Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68013
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF INTERNATIONAL ESTHETICS AND ANY OF ITS PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE NEW CERTIFICATION IN NEUROLOGY FOR BODYWORK, CALL 888-440-0333 OR GO TO WWW.INTERNATIONALESTHETICS.COM. PURSUING THE PATH With the support of her family, Dent left her college pursuits behind and in 1998 enrolled in the Colorado Institute of Massage Therapy in Colorado Springs. She loved the program and says it was there that she learned the value of continuing education. "I thank my school for all the different variations and modalities they presented to us throughout our time in school," she says. "We had to participate in one workshop a month and those workshops would be opportunities for us to see different kinds of massage. By participating, I was able to understand the importance of furthering my own education." After graduation, Dent found herself working with a chiropractor, setting up practice at two spas, even becoming part owner of a day spa in Pueblo, Colorado. She says her passion as a lifelong learner eventually brought her back to college to get an associate's degree in health sciences so somewhere along the way she could teach within the profession she loved. In 2005, she found herself doing just that as she taught her students about the value of education, while maintaining her own stable of clients. With all Dent had on her plate to that point, and even more in her new role as an educator, this mother of two wanted to keep learning. Medical esthetics was where her interests pushed her, and Dent next enrolled in the College of International Esthetics (CIE) in Arvada, Colorado, in 2008. Her commitment was so intense, that she would drive the 100-plus miles north from her home in Pueblo, leaving her family behind for days at a time. "It was a sacrifice to take time away from my family, but it was truly worth it in the end," she says. Now she has added microdermabrasion, chemical resurfacing, laser safety, and laser training to her already lengthy repertoire. Christine Paynter, the director of education at CIE says continuing education is critical for learners like Dent. She says it not only stimulates therapists' minds and keeps them from becoming stagnant, it also offers them a competitive edge. "It keeps one current on the advances in a rapidly changing field, particularly for estheticians, in the areas of instrumentation and product ingredients." She says like massage therapists, many estheticians don't make it past their first few years in business. Continuing education can keep them competitive and in the game. Paynter says regardless of the specialty, continuing education really creates a more well-rounded therapist. "In most training programs, so much is given in such a short time that it is difficult to assimilate all the information," she says. "I believe it is only after one finishes school that they truly start to integrate the information they were given in their basic foundation classes. Building on the basics by continuing to take classes is when one can begin to claim knowledge for themselves." UNDERSTANDING THE COMMITMENT With a commitment to continuing education that began in massage school, Dent wants others to understand its importance. "If you were a mechanic, and you only had four tools, you would have to turn away 80 percent of the customers that came to your garage for their car troubles. If you are a massage therapist with knowledge of only Swedish and deep-tissue (massage), how can you plan to help individuals who need you to perform techniques that are not included in either of those modalities?" She says having a variety of techniques in the toolbox is valuable in more than one way. "Even if you don't use all of the techniques in your practice, knowing about some of them lets your clients know you care about them and you care about your profession. We need to educate our clients, and to do that we have to educate ourselves and other massage therapists in the community." Squelching burnout is another aspect of continuing education that Dent feels is critical, as is its ability to reinvigorate professional passion. "Continuing education can help you remember the reason you have chosen this profession," she says. Ultimately, Dent credits continuing education with broadening her career opportunities. From massage therapist to massage educator and from skin care therapist to paramedical esthetician, Dent says her passion for learning has continued to open the door on her career, starting from that very first knock on the door. Massage & Bodywork magazine. Contact her at karrie@abmp.com. Karrie Osborn is contributing editor for visit abmp.com for a calendar of ceu listings 137