Professional membership in Somatic Systems Institute (SSI) combines the protection of liability insurance, outstanding academic resources, business development tools, and the many benefits of belonging to the organization dedicated exclusively to the field of Clinical Somatic Education.
SSI members now also receive all the benefits of membership in Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) — the leading bodywork association that supports Somatics, with all the benefits that come from an organization with more than 60,000 members.
SSI Professional members receive:
Professional Savings
Product Discounts
We offer a 25% discount on many products for your practice and personal professional develop, including all recordings and publications by Thomas Hanna. That's the best discount you can find anywhere!
Specialty Somatics Publications
The Looking Glass
The Looking Glass Professional Somatics Magazine is the only professional magazine dedicated to the Somatics community, where you can catch up on colleague work, exciting new research, or advanced learning opportunities.
Somatic Living
Somatic Living Somatics Magazine is the only consumer magazine dedicated to the field of Somatics, where your clients, colleagues, friends and family can learn about the exciting world of Somatics, and how to integrate it in your daily life. You will enjoy the tips on how deepen your own experience of Somatics, and how to communicate the work to your clients in more ways. This can be the perfect tool for your clients to really embrace Somatics!
Somatics.org
Through Somatic Systems Institute”s website, somatics.org, members can renew their membership, update their information, take advantage of marketing and client education materials, business management tools, and educational and business articles. Features include:
- The Somatics Professional Forums give you access to your entire community of practitioners, online anytime you want. Engage in critical discussions about the future of our field or professional legislation, or just catch up with old friends and classmates.
- Worldwide Practitioner Directory lists pracitioners on our website, for promotion of your practice to the world.
- Online Events Calendar: This interactive, searchable calendar promotes your events, classes, and workshops to your local markets and the world.
- Continuing Education: Great training, networking, and socializing events such as Reconnect Weekends.
- E-mail Account: Select your e-mail name and domain for your professional e-mail account: [email protected] or [email protected]. The e-mail program includes several functions, including a calendar, auto-reminders, forwarding capabilities, and more.
- Website Account: With ABMP’s Website Builder Program, you can build a professional website in a just few minutes. Choose from nearly 100 templates and customize with colors, content, and layout for a unique website--a must in today’s business world.
Massage & Bodywork magazine and Different Strokes newsletter
Massage & Bodywork
Massage & Bodywork magazine is a bimonthly journal for a national audience of massage, bodywork, and somatic professionals. Each issue (included as part of your membership) offers in-depth article on subjects important to the practicing professional and the layperson. The latest research, historical perspectives, massage techniques, business information, professional trends, and a variety of regularly featured columns keep Massage & Bodywork readers in touch with their work, their clients, and their health.
Here’s what a few readers say: “Massage & Bodywork is an invaluable tool for me on many aspects of our profession.” “I find the articles very enlightening and conducive to the continuation of my education. “Thank you so much for a professional and informative magazine for massage therapists.”
To learn more and to view articles from the most current issue, visit www.massageandbodywork.com.
Different Strokes
This bimonthly member newsletter is sent as a supplement to Massage & Bodywork magazine. Different Strokes regularly features association news, legislative updates, business education tips, contributions from and profiles of ABMP members, updates on the wide range of benefits available to ABMP members, and much more.
Business Management/Marketing Publications and Tools
Successful Business Handbook
Practitioners and instructors give rave reviews for this premier guidebook to building and sustaining a practice. The Successful Business Handbook (SBH) provides information crucial for any practice, including comprehensive information on starting a practice, managing financial health, good business basics, marketing and advertising, business management, working with physicians and medical insurance, self-care, precautions, and a variety of resources.
Massage Marketplace
Massage Marketplace is an extensive listing of massage, bodywork, skin care, and spa suppliers. The dynamic website, www.massagemarketplace.com, and accompanying print catalog (distributed to ABMP members in July 2008) are easy-to-use reference guides for individuals looking for the products and services needed for their practices. Many of the advertisers grant special discounts to ABMP members.
Body Sense magazine
Body Sensemagazine is a vital, attractive tool to boost your client education efforts—a way to say thanks while encouraging healthy living behavior. Published twice each year in a compact 40-page format, Body Sense recognizes the consumer’s knowledge of bodywork and is designed to reflect what your client wants to learn about his field. Additional copies of Body Sense can be ordered by ABMP members for $1 per copy (half the non-member price). Learn more and order at www.bodysensemagazine.com.
ABMP.com
Through ABMP's website, www.abmp.com, members can renew their membership, update their information, access marketing and client education materials, regulatory requirements, legislative developments, business management tools, and hundreds of educational and business articles originally printed in Massage & Bodywork magazine. Features include:
- Client Newsletter Generator: Input your customized business information, name your newsletter, select articles, and include your own message or coupon for a professional, four-page business newsletter that you can print and mail, e-mail, or post on your website.
- Customized Client Education Brochures: Choose from titles including, “The Benefits of Frequent Massage & Bodywork,” “Why Should I Receive a Massage?” “What to Expect During a Massage,” and more. Enter your business/contact information and logo to create professional brochures for your marketing and educational purposes.
- E-mail Account: Select your e-mail name and domain for your professional e-mail account: [email protected] or [email protected]. The e-mail program includes several functions, including a calendar, auto-reminders, forwarding capabilities, and more.
- Website Account: With ABMP’s Website Builder Program, you can build a professional website in a just few minutes. Choose from nearly 100 templates and customize with colors, content, and layout for a unique website--a must in today’s business world.
- Networking Forum: Visit ABMP’s online forum and network with your colleagues. Share success stories, brainstorm marketing ideas, and enjoy camaraderie with those who share the same successes and challenges you face each day in your profession.
- Online Continuing Education Calendar: This interactive, searchable calendar is loaded with a broad array of educational listings, making it membersí number one resource for locating continuing education offerings. It allows users to define search parameters (including date, location, or modality) that meet their needs.
Massagetherapy.com
ABMP created a consumer website to educate the public on the benefits of bodywork, including comprehensive information on various types of bodywork, what to expect during a massage, how to find a practitioner with Massagetherapy.com's online referral service (our free, online referral program), and a searchable database of more than 800 articles on bodywork and the conditions these therapies can help treat. Members can recommend this website to clients who want to learn more or include it as a link on your website to provide complete education about bodywork.
Student Publications
Knead to Know
Exclusively for ABMP Student members, Knead to Know is our quarterly newsletter, focused on helping students handle the unique challenges of massage school and plan and develop their bodywork career.
The Massage Educator
This quarterly newsletter for massage instructors promotes the sharing of information and acknowledges instructors’ special contribution to the massage profession. The content is focused on classroom management issues and ways to support each instructor’s personal and professional process.
Massage Year Planner
A benefit of ABMP Student membership, the Massage Year Planner is a guide to help students set their schedules, plan assignments, arrange study sessions, and organize life. More than just a time management tool, the planner keeps the process of staying organized interesting and is filled with goal-setting exercising and tips for success. Designed to be used in conjunction with the Student Success Guide, students can start using it at any time during massage education.
Student Success Guide
This unique guide, provided for ABMP Student members, uses goal-setting exercises, charts, graphic organizers, and personal assessments to help student learn the skills needed to achieve academic success. Developed to provide support to students beginning massage school,the Student Success Guide was designed for use in conjunction with the Massage Year Planner.
Exceptional Insurance
Smart practitioners realize that, while being named in a lawsuit is unlikely, it's not worth risking your career. In this sue-happy age, even when you've done nothing wrong, it's expensive to defend yourself. Why chance it, when excellent protection is so affordable?
We offer protection with the profession’s best value in liability coverage. Ours are the highest aggregate coverages available - $3 million professional liability (malpractice), another $3 million general liability (slip and fall), and yet another $3 million products liability (for example, adverse reaction to a lotion). And these coverages protect you wherever you work.
Also included is legal defense coverage, $100,000 premises fire damage coverage for renters, and no charge for obtaining an additional insured endorsement (AIE) if requested by your employer or landlord. All this is covered by your basic membership fee.
And, unlike the product offered by some other providers, the insurance included with ABMP membership is occurrence-form coverage, to protect you from late-filed claims. It’s not inferior claims-made coverage that expires when your membership does.
While no one else offers such a comprehensive package, we know you can find barebones insurance coverage elsewhere. That’s why you need to consider this policy's greatest strength: helping our members. If you need additional insurance information, or if you want to add an AIE, we're here with prompt support. If you're unfortunate enough to experience a claim, you can expect knowledgeable, empathetic assistance from our staff experts. In most instances, we can help expedite rapid resolution of your claim. Fact is, just knowing your insurance team is ready and able to support you lets you focus on what's most important - building a successful career.
Understanding Insurance: FAQs
What does my student insurance cover?
The student level insurance provides liability coverage for both on/off premises activities that are approved by the school and are permitted under applicable state and local regulations. It does not cover any student working on his or her own (without school approval) and charging clients. A student may receive compensation if it is allowed by the state as long as it is a school-approved activity.
Why is insurance so important?
You insure your car, even though you don't expect to be in an accident. You cover your home too, even though the odds are it won't burn down. Why? Because without insurance, it would be a financial catastrophe if your unlucky number came up.
That's the same reason why liability insurance offers essential protection and peace of mind for professional massage and bodywork practitioners. You may be fortunate and never get sued or be named in a damage claim. But in this age of lawsuit-happy, get-rich-quick opportunists, and with many people uncomfortable about someone else touching their body, wise massage professionals acquire and maintain solid insurance protection at all stages of their careers.
Liability protection not only covers you if you're found to be at fault, but also provides for your legal defense. Without it, you could be out tens of thousands of dollars just to defend yourself against a frivolous or false claim or even as the result of fallout from a misunderstanding.
We proudly present the broadest insurance coverage offered by any association serving the massage and bodywork professions: $2 million per incident with an annual limit of $3 million in three different categories.
