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.