind, and spirit, healing bodies inevitably has a healing effect on the mind and spirit as well.

Our Vision and Mission

ASHA was founded in 1991 with a vision and mission focused on adding Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT) to massage training. That commitment continues today, and has been expanded dramatically under the leadership of Dr. Stan Dawson.

Our Vision

We are committed to developing a world of compassionate, healthy people working together towards self-actualization to enhance the health and consciousness of the world community.

Our Mission

To provide a comprehensive, integrated curriculum based on both Eastern and Western philosophies that cultivates excellence in massage therapy.
To create a nurturing environment conducive to learning, healing, wellness, and personal growth.
To shift the world's view of healthcare from treating illness to creating wellness.

ASHA's Accreditation

ASHA is a state authorized school and is an institution accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA). ASHA is the only institution accredited by COMTA in the state of Georgia. COMTA was originally created by the American Massage Therapy Association. It is the only agency that only accredits massage schools instead of agencies that accredit massage schools, beauty schools, medical technicians and various other trade schools.

Our Credentials

ASHA is:

An institution accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA).
A state-authorized school, regulated by the Non-Public Postsecondary Education Commission of the State of Georgia (NPEC).
A Georgia Massage Board recognized massage therapy educational program.
Recognized by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). (Our curriculum exceeds their requirements.)
Approved for VA education benefits.
Approved by the Department of Labor for students who qualify for educational benefits.
Approved by the Department of Labor for students who qualify for Vocational Rehabilitation.
Qualified ASHA students have been reimbursed by the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Rehabilitative Services; the Georgia Department of Labor; the South Carolina Commission for the Blind; the AT&T Retraining Program; and the Private Industry Council.
A member of the American Massage Therapy Association Council of Schools (AMTA-COS).
A member of the Association of Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP).

About Us

ASHA is a community of holistic health pioneers, School of Massage, Wellness Center, Student Clinic, and Natural Pharmacy . ASHA is a friendly, nurturing environment designed to develop a world of compassionate, healthy people working together towards self-actualization. We are a community where students, instructors and staff are truly passionate about their mission and purpose—to treat the whole person … mind, body and spirit. We are committed to shifting the world's view of health care from treating illness to creating wellness.

Our Healing Arts Massage School is based in the Atlanta area. It started and still operates with a clinical-based focus on deep structural massage therapy with our core passion being holistic health for individuals as well as the world in which we live. ASHA stands for Academy of Somatic Healing Arts and we are now expanding our Healing Arts trainings to include a cutting edge Wellness Coaching Program that allows graduates to teach health classes and get paid by insurance companies. In the near future we are expanding even further to offer an Oriental Medicine Program.

ASHA’s holistic health orientation recognizes the interdependence of spirit, mind and body and bases everything we offer on this integrative approach. Many of our expert healing arts teachers work together in our Wellness Center with this vital understanding of the necessity of human interdependence for the establishment and maintenance of real health. At ASHA Wellness Center, any practitioner you start with will lead you to your overall health goals. Come and join our ASHA community.

The backbone of ASHA and our Executive Director/Owner is Dr. Stan Dawson. He has been a pioneer in the wellness field for over 30 years. He is a Dr. of Chiropractic and Ayurvedic Medicine, Neuromuscular Therapist, Polarity Therapist, Massage Therapist, Mind Body Psychotherapist and educator. In the mid 70’s, he realized the mind body connection and was the first Chiropractor to work with an MD and a Physical Therapist and the first to offer massage therapy and chiropractic in one facility, all of which were pioneering moves for a chiropractor at that time. He has continually brought the healing arts professions together through his deep understanding of the interdependence necessary for individual and world-wide health.

In 1978, Dr. Dawson opened the FIRST Holistic Health Center in the entire Southeast. He brought together 30 teachers including practitioners in polarity therapy, psychotherapy, massage therapy, chiropractic as well as traditional medical doctors, offering a variety of educational and therapeutic programs. This paved a new way to help people heal on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. This approach later became the foundation of the Holistic Model that is unique to ASHA. At ASHA you are in expert hands.

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Accreditation Info

ASHA School of Massage is an institution accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA).

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