MASSAGE COURSES
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✓ ABT, IPHM and IGCT accredited · ★ 1,345 reviews · Teaching since 2008 · Lifetime course access · Pay in 3 with Klarna
Browse by course type, or skip straight to advice and FAQs.
Train as a massage therapist from home with our accredited Massage Courses. Learn Swedish body massage, Indian head, hot stone and bamboo through step-by-step video lessons, with every unit assessed as you work through it.
Want to compare every massage course first? Get the free course prospectus and see them all side by side, emailed to you.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Pick the option that sounds most like you.
I Want to Start With One Treatment
Each massage course stands on its own at £75. Body Massage is the usual starting point, because the full-body Swedish routine underpins the others. Indian Head Massage is the easiest to add to an existing menu — no couch, no oils, and it works in a chair.
I Want to Offer Them All
The Ultimate Massage Course brings together Body Massage, Indian Head Massage and Hot Stone Massage for £245, down from £495. The shared theory is taught once rather than three times, so you reach the routines sooner.
I Already Work in Beauty
Massage appointments run longer than most beauty services and clients rebook them on a cycle rather than one-off. Adding one gives you something to offer alongside nails or facials, fills the quieter parts of a day, and needs little more than a couch, towels and oil.
Massage Course Package
Three treatments learned together in one package. The Ultimate Massage Course covers Body Massage, Indian Head Massage and Hot Stone Massage, with the shared anatomy, hygiene and business training taught once rather than three times.
- Lifetime Course Access
- Tutor Feedback & Support
- Tutor-Assessed Diplomas
- Private Student Group
Was £200
NOW £95
Was £200
NOW £75
Three massage treatments in one package, with the shared anatomy, hygiene and business training taught once rather than three times.
3 courses in one package.
Free Bonus 10-book Beauty Business eBook Bundle
- Instant access: start as soon as you enrol
- Three treatments in a single enrolment
- Every unit assessed, with unlimited resubmissions
- Business training included to help you launch
- Accredited by ABT, IPHM and IGCT
- 14 days to cancel before you access your course materials (see terms)
Most of your time goes on practical work, so how long the course takes is up to you.
The bamboo massage course was easy to follow and understand. It was so interesting I completed the course quickly so I could start introducing bamboo to my clients. I have been a remedial masseuse over twenty years and Bamboo is an excellent addition to the treatments I already provide and the feedback is amazing from those who have tried it with me.
I have used Next Step Beauty for all my courses and i have just finished the Swedish body massage course and found the materials and videos easy to understand and follow. i would highly recommend anyone interested in beauty to book here.
Ive just completed an online Indian Head Massage course and its so easy, the material and tutorials are just what you need and it makes studying in your own time so much easier. The video tutorials are so in depth and it takes you through each step in detail.
Meet Your Tutor
Victoria Arpels BA (Hons), Cert Ed
Victoria trained in beauty therapy, worked in a busy spa and lectured in further education colleges before founding Next Step Beauty in 2008. Since then, Next Step Beauty has taught more than 100,000 students, with learners in 65 countries and territories across six continents. Victoria and the tutor team support students through personal feedback and the private student groups.
Individual Massage Courses
Four massage treatments, each taught as a standalone course. Every one covers the theory alongside the practical routine — anatomy and physiology, contra-indications, consultation and aftercare — so you understand who a treatment suits and when to decline it.
Was £200
NOW £95
Was £200
NOW £75
Was £200
NOW £95
Was £200
NOW £75
Was £200
NOW £95
Was £200
NOW £75
Was £200
NOW £95
Was £200
NOW £75
Not sure which course is right for you? Leave your number and our friendly team will call you back to help you choose.
What’s Included with Every Massage Course
Lifetime Access
Study at your own pace with no deadlines and keep your course materials for life.
Tutor Support
Feedback from experienced tutors as you work through the units, plus our private student groups.
Accredited Diploma
Receive your diploma once you have completed and passed every unit of the course.
Unlimited Resubmissions
If an assessment needs another go, resubmit as many times as you need at no extra cost.
Use Your Own Equipment
No kit to buy from us. Use the couch, towels, stones or canes you already have, or buy each treatment’s equipment as you add it.
Private Student Groups
Join our private student groups to ask questions, share your work and learn alongside other students.
After Your Course: From Diploma to Your First Clients
Finishing your course is the start of the next step. Here’s how students go from learning to working with clients.
1. Practise on Real People
You will work through the routine on willing volunteers until it is second nature. This is the bulk of a massage course and the part that builds real technique.
2. Get Your Diploma
Pass every unit assessment and receive your accredited diploma.
3. Plan Your Business
Business training is included with every course to help you set your prices, present your work and find your first clients.
4. Keep Growing
Add a second or third treatment as your client list grows. A client who books a body massage will often try hot stone or Indian head next.
Why Choose a Career in Massage?
Massage is steady, appointment-based work. Treatments run longer than most beauty services, clients book them for how they want to feel rather than how they want to look, and the equipment needed is modest.
- Regular rebooking: clients tend to book massage on a cycle — monthly, or through a stressful stretch — rather than once.
- Longer appointments: a full body massage runs an hour or more, so a working day fills with fewer bookings.
- Modest set-up: a couch, towels and oil covers most of it, and Indian head massage needs no couch at all.
- Room to specialise: hot stone and bamboo sit at a higher price point than a standard massage, and far fewer therapists offer them.
Popular Massage Techniques Explained
Not sure which treatment is which? Here is what clients ask for by name, and what each one actually involves.
Body Massage
The full-body Swedish routine — effleurage, petrissage and tapotement worked over the back, legs, arms and shoulders with oil. It is the foundation the other massage treatments build on, and the one clients ask for by default.
Indian Head Massage
Worked through the upper back, shoulders, neck, scalp and face using acupressure and rhythmic movements. It needs no couch, which makes it the easiest treatment to add to an existing room or to offer as a short appointment.
Hot Stone Massage
Smooth, water-heated stones are placed on the body and worked through the routine as an extension of the hands. The warmth does some of the work, so the pressure can be lighter for the same effect — and it usually carries a higher price than a standard massage.
Bamboo Massage
Bamboo canes replace the hands for much of the routine, giving firm, rolling pressure that reaches deeper than hand pressure comfortably allows — and takes the strain off your wrists over a long day.
Hot Stone vs Bamboo Massage
Both deliver a deeper massage than hands alone and both are add-ons to a body massage routine. The difference is the tool, the heat and how the pressure is applied.
| Hot Stone | Bamboo | |
|---|---|---|
| Tool | Smooth stones, heated in water | Bamboo canes of several lengths |
| Technique | Stones are placed on the body and also worked over it by hand | Canes are rolled and glided along the muscle like an extension of the hands |
| Heat | Central to the treatment — the warmth is what relaxes the muscle | Warm rather than hot; the pressure does most of the work |
| Pressure | Light to medium, with the heat doing the work | Firm and deep, and easier on your hands and wrists |
| Client asks for it when | They want to feel warm and thoroughly relaxed | They want a deep massage and find hands alone too light |
| Kit to buy | A stone set and a heater | A set of canes |
Many therapists train in both and let the client choose on the day. Hot Stone Massage Course → Bamboo Massage Course →
Massage Courses UK: Train as a Massage Therapist Online
Our online massage courses let you train as a massage therapist from home, at your own pace. You study anatomy and physiology, contra-indications, consultation and aftercare alongside the routine itself, and every unit is assessed as you work through it, with unlimited resubmissions if one needs another attempt.
Four treatments are available as individual courses: body massage, Indian head massage, hot stone massage and bamboo massage. Each costs £75 and certifies separately, so you can start with one and add others as your client list grows. The Ultimate Massage Course brings body, Indian head and hot stone together for £245.
No previous experience is needed to start. You will need people to practise on and the equipment each treatment calls for — a couch, towels and oil for body work, stones for hot stone, canes for bamboo. Every course is accredited by ABT, IPHM and IGCT and recognised by insurers including Towergate, Radius, Insync and Balens, and you keep access to your course materials for life.
Mastering Your Beauty Business Launch
Training gives you the skills. This free guide shows you what comes next, so you can take on your first paying clients with confidence and do it properly from day one.
- Getting set up properly – registering as self-employed and choosing the right business structure
- Protecting yourself and your clients – the insurance, hygiene standards and licences you may need
- Deciding where you’ll work – mobile, from home or renting salon space, compared side by side
- Pricing your treatments – working out your start-up costs and setting prices you can sustain
- Winning clients who come back – consultations, trust and turning first bookings into regulars
- Workbook exercises after every chapter – so you finish with a plan, not just notes
What Our Students Say
I have purchased many courses which include bamboo massage, Indian head massage, manicure, eyelash extensions and a few others. Some I've completed, others I have not, although there's no stress as to when you complete home study courses. There is a lot of in depth knowledge in these courses.
Lauren Badrock
Very informative course, I felt confident at the end that I could perform the hot stones massage on my clients. Well structured lessons and good supporting documents.
Rachel Clement
Excellent course, clear visuals, easy to follow. Massage is my main income now. Thank you.
Lanceta Desa
Massage Course FAQs
Do I Need Any Experience to Start a Massage Course?
No. Every massage course starts from the beginning, covering anatomy and physiology, contra-indications and consultation before any hands-on technique. No previous beauty qualification is required.
Can I Really Learn Massage Online?
The theory and the routine are taught through video demonstrations you can rewatch as often as you need, with an eBook for each unit. The practical side happens in your own time, on real people, until the routine is second nature. Every unit has an assessment you complete online as you go.
What Equipment Do I Need?
It depends on the treatment. Body massage needs a couch, towels and oil. Hot stone adds a set of stones and a heater, and bamboo adds a set of canes. Indian head massage needs only a chair. There is no kit to buy from us, so you can use equipment you already own.
How Long Does the Course Take?
There are no deadlines. Most students complete their training within a few weeks to a few months, and you keep access to your course materials for life, so you can work at whatever pace fits around everything else.
Do I Need People to Practise On?
Yes, in practice. A routine only becomes reliable with repetition, so line up willing volunteers before you start the practical side. Friends and family are fine.
What If I Fail an Assessment?
You can resubmit as many times as you need, at no extra cost.
Are These Courses Accredited?
Yes. Every massage course is accredited by ABT, IPHM and IGCT, and recognised by insurers including Towergate, Radius, Insync and Balens. Insurers set their own requirements, so check directly with your chosen insurer before taking bookings.
Which Treatment Should I Start With?
Body massage is the usual starting point, because the full-body routine underpins the others. If you have no couch or limited space, Indian head massage is the easiest to begin with. If you want three of them, the Ultimate Massage Course works out cheaper than buying them separately at full price.