Training
Training in acupressure/shiatsu is usually conducted by a massage school or through independent bodywork classes. Training generally includes a basic foundation in Traditional Chinese Medicine including concepts of yin/yang, meridians and acupuncture points. It is often part of a massage therapy course or may be offered as a specialization.

Licensing
Practitioners are certified by the school or institute that provides their training, with variations occurring in pre-requisites, specific course work and amount of hours required. There is no independent license for acupressure/shiatsu and practitioners usually hold a license in another field of health care, such as nursing, massage therapy, acupuncture, or chiropractic.

References:
American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia. “Form Definitions”. Available at www.Asianbodywork.com.

Be well naturally. Chung, Hazel. “Shiatsu: Therapeutic Art of Japan.” Available at www.bewellnaturally.net.

Harris, PE. “Acupressure: a review of the literature.” Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 5: 156-161, 1997.

Learnacupressure.com. “Yin and Yang”. Available at www.learnacupressure.com

Learnfree.com. “Guide To Acupressure “. Available at www.alternative-medicine-guide.com/acupressure.

Masunaga, Shizuto with Wataru Ohashi. ZenShiatsu: How to Harmonize Yin and Yang for Better Health. Japan Publications, 1997.

Stevensen, Caroline. Shiatsu. The Nurses’ Handbook of Complementary Therapies. Churchill Livingstone, 1995. Pages 149-156.

Sutton, Catherine. Discover Shiatsu. Ulysses Press, 1998.

Content last modified on Sep 4, 2003