Cortiva Institute — Local services in Upper Merion Township

My experience with this school is becoming less favorable by the day. My application for my license was never received by Harrisburg. It was sent again today after a disgusting conversation between their staff and myself. The staff want you to believe that they are there for you from day one and even after you graduate, which is about half true. They just want your money. They are willing to help you with an in house loan, and they say they will help you with finding a job, but what they do not tell you is they're willing to help you out the door. I have been waiting for weeks to receive my license and was able to get a job, but I can not work until I have my license, and it looks like it will take a couple more weeks to get my license information processed, let alone received.

Since my start at Cortiva, the administration has changed several times. The staff itself has dwindled, finding out today that the career services position, who was incharge of my license application, was empty and not to be filled until the middle of the month. My former teacher, if you could even call her that, had taken it upon herself on the night of graduation to curse me and another classmate out, extremely professional behavior. She was constantly talking bad about the company and spent more time on that than actually teaching us useful information to be used in the real world of massage therapy. Throughout the year she would reassure us 'only a few more months and this will all start to make sense' or 'about 6 months after you graduate will everything start to tie together'. Needless to say I am NOT confident in my education from this institution. We learned about crystals and reike and witchcraft instead of learning more techniques like hot stone or chair massage. I feel cheated.

It also blows me away that this once wonderful legitimate and respected massage therapy school is ruining its reputation. You want quality compassionate and caring massage therapists? Try not advertising during Maury and Jerry Springer. Since the school was taken over by Steiner Corp. advertising has increased 10 fold. Before the school was more discreet and advertised more by word of mouth, which I believe was a benefit. Within a few months of the take over, I hear Cortiva commercials on Pandora constantly, which wouldn't be a problem if I had not already graduated from there and the frequency is annoying to say the least. Also, considering there is no screening process for potential students, you are pretty much taking your chances accepting some of these people. I was present in a class where a student was severely overweight and suffered from narcolepsy and sleep apnea, needless to say this individual was falling asleep in class and you could hear their breathing or lack there of from across the room. Not only was it a distraction but it was also a hazard, what if they fell asleep with a client? Something needs to change or this school is going to become a joke, if it hasn't already. I want to be proud of my school, not ashamed. This experience has not been pleasant...

I had the opportunity to work at Cortiva Institute, and while I was initially excited to join a team seemingly committed to beauty and wellness education, my experience as an employee was unsatisfactory.

Lack of Organizational Support From the start, it was evident that Cortiva struggled with basic organizational structures. Staff were often left to figure out processes without proper guidance or training. Communication from management was inconsistent, leaving employees scrambling to meet unclear or ever-changing expectations. This lack of support created unnecessary stress and inefficiency, impacting both staff and students.

Outdated Practices and Curriculum One of the most frustrating aspects of working at Cortiva was the outdated teaching materials. In a rapidly evolving beauty and wellness industry, students need modern, relevant training to be competitive, yet Cortiva seemed resistant to updating its resources and practices. As an educator, it was disheartening to teach outdated material that I knew would not fully prepare students for real-world success.

Toxic Work Environment The work culture at Cortiva had a noticeable lack of appreciation for employee contributions, and favoritism was apparent. Constructive feedback was often dismissed, and employees who voiced legitimate concerns were either ignored or faced subtle retaliation. This created an atmosphere of distrust and low morale among staff.

Student Experience Suffering The biggest disappointment was seeing how these systemic issues directly impacted the students. Many students voiced frustration about disorganization, lack of access to necessary tools and materials, and limited hands-on opportunities. As someone passionate about education, it was incredibly frustrating to witness students paying significant tuition costs only to receive subpar training due to institutional failings.

Management’s Lack of Accountability Attempts to address these issues with leadership were met with indifference. There seemed to be a greater focus on maximizing profit than investing in the quality of education or employee satisfaction. This short-sighted approach hurts employees and also jeopardizes the reputation and future success of the institution.

While Cortiva has the potential to be a leader in beauty and wellness education, significant changes are necessary. The organization must prioritize its staff and students by updating its curriculum, investing in resources, and fostering a healthy, supportive work environment. Until these changes are made, both employees and students will continue to face unnecessary challenges. I sincerely hope Cortiva takes this feedback seriously and works toward creating a better experience for future employees and students alike. I truly believe Cortiva has the ability to be amazing and am grateful for the experience it has...

If I could give a no star review I would. I can longer be silent as this “institute” continues to harass me even months after finishing the program. Unfortunately my time here was nothing to brag about or discuss. I only had one good teacher and unfortunately she left so I was out of an educator and went through multiple educators in a short amount of time. When going to administration with my issues and well as the issues of my class, I was given nothing but disrespect and unprofessionalism SPECIFICALLY from Alison and Bill. They are completely rude and arrogant, do not take constructive criticism well whatsoever; and never own up to their actions/apologize.

Fast forward to when I’m finally out of the hell hole, I did not want this school or any persons associating with the school to contact me in any way shape or form. When I got a job, I had to tell them where I was working and I believe they wanted more information. I told them to not contact me and I was left alone. I get contacted again a month after that conversation and in order for me to be not contacted, I had to fill out a survey. A survey? For what? They were dismissing my feelings and requests to not be contacted and I was getting bamboozled and harassed with texts and phone calls for 7, almost 8 months. Now I’ve found out that they have searched where I was employed and harassed my employer as well. I don’t know what’s so difficult about leaving a person alone FOR 8 MONTHS!!!

I feel so sorry for any body that is in the esthetics program and just attending that facility. They don’t care about you or your future, they just want money and high acceptance rates for their own sake. I hope this place closes down and others see how horrible it was. I want Cortiva to...