The truth about becoming a massage therapist

by Julie Onofrio
(Redmond/Seattle, WA)

I went to massage school back in 1987 after reading about massage school on the back of a local weekly newspaper. Their 3-4 lines of text told of a career helping others and learning about health.

I had only had one or two professional massages at that time and my first one I was so sore afterwards that I didn't think I would ever go back. I am not sure what made me start asking around and seeking out massage therapists to see if they were making any money and to find out what it was like but I did and 2 weeks later I was in massage school. Talk about just jumping in... I was also very burned out from working in the photography business where everyone needed everything yesterday and the owner of the company was sailing around the world on his custom hand crafted sail boat.

I choose a career in massage thinking that it would give me the freedom to do what I want and for the most part it did just that. I choose to live a simple life so I didn't have to work too hard. Now 18 years later, I find myself writing and sharing all of my years of experience and what I have learned. It is more about taking care of yourself than taking care of anyone else.

Massage Schools, associations and magazines only provide one small part of the picture. They are after all making money by getting students in the door. I hope that I can give another view of what it really is like to be a massage therapist so that others can make a more informed choice on their career path.

Julie Onofrio
www.massagetherapycareers.com