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Alexander Technique Training and Careers
Learn About Alexander Technique Schools and Careers
Natural Health Degree Schools | Natural Healers Career Resource Center
| | The Alexander Technique helps people improve performance abilities, relieve pain and stress, and enhance overall quality of life by becoming more aware of their balance and movement. Though it was invented by stage actor F.M. Alexander around 1900, Alexander Technique training isn't limited to actors or musicians. Almost anyone can benefit from learning to shed bad habits of physical posture and use their muscles more efficiently. And as interest in alternative and complementary medical therapies continues to grow, experienced Alexander Technique teachers will be in increasing demand. |
Alexander Technique Career Overview
The Alexander Technique increases people's awareness of their own movements and responses to stimuli, resulting in long-term health and wellness benefits. Alexander Technique teachers employ a combination of techniques to educate their students: verbal instruction in conjunction with gentle, hands-on guidance are used to help people recognize and slowly alleviate areas of tension or bad posture.
Although Alexander Technique training generally takes place in a one-on-one environment, some teachers also lead group classes through schools or community health centers. Typical lessons consist of two parts: table work, in which the teacher helps a student recognize muscle tension from a neutral lying-down position; and guidance during activity, in which the Alexander Technique principles are applied to simple activities such as walking or speaking.
Alexander Technique Training and Education
What You'll Study in Alexander Technique SchoolAlexander Technique training includes an in-depth study of F.M. Alexander's writings and principles, in addition to basic anatomy and physiology, hands-on skills, visual observation techniques, and procedures such as chair work and table work. Prospective Alexander Technique teachers also learn an important guiding principle called "use of the self," which promotes the teacher's own self-development and awareness—an important prerequisite to sharing these techniques effectively with others.
Average Length of Study
A typical Alexander Technique training program takes about 3 years of full-time study—1500-1600 hours total—in order to qualify for professional certification. Classes are small, with a student-teacher ratio of 5 to 1. However, some training in the Alexander Technique takes place on a less formal basis, i.e., through apprenticeship.
Average Tuition
Tuition costs may vary widely depending on the location of the Alexander Technique training course and the individual fees of the center offering the course. Usually, however, fees fall in the range of $16,000 - $24,000 for the full 3-year program offered by an AmSAT (American Society for the Alexander Technique) approved institution.
Alexander Technique Certification
Certification is not a legal requirement, but many Alexander Technique teachers choose to seek certification by a professional society such as the American Society for the Alexander Technique. To do so requires completion of an approved training course.
Alexander Technique Career Outlook
According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, about 38 percent of adults use complementary or alternative medical therapies, and 1.5 percent of adults have used movement therapies such as the Alexander Technique.
In terms of the future job outlook, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that jobs in the health care industry as a whole are projected to increase, with an impressive 41.3 percent growth rate from 2008-2018 for the segment of the industry that includes practitioners of alternative medicine.
Alexander Technique Salary
Alexander Technique training generally costs between $35 and $50 for a 40- to 45-minute one-on-one lesson, or around $25 for a group class. The amount a teacher actually earns per year depends on where he or she works, and how frequently he or she provides lessons.
Is an Alexander Technique Career Right for You?
Alexander Technique training involves considerable time, effort and investment in your education, but if you're motivated to heal and help people in a one-to-one, hands-on way, the Alexander Technique may be ideal. You'll be trained to improve the quality of life for anyone experiencing tension and posture-related problems, from musicians to athletes to those who suffer from chronic pain. Search our database today for schools offering training in the Alexander Technique.
Sources:
Alexander Technique International, 2007
American Society for the Alexander Technique, 2011
Positive Health Online, 2009
TheAlexanderTechnique.net, 2011
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011
NCCAM, 2011
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