Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy Reviews 163

TrustScore 3.5 out of 5

3.3

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Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Teachers were good, not enough info on how to teach the clients how to wrap themselves. Not enough explaination on how to conduct a session, what to recommend for a clients visits and what they can e... See more

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Home study was great. No issues with the home study part. The nine day in class training was half ok and half great.... I just wish they would keep one instructor for the whole class because some of w... See more

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Yes its true that its nerve racking but the whole experience is worth it. Instructors are well versed especially Kathy with her take on physiology; they are all there to teach us and train as a collea... See more

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Norton school of lymphatic therapy achieved the goal of teaching lymphatic basics. The teachers WERE knowledgeable and absolutely fantastic, however there was no syllabus that they followed and someda... See more

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The Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy is the premier educational institution for training medical doctors, physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, occupational therapists, certified occupational therapy assistants, speech-language pathologists, nurses, doctors of osteopathy, certified athletic trainers, chiropractors, and massage therapists to become experts in the treatment of pathologies related to the lymphatic system. Taught by the finest and most experienced faculty in the field, Norton School students receive thorough and rigorous training in the Foeldi Method of Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT), the therapeutic system regarded as the "Gold Standard" for the treatment of lymphedema by the International Society of Lymphology (ISL). Students become qualified to treat lymphedema (both primary and secondary), lipedema, phlebo-lymphostatic edema, chronic venous insufficiencies, and post traumatic edema. Additionally, as graduates fully certified in the treatment of lymphedema, Norton School alumni are eligible to sit for the Lymphology Association of North America (LANA®) Examination® for lymphedema specialists.


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3.3

Average

TrustScore 3.5 out of 5

163 reviews

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

What a wonderful experience

Where some things frustrating overall I found it to be a great experience. I learned a lot about myself and got to learn new ways of helping others. I met a lot of people that were good at what they do and enjoyed learning from them the different techniques that I could bring back to my patients

April 15, 2014
Unprompted review
Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Learned very much but not prepared for clinic

I enjoyed the course and learned a great deal. The instructors were good teachers! I was dissappointed that we did not do more with case studies as a group ( we were tested individually yet I would have loved to hear discussion about all the different cases. I felt that i had basic skills for "the ideal " lymhedema patient yet did not have good expertise with managing the complicated patient and knowing alternatives. I was expecting to have real patients to practice wrapping and to see a variety of shapes/ variations of limbs.
I appreciated the lab time to truly develop our MLD skills. More case studies would helpfull to learn and apply knowledge w guidance of experienced teachers.
Thank you.

April 14, 2014
Unprompted review
Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy logo

Reply from Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy

Hi Betty Anne,

Thank you for your kind and thorough reply. We always attempt to address any items of concern immediately so that it’s possible to correct any misperceptions. Even though it would be ideal to treat actual patients in the course, such an exercise would carry a large liability for the school and each student practicing in the course. Most clinicians are only licensed to touch a patient within their state of licensure; many students travel to our course from out of state. Each of the four major lymphedema schools operates this way and for the same reason. Case studies are wonderful so we always include them but we also need to allocate our time carefully due to the intensive amount of material covered. In order to support you when encountering difficult cases, the faculty and I have extended ourselves personally to offer free consulting services. Just email or call anytime for advice and mentoring. I assure you that many graduates feel similarly but we've provided a solid foundation from which to address the complicated patient. We teach a foundation that can be memorized and mastered in nine days; this foundation then acts as a springboard for assessing complications effectively.

Sincerely,

Steve Norton
Executive Director and Founder

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Make it flow..

This course was very informative, and taught me how to apply the needed treatments. I have had some difficulty since returning to my clinic being able to provide my patients with proper compression therapy due to insurance difficulties.

April 11, 2014
Unprompted review
Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy logo

Reply from Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy

Hi Franz,

Thank you very much for your feedback. As you may recall during your course, you were invited to reach out to me personally or to the instructors from your course. We would be happy to help figure out an effective strategy to address insurance billing issues within your clinical setting. There are various approaches to navigate this challenge.

Sincerely,

Steve Norton
Executive Director and Founder

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Class was very organized, supportive and professional

The instructors were very professional and supportive throughout the 9 day practical. It meant a lot to have Steve Norton stop in and help with the teaching.
The information I received has helped me educate and treat my massage clients who come in with lymphedema and who have had lymph nodes removed.
My one complaint would be that I am not allowed to review the bandaging video. Any other manual therapy program I've attended offers a DVD of the practicum. Norton School does not. The school should at least allow graduates continued access to the on-line bandaging video to insure proper compliance of the treatment protocol. A video showing proper measuring for custom garments would be helpful. as well.

April 11, 2014
Unprompted review
Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy logo

Reply from Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy

Hi Gayle,

Thank you for your kind review. The bandaging video would still available to you for some time after the course. Just return to the online home study portal to access it. If you encounter any difficulties accessing the video please contact our Program Director, Bernadette Nalepa. The reason we don't make a permanent DVD available is because some individuals may be inclined to improperly duplicate and disseminate the content. Once this occurs people may "self train" and disregard proper certification. We remain committed to protecting patients from substandard care so we strongly believe it is our responsibility to make sure we do not contribute to this problem.

Sincerely,

Steve Norton
Executive Director and Founder

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

The school provided great education and I felt prepared to come back to work, however the instructors lacked professionalism.

The class provided a great combination between hands-on learning and information from lecture and a book. The hands-on was a majority of the class and this was good as lymphedema therapy is a hands on practice. I felt prepared at the end of the course to come back to my work setting and educate others, as well as provided treatment to patients.
The North School needs to update their tests and manual as there are many grammatical errors throughout both. The tests are not written by a test writer and are worded poorly, making answering the questions quite subjective.
The instructors of the course were unprofessional as they were on their personal cell phones throughout the course, texting and taking phone calls during class lecture. In the course manual it was expected of the students to keep their phones off during class, but the instructors did not follow the expectations set for the students. This is a course provided by a college. It is expensive and time consuming, I expected the instructors full attention and felt that their minds were somewhere else. Extremely unprofessional behavior for the work place and college setting.

April 10, 2014
Unprompted review
Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy logo

Reply from Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy

Hi,

Thank you for your candid feedback. Course instructors are not to entertain phone calls during class, but in this rare instance the instructor’s mother had just passed away. The instructor traveled to the course the evening of the burial because of her passionate commitment to teaching this curriculum. The circumstances resulted in personal phone calls during her time at the course.

I apologize for the fact that this unusual situation occurred during your course. I can assure you we have the highest standards for the professionalism of our instructors. These circumstances were extenuating to say the least.

Finally, our manuals and tests are always undergoing review and improvement. I appreciate your feedback in this area as we continue to strive for the best possible presentation of the written content.

Sincerely,

Steve Norton
Executive Director and Founder

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Norton- Gold Standard for Lymphedema Certification Training

I am an OT and was previously certified in lymphedema by another school. Over the course of 15 years practicing & managing a lymphedema clinic, I found areas that I was not equipped to handle. There were significant defieciences in my previous training! I was introduced to Norton school from a Norton trained CLT, who I consulted with. She always had a solution for me about my lymphedema delimas!
Now that I am a Norton grad, I am so grateful for the well organized, wealth of information that I received. I now feel that I can treat anyone with lymphedema!

April 10, 2014
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A valuable learning experience

Norton School have me a theoretical understanding and education in Lymphedema -- not just online book work--but also practical application of the techniques used in Manual Lymphatic Drainage. I know and trust that with this knowledge base, I will be able to go out into my community, set up programs for educating others about Lymphedema self-care and begin a thriving practice that works in conjunction with the Oncology Facilities around my area as well as local Doctors.

April 10, 2014
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I had the worst experience at your school.

I was contemplating a law suit. I was definitely discriminated against.
I think that my instructor would not let me pass and certify for this course because I am a Massage Therapist and NOT a PHYSICAL THERAPIST, or OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST. I got a 78% on the exam, did ALL the pre-qualifying homework and passed every one of those tests. I took the full course, paid in full, and qualified for a "good" rating in my bandage wrapping. The instructor called me up IN FRONT OF THE CLASS and drilled me on some of the questions that had I missed on the test, of which I passed with a 78%. I did not know the answers, she got loud, enough for everyone to hear, and discussed WHY I should know these answers, and demanded that I agree with her. I told her if I agreed with her, that she would not pass me. I said, 'what it sounded like to me is, that is what she wanted, that she was leading me to agree and she would fail me'. When I told her this, she said nothing further. As a 10 year veteran Massage Therapist AND INSTRUCTOR OF MASSAGE, (Anthem College an 820 hour, FULL TIME POSITION, of FIVE YEARS!) I felt that I would pass the practical...well, I did NOT pass. I saw her complete attention on me, singling me out, during the practical, while my co-students - ALL of which, were PHYSICAL THERAPISTS, were just "LED TO SLIDE BY" without the scrutiny of the instructor, which was on me. I felt I did the practical as well as my co-students. I was allowed another attempt at the practical. My instructor chose the most difficult, (which I over heard other co-student PT's say WAS the hardest). I did not pass, although as a Massage Therapist myself, knowing that with practice, and more attention to instruction, am confident I would MASTER these routines. The instructor said that I had perfect technique, but failed me due to a FEW MISTAKES IN MY ROUTINE! I also documented that I heard my instructor tell several other PT's (when they asked WHY a Massage Therapist was in the school) that a "fly-by-night Massage Therapist could not come in here for certification". Simply put, I was told WHEN WE STARTED THE CLASS, that she would NOT fail ANYONE for the practical only, that we would have plenty of time to master the techniques. I failed to receive my certification for the practical only. I could recite the entire concept of anastomosis and the concept of MLD. I passed all exams, and the bandaging. There is NOTHING ELSE to pass EXCEPT THE ROUTINE! (which was biased and under the scrutiny of one single instructor!) I had practiced before the practical, with my fellow students, and could do the routines JUST AS GOOD AS THEM, (before testing in the practical!) But, she failed me, and I think it was STRICTLY discriminatory. I firmly believe that your company only wants PT's and OT's to have this certification, and not Massage Therapists!

April 10, 2014
Unprompted review
Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy logo

Reply from Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy

Bonnie,

Its important to note that you admit not having completed the course work satisfactorily and therefore failed. "A few mistakes in my routine" is a far larger issue when it comes to demonstrating safe and effective therapy on very sick patients. Regardless of professional background, PT, OT, and MT students do find the course to be challenging but are all treated equally by our instructors. Our pass rate is over 99.5%. That does mean, however, that some students occasionally fail their first time around. They are all invited to return free of charge to prove competency and virtually all succeed the second time. You have chosen not to return. It is therefore understandable that your review of your experience with the school is negative. I am sorry you did not pass the course and regret that you opted not to return to complete your training. That being said, we are ethically bound to ensure all students meet the required level of expertise necessary to safely treat patients before we can allow them to pass the course.

Sincerely,

Steve Norton
Executive Director and Founder

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Hard work that paid off!!!

I was thrilled to be able to go to Norton School, since it is one of only a couple of schools that allow LMTs to take the program. It was a lot of hard work, but met a great group of women, both instructors and students that made the class fun and interesting. I have been able to use my new found knowledge and techniques as soon as I went back to work. I would recommend the program to any health care professional interested in learning the lymphatic system and wants to help those in need of fluid reduction. I graduated 2 years ago and still able to utilize what I learned to my patients every day.

April 10, 2014
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

Instructors showed favoritism to certain students; by the end of the course, it seemed the intent was to fail most of the students instead of creating a supportive atmosphere with positive feedback. We never saw Steve Norton. ( [External Reference] appears at every class his company teaches) The location was not very convenient for out of town travelers, and the hotel had extra expenses for those staying more than a day or two. The basic knowledge presented was good and the techniques are sound and reliable for effective therapy.

April 10, 2014
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

It was amazing and not intimidating as far as the information goes.

Norton School was awesome. I felt at ease learning a lot of new information in a short time while still not feeling like it was cramed in. I would recommend Norton school for Lymphedema to anyone interested in this area because of the values and the passion that comes forth after taking the course. The instructors were very knowledgeable and supportive so that you do not feel like you cannot be successful after the course. The connections made in the class with the other students was also inspiring because you really feel like you are in it together, like a family of lymphedema therapists. I'm proud to say that I attended Norton School.

April 10, 2014
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

great comprehensive course with awesome instructors

The Norton course was a lot of work. It was well worth the time and money. I learned so much, I knew nothing before I started this program and when I was done I was confident that I was well equipped to start my new career. The instructors were very encouraging and knew their stuff. I met some great people in my class that I still use as support. The course materials were well laid out and in a way that you didn't even know you were retaining it. Everything was repeated in several different ways in several different resources...you couldn't miss it. I really enjoyed this program, I didn't want it to end.

April 10, 2014
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great learning experience!

Norton school was the perfect choice for me to get my lymphedema certification. All the instructors were very patient, helpful and always eager to impart knowledge, making sure that all students are able to understand. I highly recommend Norton School to any colleagues of mine interested in pursuing lymphedema certification.

April 9, 2014
Unprompted review
Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Not at all draining

Thoroughly enjoyed this extended class, though very intense, was expertly taught and teachers were very supportive.
I would definitely participate in their classes again.

April 9, 2014
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely Fantastic

A life changing educational experience I would recommend to anyone interested in Lymphedema. Challenging but well worth the effort required to advance your professional career and ability to better serve the community in the healthcare field. The instructors were very knowledgable and patient during the 9 days of class which were needed to really grasp and absorb all of the material being taught. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have attended the certification course.

April 9, 2014
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Nine days of intense fabulous training

Training was awesome! Extreamly intestive and fast paced. Lots of great information with not a moment of boredom. Instructors were subject matter experts and classmates were diverse and very motivating. Highly recommend this training for people who are seriously in gaining additional education on lymphedema

April 9, 2014
Unprompted review

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