Massage Therapist Training

Find Out Your Different Options When Looking For Massage Therapist Training

Many people these days are turning to the benefits of massage therapy, especially since the stresses of everyday life can often leave people tense, stiff and unable to relax. In massage therapist training you will learn everything you need to be a licensed massage therapist and work with clients to help relax their muscles and alleviate their stress. This is a field that is now in high demand, so it is a great time to make a new career choice.

The role of a massage therapist is to reduce muscle tension, stress and encourage relaxation in their clients. They will be skilled at manipulating muscles and tissue which can reduce or eliminate pain from stiff joints or even injuries.

Massage Therapy Colleges and Schools

When you enrol in massage therapist school, you will be given training in a variety of areas, including kinesiology, human anatomy, hydrotherapy, lymphatic drainage, essential oils, reflexology, orthopedics, pathology and human movement.

You will also learn different forms of massage, like deep tissue, Chinese medical massage, Swedish and sports massages. Combined with your theoretical training, your massage therapist training will also give you a chance to practice on real people by getting hands-on experience at a massage clinic run by the school.

Finally, many massage therapist schools will also give you a solid business background  and teach professional ethics in order to facilitate you to one day run your own practice. Aside from opening your own business, a massage therapist can also find work at doctor's offices, massage or physical therapy clinics or at nursing homes.

Academic Requirements

In order to get into massage therapist school, you will need to have graduated with your high school diploma or GED and have both CPR and first aid certification. You can opt for a 1 year certificate progam or your 2 year associate's degree, in which you will have to complete about 1000 clinical training hours.

You can even opt to do the theory part of the program online, as there are many program choices from home. Once you have achieved your degree, you will need to take the national certification exam which is offered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, as being certified is required in at least 25 states in order to practice. Some states even require you to become licensed requiring you to apply to become a Licensed Massage Therapist.

Massage therapists have the luxury of working flexible hours, with many therapists only working part time, and they can earn an average of about $42 an hour. Having proper massage therapist training combined with good people and communication skills, could make you very successful, even if you choose to be self-employed. It is a budding, lucrative field, and with the right skills, you could find a very fulfilling future in it.

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