Massage Therapist - What You Need To Become One
What are the challenges faced by a massage therapist? There is growing respect for both massage as a treatment modality and for therapists as professionals in the last decade. Don't be mistaken that massage therapy is easy. It may take a few weeks or months to learn a skill, but it takes years to gain expertise. Practice does make perfect, but then again there are so many techniques and modalities to learn over time.
When you scout for schools or programs, let this be your guide:
1) The curriculum should include at least these three topics: massage techniques, skills and dynamics of therapeutic relationships and business training.
2) A school devoted to massage therapy, rather than one that only offers the program in its menu, will likely develop more skilled workers and better graduates.
3) Instructors that make up the faculty should have at least five years of practical experience to be able to share their knowledge and mentor students.
4) Ask graduates about their experience with the school. Better yet, get a massage from a former graduate to evaluate their level of competence.
5) Inquire from employers where they are likely to get recruits from. If they have a preference from graduates of a particular school, chances are these have shown the most promise and skill that bring in business.
6) In the same way you want to eventually build your reputation as massage therapist, find out about the prospective school's reputation in the industry as a center that develops worthy professionals.
Massage therapy is perhaps one of the most rewarding careers, especially when you have built your business or your credibility. Still, there are things you may be wondering about this allied health care field. So read on...
Why do you want to be a massage therapist?
Yes, it has gained recognition as a treatment modality and therapists have earned the respect of the public, who are now more open to massage therapy to supplement their wellness regimen.
And most MTs who enjoy their work will attest they can, and actually do, earn a good living from it. Depending on where you practice your skills and the number of years experience, you can make from $29,000 (entry level, employed part-time or full-time) up to over $100,000 annually. However, they all give the same advice: NEVER DO IT FOR THE MONEY.
The hands are your tools of the trade. However, without commitment and passion for what you do, do not expect to become a success or hope to make the higher end of the salary scale. Massage is physically and emotionally taxing, especially if you have to work on six, seven or even eight clients a day.
Long-time massage therapists say it becomes easier to gain clients and build your reputation if you focus on using the skills to heal and make people feel better than to put a price tag for what you can do.
One other food for thought: As you help others improve their well-being, you will notice it does wonders for yours, too. Touch therapy, which is essentially what massage is, goes beyond kneading, flexing or stretching muscles and releasing stress. It can also become a spiritual experience for both giver and receiver that makes it a truly holistic treatment.
Full-time, part-time, self-employed?
After getting formal training, passing the certification exams and obtaining a license, you are now ready to use your skills and make a living out of it. But how do you get yourself noticed to provide the service you were trained for?
Although graduates are expected to have reasonable hands-on experience even right out of school, you have two goals at this point: find employment opportunities that will provide you with even more experience, and 2) build your reputation as a competent massage therapist so you can gain more clients and later on become self-employed or an independent contractor (IC).
The most common work setting targeted by massage therapists are spas and chiropractor clinics. At either place, they can work full-time, part-time or as an IC. This means either having an employer or partnering with a business owner or health practitioner, whose clients often need your services.
However, don't limit yourselves to these workplaces. Look elsewhere for those needing your expertise and service such as airports, fitness centers, nursing homes, hospitals, sports medicine facilities and even shopping malls. People appreciate your being available in non-traditional settings so they can still avail of massage therapy, even if it is just for a 15-minute spot work and not the hour-long deep tissue massages.
Know your worth as a professional. Remember you invested in training to acquire both skills and knowledge to make you an able therapist. However, there are realities you must face such as insurance coverage. Most insurance companies don't pay the full amount billed for this form of treatment. That's why you will likely end up getting less for services rendered than you would if a client paid you directly. If it supports your needs in the meantime, just think of it as an invaluable learning experience that will further hone your skills.
A good massage therapy school understands the dynamics of the profession and will often include business courses in their curriculum. This is in preparation should you eventually think of going on your own as massage therapist. Because the truth is $15 to $30 a hour working in spas or chiropractic offices as employee is way off from the $65 to $75 you can be charging clients per hour for your services.
Do certification exams grant you licenses?
You can't work as a massage therapist without a license, at least in 37 states including the District of Columbia, where the profession is regulated. Likewise, there are towns and counties that also have their own regulation laws for these massage therapy. So if your area is covered by these massage practice laws, then you better check the requirements to enable you to obtain your state or local license or both.
This will usually cover formal training and clinical experience. When deciding on a school or program for massage therapy just be sure their curriculum and what you will gain by way of training complies with licensing requirements of the state.
You need a license, you take and pass a certification test. Either of two will qualify you to receive a license but make sure this is what the state or local boards needs. There is the one administered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork or the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards' Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exams (MBLEx).
There are questions as to which is the better or more difficult test arising from the experience of graduates who have had to retake them several times, sometimes still without success. The bottomline is you must prepare for it. Study, study, study.
Don't just memorize but truly take to heart everything you learned in school, including your clinicals. Go to the gym and feel all the muscles at work. You must have a deep understanding of how the body works, when it stretches, the reflexes, the nervous system and touch receptors. And don't think it will be a waste of time because your efforts will be rewarded.
Now there is some confusion among graduates. Are they awarded the license once they pass the certification test? NO.
The certifications granted by the professional bodies are requirements for obtaining the license. In the end, it will be the state and local boards to actually grant you the license to practice.
Certification attests to your knowledge and skills as therapist. The license is proof you can practice your trade. But to be the best massage therapist takes so much more than credentials – it takes dedication and commitment to a profession that is concerned with more than physical well-being.
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