Shiatsu College

The course starting September 2026 costs - Year 1 - £2320 Year 2 - £2320 Year 3 - £2500 Prices rise annually with inflation, so if you start in Year 1 this year, Year 2 will cost a little more than this in 2027-28.

No, you can choose to pay for the year in one payment or as a deposit and monthly instalments.

Within the first year, to complete the Bodywork for Wellbeing certificate, you will need to pay for three Shiatsu sessions with a qualified Shiatsu practitioner who is registered with the Shiatsu Society. To complete the Shiatsu College Diploma, you will need to pay for a further five Shiatsu sessions from a qualified and registered Shiatsu practitioner during your training. Please also see equipment needed below. If your attendance falls below 80%, you will need to pay for additional private tutorials to make up the missed time, or pay to register for a further term or more as a continuation student. We provide our course notes as a pdf. If you would like printed notes, there is an additional charge of around £20 for the printing. You will also need access to our main course textbook, which you will probably want to buy.

We have a bursary scheme available. Please contact the Manchester branch to find out about availability and further details. From Year 2, once you have achieved the Bodywork for Wellbeing certificate and have insurance, you can also start working for payment.

As some of the course material is online and many of your assignments will also be handed in online, you will need access to a laptop or computer.

You will need people to practise on in between the teaching weekends. Family and friends are ideal for the first year at least. You will need access to somewhere with enough floor space for people to lie down and for you to move around them comfortably. You will need something comfortable for your practice receivers to lie on. You may eventually want a Shiatsu futon, but alternatives such as yoga mats, duvets or sleeping bags can work to start with. Cushions or bolsters, a pillowcase and a light cloth for working around the face are also useful and comfortable clothes that you can move around easily in, including socks, are important.

During the teaching weekends, you will be practising on other students. For practice in between weekends, you will work with volunteers (family and friends) initially, and from the second year, when you have insurance, you may also work with members of the public. During Year 3, you will also work on members of the public as part of our student clinic.

When you complete the first year, you will be awarded the Shiatsu College Bodywork for Wellbeing certificate. On successful completion of the third year, you will be awarded the Shiatsu College Level 4 Shiatsu Diploma, which entitles you to full professional practitioner membership of the Shiatsu Society (MrSS).

No, we have some students who choose to stop after one year, having qualified in Bodywork for Wellbeing. Some other students may decide to defer for various reasons and continue at a later date. If you haven’t completed all the requirements for a particular year of training, you can register as a continuation student while you get things finished. Please ask us for more information.