The main difference between traditional manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) and Brazilian lymphatic drainage massage lies in their techniques, goals, and visual outcomes.

Traditional Manual Lymphatic Drainage Technique involves gentle, rhythmic, wave-like strokes that follow the path of the lymphatic system.

Goal: Primarily therapeutic - used to treat medical conditions like lymphedema, post-surgical swelling, and certain chronic inflammatory conditions.

Pressure: Very light and slow; the skin is barely moved.

Effect: Encourages lymph flow and detoxification without visible aesthetic changes.

Brazilian Lymphatic Drainage Massage Technique combines traditional lymphatic drainage principles with more vigorous,contouring techniques, often using deeper pressure, fast-paced movements, and sometimes tools like the wood therapy ones we are using.

Goal: Both functional and aesthetic - aims to reduce bloating and fluid retention, sculpt the body, and enhance curves.

Pressure: Medium to firm in some areas, with more dynamic strokes.

Effect: Immediate visible changes like reduced puffiness, more defined contours, and improved skin tone.

In summary - Traditional MLD is medically focused and very gentle, while Brazilian lymphatic drainage is more dynamic and aesthetic, often resulting in immediate visible contouring.

If you have already done an MLD course with us or any other training provider and not yet done the Brazilian method, this is often the next one students like to learn as it will give your clients different benefits.

Do I need an MLD qualification to join this course?

No this is a stand alone course and you are NOT required to have a qualification in MLD to attend.

No - this is a stand-alone course and you are NOT required to have a qualification in MLD to attend.We do require a level 3 in full body massage - ITEC or similar.

All equipment will be provided on the day of your training, and you will be advised on the tools needed for your wood therapy and where you can purchase these on the day of your course.

The Wood Therapy kits are very affordable, with excellent sets often available for under £20 and larger kits for both the face and body for under £50. Your tutor will be able to recommend these and good places to purchase them from on the day of your training.

All dates and availability are updated live as you book, once the deposit has been paid online. Please note the numbers available (which are showing when you visit our site) are correct on a minute-to-minute basis and will show as full as soon as the course date becomes fully booked.

If the venue you selected says there are no dates available, please choose a different venue you can travel to, or email us to be put on the waiting list for any cancellations, we are happy to let you know as soon as one becomes free.

10.00am - 4.30pm on weekdays

or 10.30am – 5.00pm if you choose to attend on a weekend date.

This course is insurable, accredited or approved by the professional bodies FHT, Thinktree, World Metaphysical Association, The Accreditation Council of Holistic Healers (ACHH), ABT and CThA.

You will receive an insurable, professional certificate allowing you to use the therapy you learn with us and charge your clients or work in a salon, as it is a recognised qualification on Government & Councils Approved Accredited list.



Existing CTHA Members can attend this course and gain their CPD points through the CTHA as it is recognised as additional learning, enabling students to get insurance cover through Holistic Insurance Services, which will add it to the therapist’s insurance.

When you book a course with us, we take the deposit for the course (we do not take the full payment) then once you have booked, your details are sent directly to the tutor and they will contact you with regard to the balance.

We give you this option as many students do not wish to pay in full for their course straight away as they have limited funds, so often this can allow you if you book in advance to only pay the deposit and then pay the balance later, allowing you to budget.

Payment Instalments Available on Courses, to Help you Budget - The tutor will be in touch once you pay your deposit and book to easily arrange this with you.

You will have a choice to pay the balance straight away or it can be paid in instalments.

You will receive a confirmation email from the tutor once you have booked and within this email it will give you the information you require so you can pay the balance directly to your tutor.

If you are a company paying for a student to attend, please email us as we provide a Pro forma invoice if required, we are happy for the tutor to contact you directly to charge the full amount so you do not have to pay in two payments (please note this is only available for company bookings). We can arrange this for you on request.

It’s quick and easy to book with us; you can immediately look forward to your course and a great day learning a new therapy.

We have caring and helpful tutors who will be in touch with you quickly and they are contactable before your course starts, helping you with any questions you may have, making your decision to book with us the right one.

It is important to know you are in safe hands now, on your training day and when your course has finished. You will receive excellent aftercare and help and advice from your tutor when needed.

We are an award-winning school, Number One Training School (out of over 80 schools) in the Beauty Industry Survey.

Trusted, Recognised & Insurable Courses on Government/Councils Approved Accredited list.

Voted The Awards of Excellence 'Best Training School' by students and won 5 years in a row! We maintain high standards and are proud of our team of passionate and caring tutors.

When you book with us you have peace of mind, we have a proven track record - established in 1998 and accredited by many recognised professional bodies. We pride ourselves on very high standard courses which are reflected in our high pass rates!

We are a trusted school, trading since 1998 and accredited by all the top professional bodies.

We have trained many professional therapists and make-up artists from large professional salons, hotels and spas at:

Gleneagles 5 star hotel and Spa Scotland

Champneys Health Resorts

Bobbi Brown UK & Ireland

Make-up Artists at Large Filming Companies and Hollyoaks for Channel 4 and Top Hotels and Spas

The Mandarin Oriental Spa at Knightsbridge

Dior, John Lewis Spa, The Sanctuary and many other leading companies.

We have trained many salon therapists, mobile therapists and corporate ladies and gentlemen.

We have also trained thousands of complete beginners, police officers, air hostesses - flight attendants, office workers, mums, retired men and women, members of the NHS, all looking for a rewarding career change or an extra income.

We offer value for money, professional training from passionate and skilled tutors and the chance to earn an extra income or maybe offer you training to allow a complete life change and a different career path.

Receive these Gifts when you Train with us

FREE TO ALL OUR STUDENTS WHEN YOU ATTEND:

Anatomy and Physiology e-manual

FREE Access to massage downloads to help you remember routine

Access to our FREE 'Hands Free' Massage Video Download too!Discounts off therapist insurance and products

No

You do not need to take a model with you as you will work with another student on the day of training.

If you do not wish to be worked on due to medical reasons, sometimes the tutor can provide one or you can bring someone with you if advised beforehand. The tutor will be happy to discuss this with you.

AT OUR COURSES YOU WILL BE WORKING ON EACH OTHER, SO NO MODELS ARE REQUIRED UNLESS YOU PREFER TO BRING ONE AS YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE WORKED ON. JUST LET US KNOW WHEN YOU BOOK AND WE ARE HAPPY TO HELP WITH THIS.

JUST LET US KNOW WHEN YOU BOOK AND WE WILL BE HAPPY TO HELP WITH THIS.

What should I bring with me?

All products that you use on the day whilst learning will be provided on the day of your training for massage, beauty and spiritual courses and are included in the price of your course.

Students should bring pen/pencil, paper and own lunch. Loose/comfortable clothing should be worn.

You do not need to take anything with you to a class - all massage & beauty couches, chairs, towels and equipment are provided.

If you are booking a massage course - because massage will be undertaken, normal standards of cleanliness will be expected including short fingernails.

The class runs with 2 or more people booked on and you can book 24 hours before the start date if you wish.

The tutors will be able to advise you on the best and most affordable equipment and/or kits to buy when you train with them so you can use these with your clients, or if you wish to buy them before you train you can!

There are no written exams for our one day courses, only a practical assessment by the tutor as you work during the day. The guidance you receive from your tutor will allow you to easily grasp your new skill.

You do not need to wear a therapist tunic or whites unless you wish to, comfortable clothing is fine.

Our One Day Course certification is not brand specific.

You will get a practitioner's certificate and it does NOT say one day course anywhere on it.

It is a professional practitioner’s certificate and the accreditation body logos are also on your certificate, showing who has approved it for insurance purposes.

Trusted, Recognised & Insurable Courses on Government/Councils Approved Accredited list.

If you are choosing a massage or beauty course, our courses are popular because the certification we give you allows a student to work with whichever particular brand they choose to purchase later and use with their clients.

Importantly, we teach effective and safe methods with products that our tutors love to use, but do not insist on the students who attend having to continue with any one given brand afterwards to gain insurance and use what they have learned with us professionally.

This then allows students to make their own choice of brand and also means that they are not tied by any particular brand when it comes to their insurance, so should they ever have a problem and if a claim is made and they have changed brand, they would still be covered, (please check this with your insurance provider) giving you a lot more flexibility.

This also means you are not tied into buying brands from us, which is very restrictive and only makes the school you are buying them from money but does not benefit you. This means the certificate you gain with us gives you the freedom to use whichever brand you wish, the tutors can guide you towards good products but ultimately it is your choice!

In some cases your insurance may be invalid if you train with a branded product detailed on your training certificate and you then change to another brand. However, providing non brand specific training allows us to offer our courses at a lower cost, allowing you to spend what is right for you on the necessary products rather than buying unnecessary and costly equipment.

The tutor will be happy to discuss products, prices and how much you can charge for the therapy on your training day. The tutor will also cover the insurance information for you, we receive a discount with a large insurance company covering our training for those of you new to this field or wanting to change to a new and more affordable cover.

Yes we do offer discounts for products you can use after your course - We have teamed up with some excellent companies to offer really good discounts to our students.

We give you all of this information in your course manuals you receive (included in the price of your course) on the day of your training

THE ITEC COURSES - THE CERTIFICATES ARE ISSUED BY ITEC

Sadly No

We are sorry we cannot do this, we have to stick to the advertised numbers due to specialising in small classes and not having room at the venues to take more people.

However what we suggest is to book onto the next date available that you can make and when filling out your details, there is a note box section within the booking form.

You can request here that you can be moved to the earlier date if there are any cancellations so you can be prioritised and contacted if we have anyone drop out.

All dates and availability are updated live as you book, once the deposit has been paid online. Please note the numbers available (which are showing when you visit our site) are correct on a minute to minute basis and will show full as soon as the course date becomes fully booked.

If the venue you selected says there are no dates available, please choose a different venue you can travel to or alternative date option - or you can email us to be put on the waiting list for any cancellations and we are happy to let you know as soon as one becomes free.

For Dates & Venues on offer and also the Course Price - please use the PURPLE LINK BUTTON which is located on this page to be able to view all dates available.

It will give you a list of venues where we offer this course and also the dates and price.

It is quick and easy to book with us and we only take a small deposit to book you on.

FOR OUR ONE DAY COURSES

No, you do not have to take a written exam on the day, only a practical assessment.

All our courses have been awarded CPD points (Continuing Professional Development). There are a certain amount of points required by the various bodies (IFPA, FHT etc) to ensure that members are up to date with various therapies. For example Aromatherapists are required every 3 years to keep their training in massage up to date and will look for CPD courses to be able to do this.

Please check with whom you are registered for their guidelines on how many points they award for one day courses as they all differ.

Tutors

Our tutors are like a family unit; they deliver their courses with care and passion and have very high standards when it comes to our training. When taking a course with Gateway, you have peace of mind that you will be training with a long-established company, whose training courses are recognised and passed by the top professional bodies, ensuring quality training with experienced tutors.

Established in 1998, we have a great team of tutors who have a wealth of knowledge and are passionate and caring. They also take pride in the way they look after their students both on the day of their training and also offer great aftercare and help where needed. All tutors are experienced in dealing with all different levels of skills and with small classes you are assured of individual attention.

All Gateway tutors hold a professional teacher training qualification (often the Award in Education, PTLLS level 3 or 4 or equivalent) and have also been a therapist for many years as well as a trainer, so you know you are in good hands.

We have years of experience to offer you, ensuring that you will be delighted with the course you choose.

Yes.

Our professional training courses are recognised qualifications and accredited with the top bodies, which means you will be able to get therapist insurance allowing you to work professionally with the general public and charge.

We are accredited by many professional bodies. Established 1998 - Trusted, Professional & Recognised Courses on Government & Council Approved list.

For our one day courses, practical tuition training materials - if you choose a massage or a beauty course, towels, blankets, creams/oils, massage tables/chairs are all provided on the day so you do not have to take anything with you.

Also included is a fully comprehensive award-winning manual.

The booking fee (your deposit) is inclusive of VAT and no VAT to pay, on the balance of the course fee.

Yes - Payment Instalments Available on Courses, to Help you Budget - The tutor will be in touch once you pay your deposit and book to easily arrange this with you.

If it is a massage or beauty course the answer is -

No

Avoid being caught out - continue learning your massage and beauty at a venue with a tutor to get the best tuition - be safe and ensure you can use what you learn professionally and still get insurance cover.

We do offer some of our other courses online as well as at our venues - for example some of our spiritual courses are available online but no massage or beauty courses.

It will be mentioned on each course page, if there is an online version available.

 Why we do NOT offer the hands-on practical massage or beauty courses online

1. This is because we feel that it is not safe to offer massage or beauty courses online as you require a tutor to be with you in a room to guide you as these are hands-on therapies

2. The councils are looking to regulate our industry, and the insurance companies are looking to make stricter laws for their policies and cover - which we welcome

3. It will be a lot harder to get many courses verified and covered for insurance soon due to new Government and council laws coming very soon

4. You need a professional assessment on the day of your course in person to make sure you have learned a hands-on therapy safely; this cannot be done online or by Zoom and is not likely to be accepted in the near future

5. We want to make sure any massage or beauty qualification you gain can be used professionally and this needs to be with a tutor at a venue for insurance companies to be able to continue to insure you moving forward

6. Many large spas, hotels and salons will not take an online training certificate for massage or beauty and will ONLY accept a qualification gained with a tutor face-to-face at a venue for their insurance purposes

7. To be taken seriously in our industry you want to make sure you get the right training with an experienced tutor - you can never replace this with online training as practical courses should be learned safely with a tutor face-to-face who has the right experience and tutor insurance to teach you correctly

8.You learn a lot by receiving a treatment as well as learning how to give a treatment, you cannot experience how it feels or what it should feel like if you learn over Zoom or by video - this is why you learn best by being in a class with other students

We have two massage courses that have both practical hands on and also online learning:

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE HAVE SOME COURSES LIKE THE CANCER ONCOLOGY MASSAGE COURSE AND OUR BABY INSTRUCTOR MASSAGE COURSE FOR EXAMPLE - THESE COURSES ONLY HAVE ONLINE LEARNING AS WELL AS PRACTICAL HANDS-ON LEARNING

The practical part of these courses are held at one of our venues and the theory part of the course is learned online.

The online part of the course will be yours to start in your own time with your own tutor to guide you every step of the way.

The Practical hands-on Part of the Course:

You will be guided through the practical day by your tutor, in a small group, with lots of individual attention.

Please scroll up to the top of the course page and you will see some information tabs you can click on, for further information.

Only some of our massage courses require a previous qualification to attend (many do not) but we can help you with this.

This area will tell you what is accepted for an advanced massage course and how to contact us if you need us to check if your qualification is a level 3 that can be accepted or not - as we can help with this.

Thank you

Yes

If you are a salon, college, spa or hotel etc and require in-house training, please email us as we can organise a trainer to come to your location with 4 or more students.

sue@gatewayworkshops.co.uk

We have a long history of offering high quality in-house training with experienced tutors who can come to you.

Our courses are fully recognised and accredited, making them fully insurable for the therapist to use professionally.

We train Therapists and we also offer in-house training, we currently train all of Bobbi Brown's UK staff and have done for the past 3 years, Gleneagles 5 star Hotel and Spa Scotland, Make-up Artists at Large Filming Companies and Hollyoaks for Channel 4 and Top Hotels and Spas.

You do NOT need insurance to take our one day courses, but we advise you to act professionally and obtain suitable professional liability insurance (if you intend to use what you have learned on our practitioner courses and use them with the general public.)

Insurance prices vary but work out at about £60 - £80 a year depending on which therapy you train in.

Full details are given to you on the day of your course, however, if you are a therapist already and have insurance you will be able to add your training to it (we always advise you to check first before booking) or if they do not offer insurance for what you have learned we can suggest alternatives, so you are covered.

All this information can be found in your course information or you can contact your tutor at any time for further information or help and aftercare when needed.

Gateway highly recommends Westminster for therapist insurance.

They are affordable, reliable and many of our students use them on a yearly basis. You will be given full information for Westminster insurance on the day of your training and you can also find their information in the product/shop section of our website.

FOR OUR ITEC COURSES ALL STUDENTS WILL NEED THERAPIST INSURANCE TO TAKE AN ITEC COURSE - WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND WESTIMINSTER INSURANCE AND THEY OFFER A DISCOUNT TO ALL GATEWAY STUDENTS

Your tutor can give you all of this information when you sign up for this course and help you with any questions you may have.

Yes

FOR OUR ONE DAY COURSES

Many other companies offer similar courses but have much larger classes, therefore it has to be taught over a longer period of time. You may be asked to come back for a second day to go over what you have learnt as the tutor does not have time to get around the class due to the large numbers.



Some other schools offer their courses over 2 days, sometimes it is a good way to get you to pay more but very often you will learn the same routines, so what is the difference? They will often have much larger classes so they will have to spread their training over a longer period of time, however we believe in small numbers so you receive one-to-one tuition.

If you feel one day is not enough training, you are able to come back to repeat the course again free of charge. However, due to small classes, this is rare but available if required.

FOR MASSAGE AND BEAUTY COURSES

We also send you a fantastic FREE Anatomy and Physiology manual before you attend our courses; another reason why some training classes elsewhere are over 2 days.

This will be due to the fact the tutor will spend a lot of the time reading about the A & P on the day which we feel you should not pay for, so we give you a free manual so you can do this in your own time. Relevant anatomy and physiology will of course be covered on the day.

Please remember this manual is an extra freebie from us, your course training manual is included in the cost of the course and you will receive this as a fully bound hard copy on the day of your training.

THE ITEC TRAINING - THIS IS SPREAD OVER 5-6 DAYS OVER SEVERAL MONTHS (DEPENDING ON WHICH COURSE YOU SIGN UP FOR), ALLOWING YOU TIME TO DO YOUR CASE STUDIES

Yes.

All booking fees (deposits) are inclusive of VAT, Gateway is registered for VAT as a school and booking/promotional agent.

The 'course fee’ (balance) payable to the tutors is VAT exempt as VAT is not applicable to Education.

The price on the website is inclusive of everything, no hidden charges.

Receive these Gifts when you Train with us - Giving you added extras worth over £50!

FREE TO ALL OUR STUDENTS WHEN YOU ATTEND:

Anatomy and Physiology e-manual

Access to our complimentary 'Hands Free' Massage Video Download too!

Access to course reference videos helps you remember routine taught Discounts off therapist insurance and products

FOR OUR ONE DAY COURSES - Yes

Our Promise to you - Yes you can repeat the course free of charge if needed.

Our tutors are so confident that one day is adequate for our one day Diploma courses, due to the small numbers they teach, if they or you feel you need to come back to repeat the course you can do this free of charge.

If you feel one day is not enough training, you are able to come back to repeat the course again free within 6 months when spaces are available with the same tutor.

However, due to small classes and the 1-1 attention you receive this is rare but for your peace of mind available if required.

THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO OUR ITEC TRAINING COURSES

You can find all the latest students’ feedback, good or bad, here on this page.

Please scroll to the STUDENT FEEDBACK section on this page.

When you complete a course with us, you will receive an email asking you to fill out our student feedback form.

All of our testimonials are genuine coming from the students who have taken our courses and we have a very high rating on Trustpilot and our Gateway Facebook business pages.

You know when you book with us you are booking with a company that has over 20 years’ experience teaching thousands of students and we have passionate and caring tutors you can trust.

We look forward to you attending a course with us and receiving your feedback too!

Our tutors are passionate and kind and look after all our students, we are an established company with a 20+ year history behind us to make sure we get it right and we thank all those students who have sent in feedback, as we love to hear from them after a class.

Yes.

All our tutors hold teaching qualifications and are experts in their fields, they all have professional qualifications in all the subject areas that they teach with years of experience so you know you will receive the best training available.

Excellent tuition on the day with expert tutors, but also fantastic aftercare when needed and help with any questions, which makes us different and unique to many other companies offering courses; not only will you get great tutors whilst you learn - but also great aftercare too - many other companies do not offer this and leave you to your own devices.

Your tutor's contact details can be found in your website confirmation email you were sent when you booked with us, there is a link that takes you to your tutor's information with their email and phone contact details.

The tutor will also confirm your booking by email, giving you all the information you need for them and the full details for the venue and directions and final balance payment information.

Help in Finding Work After You Have Trained With Us

The one question we have been asked by the most students is how to find work after you have trained with us, so we often team up with great companies that can help!

We will post these in our newsletter, so please remember to sign up for free to be kept up-to-date with this, our new course launches and all of our latest information.

The link for our newsletter can be found in the footer (bottom part of our website) on the far right-hand side.