The International Association of Infant Massage is, as the name suggests, a global organisation. The same five week course is taught by thousands of CIMIs (Certified Infant Massage Instructors) all around the world. The professional program we teach, the theory, curriculum and focus, are unique. Created and developed by IAIM founder Vimala McClure back in 1976, the organisation has grown in its structure. There are not only Trainers and certified Instructors, but a network of Associated Chapters with Chapter Representatives, and an International Assembly. There is also an International Admin Board and an Education Board providing training for Trainers and continued education, as well as local specialist CIMIs, all centred around parents, babies, children and their caregivers.
The IAIM represents energy, enthusiasm, respect, love and joy. Interestingly, it’s not about the massage, it’s about nurturing touch, and massage is our main tool for promoting this. Massage is an art of communication. IAIM has a principle based practice. Anyone can deliver a massage – even a machine, have you seen the massage chairs in the Metro Centre? The IAIM is centred on the principle of nurturing touch among human beings. Much research has taken place around the important effects of touch, including that of Dr Tiffany Field at the Touch Research Institute in Miami, giving the IAIM program credibility. The course is completely baby led, focusing on reading the baby’s cues and respecting their individual behavioural states, even asking the baby’s permission before massage them.
IAIM CIMIs undergo intensive training covering much more than learning a sequence of massage strokes and techniques. The wide range of topics covered during our training follow an important underlying principle, which is that of understanding and valuing parents, families and caregivers, recognising and respecting the parent’s expertise, and supporting and encouraging parents to trust their abilities and intuition. Students are assessed through observation, journal keeping and an exam. In order to represent IAIM a CIMI must keep up professional membership with the organisation, and are then able to access up to date information through study days, and refresher training. This enables us to teach parents the best researched and well respected baby massage course out there.
In short, IAIM courses provide the world class, gold standard for the training and teaching of baby massage, delivering the most comprehensive courses currently available in the UK.
IAIM Mission Statement
The purpose of the International Association of Infant Massage is to promote nurturing touch and communication through training, education and research, so that parents, caregivers and children are loved, valued and respected throughout the world community.
That’s what’s so special about IAIM baby massage courses.
