The search for a perfect career is something that doesn’t always come quickly or easily for people. Sometimes it can take months, if not years, of soul-searching, schooling, training, and job hunting to finally find that one perfect path you’ve been dreaming about. Once you do figure out what your ideal career is, the idea is that it will carry you through the rest of your life, keeping you busy, happy, and perfectly challenged.
If you’ve come to the conclusion that your ideal career is that of a massage therapist https://anma114.vip, then there are a number of key essentials you’ll want to be aware of and consider before leaping into the field. Arming yourself with knowledge will ensure that you’re making a wise life decision.
So, what are the essentials worth knowing about and considering? Well, here’s a guide to everything you should know about being a massage therapist.
What Is the Future Outlook for Massage Therapists?
First things first, it’s wise to do a little research on the field you have your eye on to ensure there is growth and potential both now and in the future. The last thing you want to do is dedicate yourself to years’ worth of training and schooling only to find out the career you had been prepping for is now obsolete.
So, what does the future look like for massage therapists? While there is never a guarantee for any job, the fact that a big part of the population is aging and requiring more and more medical and health assistance could bode well for budding massage therapists. There has also been a real shift in the way people think about their physical and mental well-being, as more people look to put their personal health first.
Fully Understand What You Need for Training and Licensing
The next step is to ensure you are clear on what you need in terms of training and licensing in order to become a massage therapist. The good news is that you don’t need to have a degree in order to become a massage therapist; however, it will be to your benefit to get certified by a reputable school. There are even apprenticeship massage therapy slots available, which will allow you to learn on the job and beef up your resume.
You can register as an accredited massage therapist through the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) or the Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT). What this does is help give your patients peace of mind that you know what you’re doing, and can provide them with the level of treatment and care they are after.
Find a Reputable Massage Therapy Program
The next logical question is where you can find a course to enrol in. You can find and compare massage courses here, on findcourses.co.uk. findcourses.co.uk offers a wide range of massage courses from accredited providers that focus on various practices and techniques meant to prepare you for your future career.
The site makes it incredibly easy to locate courses thanks to the filters. You can search by category/topic, by course type, or by location. Find information on such courses at Massage Introduction, Massage – Full Body Massage, Swedish Massage, Sport Massage Level 3 ITEC (meant specifically for Level 3 massage therapists), and more.
Do You Want to Work for Yourself or Someone Else?
As a massage therapist your career will also afford you a certain level of freedom and flexibility. You’ll have the option of working at an established clinic as a staff therapist, or you can choose to open your own practice. Obviously there are pros and cons for each, and you can start down one path and always change your mind.
Just because you choose to start off working in a clinic to gain experience, and build on your skills, this doesn’t mean you have to stay there forever. Owning your own practice may be your five, or even ten, year goal. Then again, maybe you prefer working at a clinic and not being bogged down by the business decisions and stress of owning your own company.
If Opening Your Own Business Think in Terms of a Business Owner
If you do decide that you’d rather own your own practice or clinic, then you need to familiarise yourself with more than just massage therapy. You will also need to work on your business ownership skills and knowledge. People often get caught up in the fact that owning your own business means you set your hours and choose who your patients are, but there is much more that goes on behind the scenes.
As a business owner, you’ll need to think about such things as financing, where you will operate your business (home office vs renting space), where the prime locations are in your area, how you will market and advertise your practice, how you will get new patients and ensure they return, the kind of registration steps you need to take in order to own a business in the UK, whether you will need other staff members on-hand to help you, and so much more.
This isn’t to say that owning your own practice isn’t a good idea; there is just a lot involved that you need to be aware of before you make that leap.
Will You Specialise in a Particular Niche of Therapy?
Often a big part of success is figuring out how to carve out a spot for yourself in a crowded industry. What would make a patient choose you over another massage therapist? This is when it can be very helpful to specialise in a particular area of care and therapy. Take for example sports therapy. This is a particular stream of massage therapy where you are dealing with sports injuries.
As for the other areas of specialty that exist, examples include baby massage, aromatherapy, Thai massage, deep tissue massage, pregnancy and post-natal massage, Swedish massage, hot stone massage, and plenty more.
Work on Your Customer Service Skills
It’s also essential that you work on your customer service skills. Sure, your patients will come to you because of your skills and expertise, but if you don’t possess strong customer service skills they may not stick around in the long-term. Massage therapists often need to have a calming quality about them. They need to be able to put their patients at ease, talk about their symptoms, and get as much information about their health as possible in a non-stressful manner.
Some of the skills that you can work on improving include empathy, which is the ability to understand what your patient is telling you and going through, a positive attitude, excellent problem-solving skills so they feel they are in good hands, and the ability to clearly communicate your treatment plan with them.
It Could be The Ideal Path
While there is clearly a whole lot to consider when choosing your perfect career, massage therapy could just end up being the ideal path for you. It truly is a matter of doing your research, learning about what’s involved in becoming a massage therapist, giving thought as to how you’d find patients, and if this is something you can see yourself doing in the long-term.
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