Rolfers are trained and certified by the Rolf Institute, headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. The Rolf Institute is the only school accredited to teach Rolfing and is the sole certifying body for Rolfers. It is regulated by the Colorado State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education. Successful applicants complete a training program that usually requires 2 years of study and includes a continuing education program extending for 6 additional years. The training includes the biological sciences, the theory of Rolfing, and extensive clinical work under supervision.

The Rolf Institute was founded in 1971. Its major purposes are to train and provide continuing education for Rolfers, to conduct research on Rolfing and to provide information to the public about Rolfing. The Rolf Institute has been granted Service Mark rights for the words Rolfer and Rolfing in the United States and 15 other countries. It oversees the training of Rolfers in Europe, Australia, and South America as well as in several locations in the United States. The Rolf Institute is a non-profit organization governed by an elected Board of Directors. It has a faculty of 25 instructors in Rolfing, Rolf Movement and anatomy. It can be reached via phone at (800) 530-8875, and via the web at www.rolf.org.