Becoming a Trager practitioner: the path, step by step
— Association Trager Québec
Many people discover Trager by receiving sessions, and end up wondering whether they could offer it in turn. Becoming a Trager practitioner means following the international certification program of Trager International, a demanding training that leads to the right to practise. Here is the path, step by step.
Step 1: discover the approach and meet the admission requirements
You cannot pass on a sensation you have never experienced. That is why everything starts with experience. To discover the Trager approach, you can join a Mentastics group, take an introductory course or receive sessions from a certified practitioner.
The introductory course in the Trager approach is usually 15 hours over two days (some organizers offer it as 18 hours over three days). It is led by practitioners recognized as introductory course leaders, in several regions of Quebec.
These first experiences let you check, in your own body, that the approach really suits you.
Admission requirements
In short, the association asks for two things to enter the program: having completed a 15-hour introductory course and having received a Trager session.
The international program details these admission requirements for Level 1:
- having received at least two Trager sessions from a certified practitioner. One of the two may be replaced by an introductory course, by at least six hours of Mentastics classes or by an optional course accredited by Trager International;
- having obtained a written recommendation from the teacher or practitioner;
- being a student member of your national Trager association.
Step 2: the professional program
Professional training combines classroom courses, fieldwork and supervision. It includes five trainings:
- Trager, Level 1: 48 hours (6 days of 8 hours). Students learn a full tablework session protocol as well as Mentastics movements to use for themselves and to share.
- Trager, Level 2: 48 hours (6 days). The Level 1 protocol is reviewed and refined, with a broader application of the approach and of Mentastics.
- Trager, Level 3: 40 hours (5 days). Professional ethics and private practice are also covered, in preparation for professional practice.
- Mentastics training: 24 hours (3 days). It deepens the integration of personal Mentastics and prepares students to share them in groups and with clients.
- Functional anatomy in Trager: 48 hours (6 days). This requirement may be waived for people holding certain paramedical licences or who graduated from an approved 500-hour massage program.
Each level is taught through demonstration and supervised practice with other students. Ethics is part of every level. The program is taught around the world in many languages; in Quebec, the courses announced are given in French, with English translation as needed.
Step 3: practice between levels
The training is not a series of courses to tick off. After each of the three levels, the student must:
- give at least 30 practice sessions, free of charge;
- receive at least ten, two of them from certified practitioners;
- receive three individual supervisions of two hours each, for feedback and for recommendation to the next stage.
At Levels 1 and 2, one of the feedback supervisions may be replaced by a group supervision.
In all, the path represents 226 hours in class or supervised, and 409 hours in total, courses and fieldwork included. During their apprenticeship, students in active training may use the Trager and Mentastics trademarks, but they must offer their sessions free of charge.
You will be supported by teachers, supervisors and course leaders. There are some twenty instructors worldwide, three of them in Quebec.
Step 4: certification, then continuing education
Once all requirements are met, the student receives a certificate as a practitioner of the Trager approach. The right to practise, however, is not acquired once and for all. Association Trager Québec issues the annual certificate and renewal of the right to practise, in accordance with Trager International requirements.
Practitioners keep their status if they meet the continuing education requirements and remain members of the association. Within two years of certification, they take an additional three-day training, then accumulate at least 24 hours of training every three years, including at least one Trager tutorial. Only practitioners who meet these requirements may use the Trager and Mentastics trademarks and issue insurance receipts.
It is demanding, and deliberately so: that is what allows the public to know what they can rely on when they consult a Trager practitioner.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to become a practitioner?
No typical duration is given: it depends on your pace and on the schedule of the trainings offered. The path includes at least 409 hours of courses and fieldwork.
How much does the training cost?
Costs, schedules and specific conditions vary by organizer. Please contact the course organizers directly; their contact details appear in the training calendar.
Do I need to be a massage therapist already?
It is not an admission requirement. However, a graduate of an approved 500-hour massage program, or a holder of certain paramedical licences, may be exempted from the anatomy training.
Take the first step
To learn all about the program, visit our Training page; the calendar of upcoming courses and the organizers' contact details are in the same section. Calendar information may change without notice: always check with the organizer. If you have never received a session, start by finding a Trager practitioner near you, or by exploring this mind-body approach through movement in a Mentastics group.