Anne Bramham moved to the US from Britain in 1985 and has been a spa therapist, trainer and consultant for clients such as Ritz-Carlton. Concerned by an education system that, unlike the UK, only focused on cosmetology or strictly massage, she set up the then named American Spa Therapy Education and Certification Council (ASTECC), a non-profit organisation, in 1996.

“I wanted to bridge those gaps,” says Bramahm. “I saw a need for holistic studies where therapists understand the blood, circulation and the lymphatic system and how it’s all interconnected. I also wanted to teach therapists to think outside of the box, where they’re not restricted by product-house specific techniques, and are able individualise treatments according to client needs.”

ASTECC components
ASTECC classes are offered in approved schools and teaching can be carried out onsite such as at Montage resorts (see p28), at Spa Shiki in Missouri and at Toskana Therme Bad Orb in Germany. And in anticipation of more global expansion, the council recently renamed itself the ‘Advanced’ Spa Therapy Education and Certification Council.

The ASTECC curriculum consists of theoretical and practical instruction across four disciplines – hydrotherapy, soft tissue therapy, manual lymph drainage and basic chemical elements – and has 11 components.

Each certified component, accredited by the US’ National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB), can be taken on its own or altogether for ASTECC’s full postgraduate Spa Therapy Certification. When launched, the full certification included 240 hours’ of training but this has gone up to 264 hours with additions such as Dr Vodder’s Spa Body Wellness course. The Vodder technique is the most well known method of lymph drainage and ASTECC worked with the Dr Vodder school of North America to create its programme focused on health through lymph drainage.

Working with Montage
Half of Bramham’s time is dedicated to training at Montage – a relationship that started in the pre-opening phase of the group’s first spa in Laguna Beach in late 2002. ­­­

Uniquely, Montage insists all therapists performing its signature Surrender treatment go through ASTECC’s full Spa Therapy Certification. The initial intake consisted of 14 therapists but, as Montage grew and opened two more spas, Bramham estimates numbers are now closer to 100. Classes are usually scheduled for one week a month when therapists will spend 30 hours in the classroom. They also have to complete around 30 hours of hands-on practice a month, while evaluation is ongoing.

In 2006, ASTECC launched a Train the Trainer programme at Montage where certificate graduates are coached to teach one component at a time until they’re approved to lead the whole certificate. “It’s taken our first full trainers three years to graduate,” says Bramham. But with only one fully-qualified trainer at Laguna Montage currently in place, this is a key area for development. “We’re now introducing a new aspect where trainers can specialise in just one discipline such as hydrotherapy,” adds Bramham.

“Montage has been wonderful in embracing education and they’ve rewritten the approach to spa by enthusing staff. It means they can deliver a therapeutic experience to address the guests immediate needs and shift them forward – and they do this with a great space and great facilities with all the finer touches. Does it pay off? Absolutely. They’ve had clients who come back again and again – I know of one guest who stayed at the hotel for three months just for the spa!”

To read more about ASTECC and Montage see Spa Business, issue 1, 2006, p54.