What Is It Known For?
Dawn Lewis founded Full Circle School in 1997 in Edwards, CO, creating a science-based curriculum that introduced its signature method, Spontaneous Muscle Release Technique (SMRT). After closing in 2007, she reopened in 2009 to teach SMRT nationally and has trained over 5,000 therapists. In 2019, Colorado DPOS approved the school’s expanded 650-hour Massage Therapy Program.
Graduates report that SMRT has transformed their practices and grown their clientele. For enrollment numbers, contact the school.
Degrees & Certifications
Students working toward massage therapist licensure complete a 650-hour training program. The curriculum builds on scientific principles while teaching both therapeutic and wellness-focused techniques.
What makes Full Circle different is SMRT, a proprietary method Dawn Lewis developed. It works on tendons, ligaments, fascia, and bones beyond just muscle tissue. By resetting the neutral point between golgi tendon organs and the muscle spindle cells, trigger points release without discomfort.
Already licensed? Continuing education comes in multiple formats: in-person workshops, web-based/online modules, or video subscriptions you can watch on your schedule.
Class Schedules
Full Circle opens several class tracks throughout the year. A daytime start usually opens in January, followed by a morning start in early spring. Weekend classes begin in late May, and a combined schedule that brings in some evening hours starts in September.
Home-study and video options give extra flexibility. During student clinic sessions, learners stay for up to five hours at a time while completing 50 clinical hours, related paperwork, and short lectures. The program does not include externships.
Is It a Good School?
Yes. The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) has approved Full Circle as a continuing education provider.
Acceptance Rate
Full Circle School of Massage Therapy maintains a 100% acceptance rate for qualified applicants.
How Much Does Tuition Cost?
The 650-hour massage therapy program costs $11,000 in tuition. Adding fees and other costs brings your total to somewhere between $11,640 and $12,812.
SMRT continuing education courses range from $20 to $600, depending on which option you select. The school currently does not offer a net price calculator.
Programs & Courses
Healthcare
- Massage Therapy
Campus Locations
Aurora 2101 South Blackhawk St. Suite 245 Aurora, CO 80014
Reviews
Based on local Google reviews, the Full Circle School of Massage Therapy is universally praised as a premier institution for Licensed Massage Therapists (LMTs) seeking specialized continuing education (CE), particularly in its proprietary Spontaneous Muscle Release Technique (SMRT). The reviews indicate a high-level, career-changing educational experience focused on anatomical depth and therapist longevity.
Overall Score: 5.0/5 Stars
Common Praises
Exceptional Instruction and Expertise: The owner/creator of the SMRT technique is consistently called a “FANTASTIC instructor,” a “wonderful human,” and a “QUEEN” of the modality, praised for her “depth of knowledge” which is “profound” and “astounding.”
Career-Changing Modality (SMRT): The SMRT technique is repeatedly called the “best continuing education course I have ever taken” and a “life (and career) changing” modality.
Therapist Longevity and Safety: The technique is lauded for being “less intense on the therapists body,” helping LMTs “save your hands and lengthen your career.”
High Quality of Education: Reviewers, including LMTs of up to 27 years, state the courses are “invaluable,” “top tier,” and “comprehensive,” yet the material is made “easy to understand.”
Supportive Learning Environment: The instructors and TAs are noted as “extremely knowledgeable, capable, and kind.” The school is also praised for accommodating students with disabilities, such as those who are hearing impaired.
Common Criticisms
Lack of Criticisms: There are zero criticisms in the provided review snippet, and the overall rating is a perfect 5.0 stars.
Non-Local Wish: The only recurring theme that isn’t praise is the wish from LMTs in other states (like Alaska, Illinois, and Florida) that the classes were offered closer to them, indicating the high demand for this education nationwide.
Momentum
The momentum is outstanding and sustained. The overall rating is a perfect 5.0 stars, and the most recent review is from just two weeks ago, continuing the strong, positive trend. The school successfully markets its CE courses nationwide and offers multiple formats (live seminars, video subscription services), confirming a wide-reaching, thriving business model built on the strength of its core SMRT method and the high demand for this specialized training among professional LMTs.