"Practicing massage is an opportunity to make a difference in peoples lives." Andre F. Fountain RN, Director of Praxis College
Praxis College was established in Oklahoma Indian Territory in 1903 with St. Anthony Hospital’s massage training program. The curriculum is founded in the work of Mary Johannsen, who trained Oklahoma City massage therapists in the 1960's. In 1975 Andre F. Fountain RN taught the first Skilled Touch Class. Praxis College was separated from St Anthony Hospital in 1988, and became licensed by the State through the Oklahoma Board of Private Vocational Schools (OBPVS) in 1987. For three years (1991-1994) Praxis College leased classrooms in a quiet, second floor area of French Market Mall while the current campus was being planned and prepared.
Praxis College sponsored a competition of OSU architecture students to design a massage school. Massage therapists and community leaders were invited to a reception at the Marriott ballroom. While a string quartet played several hundred people visualized our future.
In 1994 the current campus was purchased. The Praxis SPA was purchased in 2000. Our growing multiple acre campus is located north of Nichols Hills. The SPA is located on the Southwest corner of the Campus at NW 88th on the East side of Western Avenue. The 8,000 sq ft SPA was originally the Britton hospital, it was purchased by Praxis in 2000. The campus is made up of our classroom buildings, center for healthy living & dojo, service annex, retail spaces, along with married student housing and dormitories. We own green spaces throughout the campus.
Most recently beginning in 2010 until 2016 the program was completely redesigned as a totally integrated 3,000 hour “flipped classroom” program. Praxis College has a quiet rural atmosphere in an underdeveloped area of Oklahoma City a mile north of Nichols Hills. JMarshall Square is across the street West. We are two miles North of Whole Foods, Restaurant Row, Chesapeake and Classen Curve.
Praxis College is able to provide a high level of education at no cost to students, due to several factors, including an unmatched financial stability, gifts, grants and endowments from the medical and business community. The faculty has designed programs that allow flexibility and respects your experience.
* OUR PHILOSOPHY AT PRAXIS COLLEGE * "Science & Art is looking at the same thing from different sides of the coin " DaVinci
Praxis is from a Greek word meaning "the conduct of an art and science" or alternately “to perform with precision.” This is the focus of Praxis College. Praxis College emphasizes that both art and science are important to developing a successful massage practitioner. As the College logo states, Praxis aspires to be "a bridge between two worlds," the Western and the Eastern disciplines. The program has been designed to incorporate opposing theories of massage. The education provided is focused on principles and theories, and the universal truths of the healing Arts. The intent of the Praxis College experience is to give you a well rounded, liberal art education in massage.
Therapists certified by Praxis have a medical and scientific base interwoven with a strong sense of “the Art” and possesses the talent needed for effective, therapeutic massage. This education leads to the development of a massage therapist rather than a technician, whose focus is narrowed to learning a limited number of styles of massage. Those less or minimally educated in massage have a trade, Praxis graduates have a community.
We strive to inspire a sense of ethics and personal responsibility to all body workers.
