Becoming a massage therapist usually requires taking a certificate course
to become accredited. Massage therapists have the kind of career that
allows them to have a flexible schedule with great earning potential.
Massage therapists help people feel better through the elimination of
stress, pain and by healing injuries. As wellness professionals, they
provide a key part of popular integrated holistic care programs.
List Your Motivations
Give
some thought as to why you are interested in becoming a massage
therapist. Massage therapy requires training and consistency with a
dedication to helping people by making them feel better. You will also
need to be comfortable meeting new people and listening to them to find
out how you can help them in the best way.
Consider Massage Therapy Disciplines
Massage
therapy has many specialties. For example, Swedish massage tends to be a
lighter, more relaxing type of therapy, while Shiatsu is a much more
intense deep tissue massage geared toward pressure points and focusing
on particular physical stress and pain issues. It is good to learn more
than one massage style, but figure out which one you would like to
concentrate on. It will be easier to specialize and be more effective
for clients overall.
The Massage Business
Visit
local massage centers to find out about how the business is run. More
than likely, if you are interested in becoming a massage therapist, you
are familiar with massage therapy centers. Visit your favorite ones and
talk with massage therapists about how they operate to get an idea of
how and where they were trained. Take notes from those you respect. Try
out a variety of massage specialties yourself to help you decide which
ones to concentrate on.
Research Licensing Requirements
Find
out about your jurisdiction's licensing mandates. Make sure you
understand what it will cost and what kind of time commitment is
involved. Check with your state's licensing board or county. For
example, certification requires not only course study, but many hours of
doing massage for clients to learn techniques properly under
supervision. Find out ahead of time so that you can choose the right
program for you.
Attend Seminars and Meetings
To
help find a training program, visit any local seminars and meetings
offered at local massage schools. Many have activities designed to draw
out the people interested in training. Look for ads and call to ask
about events or visiting for more information. Be sure to understand all
of the curriculum and training requirements. Search for programs that
lead to certification and satisfy local licensing requirements.
Design a plan after collecting all of your information. Consider all of your options, including costs and time commitments. Prepare a schedule to see how to fit the training into your schedule. For example, if you already work full time, find courses that occur evenings and weekends. If you have children, try to find a schedule that fits around when your partner or child care giver will be available to take care of your children.