Massage Therapy Careers are sited as one of the up and coming professions by many professional associations and career websites. It is true that more doctors are recognizing massage and that massage is being used more and more by people who are in pain, have injuries and various conditions. Massage really is just starting to bloom as a method of health care. It is fast becoming an essential part of everyday care rather than being thought of as just a luxury. Massage school only teaches you how to do massage. It doesn't teach you how to become a massage therapist. This site is my attempt at filling in the gaps of information and making as many tools and resources available to help you decide if you are passionate enough about doing massage enough to persist through the challenges of doing so.
Massage Schools and Associations will have all the pretty pictures showing you what the relaxing environment and talk all about helping people but it seems to ignore the facts that entry level jobs are really low paying. They sometimes will forget to mention that most massage therapists start their own businesses so you will have to know about starting and running a business which is really a 4 year degree in itself. You have to remember that these organizations are trying to fill their schools and associations with members!
Massage schools and associations don't tell you about the challenges you will have or how stressful it really is to find clients and make a decent living. But when you know what they are you can be ahead of all of the others and on your way to making a great living - $50,000 or even $100,000 a year or more if you are committed and passionate about what you do. This site is a guide on how to do it!
The key to doing just that is being passionate about what you do, have the self confidence and vision to make it happen and the commitment to follow it through! It is about learning about yourself and the reasons why you want to help because they are the same things that will lead you down the path of burnout and add you to the 50,000 massage therapists who leave the profession each year.
It has little to do with having 'good hands' or helping others. Just like any other career, there are challenges and obstacles to overcome. My "Massage Therapy Career Guide: The truth about becoming a massage therapist will help you to make a more informed decision about choosing a career in massage and set you on a path with a higher chance of success.
While most massage therapists start their own business there are more job opportunities opening up but most massage employers don't understand what massage therapists need and they don't understand that it is the massage therapist that will make or break their business. Even though there are more massage job opportunities opening up for massage school graduates, the pay is usually low and you still have to know how to get and keep clients coming back. Job security is a thing of the past and it takes putting 100% effort into everything you do. Many massage employers take advantage of massage therapists. I have written a guide to finding and creating your Ideal Job in Massage.
So whatever stage you are in your career, Massage Career Guides is here to guide you and inspire you on your road to success in your massage therapy career.
To Your Success!