Becoming a Massage Therapist

Interested in becoming a massage therapist but not sure if a career in massage is right for you?

There are many reasons why people want to become a massage therapist. Wanting to help others and have a more meaningful career is usually one of the top reasons. Others want to become a massage therapist thinking that it will allow them the freedom to practice anywhere they want and when they want. Some come to the profession thinking that they can make $60 an hour because that is what the average fee for a massage is.

While those things are true to a certain degree there is also another side to the profession that most massage schools and associations don't talk about. Remember those businesses are in the business. Their job it to fill their schools and associations with members.

Becoming a massage therapist is really more than just going to massage school. Massage school teaches you how to do massage not necessarily become a massage therapist. Some of the things that are drawing you to the massage profession -like thinking you want to help or thinking that you have good hands may be some of the things that will add to the challenges of becoming a massage therapist. It isn't just about helping or having good hands. It is about becoming more self aware and learning to take care of yourself rather than other people. It is about learning to be of services and serve. It is about learning to be present when people come to you in pain and stress and acknowledging who they are. It is about providing empathy and learning to ask for empathy for yourself.

Reading this website and some of the books and articles in the resources section You will also have to research what it will take you to become a massage therapist as far as what training and licensing are needed to become a massage therapist in your city.

Choosing a massage school is also not an easy process with there being approximately 1500 massage schools in the US and the number is constantly increasing.

Learn everything you can about what it will be like to become a massage therapist, massage profession and massage therapy careers.

Take the time to learn about yourself and your own needs and then determine if the two will match. Choose a career by how much fun you think you will have, how passionate you are about something. Anything less and it will just become a job.

To get an idea of what it is really like to do massage, I highly recommend getting a few dozen massages from different therapists so that you can get a better understanding of just what is involved in becoming a massage therapist.

You can also visit the section to find out more about what is involved in starting your own business. Becoming a massage therapist is a process, just like anything else. There are no right or wrong answers only what is right for you.