Western North Carolina School of Massage

I had such an incredible experience at Western North Carolina School of Massage. I completed their 6-month, full time program in December of 2024. Shortly after graduating, I passed the MBLEX on the first try, and then secured full time employment. This marked a complete career change for me. My background is firmly in the humanities, so I was a little intimidated about learning Anatomy, Physiology, etc. Hope, Darren, and Camilla made all of the courses approachable for a first-timer, and they welcomed questions and discourse. The instructors truly want everyone to succeed, and this was evidenced in their offers to provide extra tutoring, re-do’s, and one-on-one explanation. I felt well-equipped to step into a new career as a Massage Therapist. In fact, having now worked in the field for a year alongside many other LMBT’s, it has become even more evident that I received a thorough and quality education at WNCSM. The program was detailed, holistic, and very up-to-date on current and emerging massage practices and standards. This is a special, welcoming, and high-quality institution and I truly enjoyed my time here (even amidst a hurricane!) 💜

I completed the massage licensure program at Western North Carolina School of Massage in 2024. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have attended such a well-rounded school. I felt fully supported every step of the way. The instructors and Director are so knowledgeable, kind and committed to excellence. Built into the program was also room for creative expression through art, song and even some theater. It was a blast! The program was so thorough that when I sat for the MBLEX 3 days before graduation, I was fully prepared and passed the first time. All of my classmates who sat for the exam passed the first time as well. During my time there, I was part of a community of healers from all different walks of life and I felt as if we were all embraced by the school. As a Latina speaking English as a second language, it was important to me to find a school with awareness and inclusivity. I found it in spades and am so grateful for the continued friendships and community fostered at WNCSOM.

I had a beautiful and insightful experience at WNCSM. Hope is an amazing teacher with a very calming and motherly demeanor with many many years of experience in this field. I can honestly say that she equipped each of us with more than enough to succeed as therapists. My favorite part about this program (although very challenging) was the in depth teachings of neuromuscular therapy and musculoskeletal anatomy from Darren. What invaluable knowledge to have for a massage and bodywork therapist. Absolutely love Camilla and Christine (who taught anatomy at the time) and they both made learning so much fun. I love this team and this school and I cannot recommend them enough. I doubt you will ever regret your decision to attend this school. Also a big perk that Dobra is right next door!! Yum 🙂

I completed the full-time 700-hour program here this year and I can’t recommend this school enough! The staff are knowledgeable, committed to students’ success and also dedicated to the massage therapy profession. I truly feel like the level of my foundational education is beyond what most receive. I took my MBLEX 3 days after graduating and felt prepared, and within a couple weeks of graduating I had secured a local massage position. I also think the program provides you with a nice blend of spa-oriented and clinical massage instruction. Lastly, this experience has been hugely beneficial to my own health and wellness journey, AND it really feels like a community that I can continue to lean on now that I’m done with the program. If you’re on the fence about attending this school, just do it and you can thank me later 🙂

Western North Carolina School of Massage (WNCSOM) was welcoming from day one. When I first visited to research and find the right school, Hope was there to provide me with all the information I needed and helped me understand what to expect from the program. From that very first visit, I felt like I truly belonged. Hope later became my instructor, and she consistently supported me whenever I struggled or needed clarification. Her patience and dedication made a huge difference in my learning journey. Darren was my Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT) instructor. At first, I was intimidated by the difficulty of the course and his teaching style. But as I grew more familiar with his approach, I realized how incredibly effective it was. His methods pushed me to grow, and I deeply appreciated how much he genuinely cares about his students and their success. Another instructor I truly enjoyed learning from was Camilla. She was amazing, encouraging, supportive, and always uplifting. Each instructor at WNCSOM brings their own unique strengths and techniques, creating a rich and well-rounded learning environment. As a full-time student, I originally planned to graduate within six months. Unfortunately, a car accident completely changed my timeline. The school was incredibly understanding and accommodating. They supported me through pausing my program and welcomed me back once I had fully recovered. Because of this compassion, I was able to complete the program in about a year. I am deeply grateful for my instructors and my cohort. WNCSOM not only gave me professional skills, but also a sense of belonging, encouragement, and confidence. I highly recommend this school to anyone seeking a strong foundation in massage therapy.

I went to massage school here and couldn’t recommend it enough! Not only did I learn so much about anatomy and the art of massage but I also made friends for life. I felt like Hope and Camilla do an excellent job creating a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment. My cohort went through this program during Hurricane Helene. This time had so much fear and uncertainty and I felt so held by this school and the program. This school has a heavy emphasis on clinical massage as neuromuscular therapy is a pillar of the program. Not only did I love this component, it has inspired me to go back to school to pursue a Doctorate of Physcial Therapy. I’m so grateful for my time here and enthusiastically recommend it to anyone looking for a massage license.

I would not recommend this place or program for any people of color/adversity to attend in order to get a massage certification and people who support the BIPOC community and stand with them. I had a really tough time feeling like I was treated equally compared to my fellow cohort. There was special treatment given to certain students and as a person of color dealing with many other systemic structures that often were placed to work against me, I did not have the time and life structure to suck up to instructors. I noticed how the ability to linger around during lunch or after class and build relationships with instructors often correlated to the treatment you were given throughout the program, whether that was being marked tardy, being given certain accommodations and or being singled out for breaking rules before they had never been discussed. Luckily, I had a beautiful group of people in my class, but I just think the lack of diversity overall in Asheville really allows people of color to not have a voice and a space to exist without a threat and unfortunately the school really took advantage of that and as a result my license was affected. So here is my voice speaking out ever so slightly! Hope I really hope you understand your impact on people and the world especially with a program filtering in people from all backgrounds that are coming into a healing field. It should be a holistic healing environment, promoting growth and I hope you strive to provide an environment like that for all people! Update: Thank you Hope as do I believe that I deserve my voice to be heard and luckily I no longer need permission and firmly I don’t need it from you. I appreciate you responding to this message as you have refused to answer any of my phone calls, despite running a whole business that requires communication, previously to discuss any of these issues that I am now bringing up on this review today. This is an aim to protect people like me and also bring awareness to people like you. Thank you for listening and I do truly hope you understand your place in the world and how that affects others around you. You are an equal to me and I should have been treated as such and honestly I would have just taken equal treatment to my fellow cohort but I didn’t have the capacity to demand it then (because I did ask) so here I am standing up for a person who was fighting an uphill battle and deserved more.