Massage Therapy: Relaxation and Job Flexibility
by Candice Mancini
Career School Directory Columnist
July 10, 2006
There's nothing better than a good massage to soothe sore muscles and melt away tension. But massage provides benefits beyond relaxation. Studies reveal that massage therapy can have dramatic health benefits, including reducing heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and increasing blood circulation and lymph flow.
Patricia Macmillan, a licensed massage therapist based in Missoula, MT, enjoys the flexibility and relaxation her job offers. Eating ice-cream cones in Missoula's "Water-Wise Garden," overlooking the Clark Foot River, Patricia told me about her path to this tranquil career.
CSD: How long have you been a massage therapist?
PM: Twenty-one years.
CSD: That's a long time! What's kept you in the career?
PM: The flexibility is great. This Saturday I'm going away for three weeks. In how many jobs can you do that? And I enjoy it, I find it relaxing and I like working with different people.
CSD: What made you first choose massage therapy?
PM: I used to weight train pretty intensely when I was younger. There was a group of us who'd exchange massages. We found that with massage, recovery from the workout was much quicker. I believed in it. I've never liked sales, but massage is something you don't have to push on people. It has real health benefits.
CSD: What certifications/degrees do you hold?
PM: I have a Massage Therapy Certification and a bachelor's degree in Psychology.
CSD: Does the Psychology degree help you as a massage therapist?
PM: Yes! I think a Psychology degree helps define what a therapist's role is: being a good listener, allowing people to experience their emotions and being comfortable with that. As a massage therapist it's better to be a good listener than chatterer. I think a Psychology degree enforces that.
The first written record of massage was around 1000 BC China. In the Western world, the medical benefits of massage were first documented by the Greek physician Hippocrates around 400 BC. Find schools.
CSD: What was your massage certification program like?
PM: It was 12 months and 2,200 hours long. Pretty intense, but incredibly beneficial. The classes were in Anatomy, Physiology, Remedial Exercise and Pathology. The clinic met five or six hours per week. We massaged people who came to the clinic, including athletes and people with medical conditions like Parkinson's.
CSD: How did you find your first job in massage therapy?
PM: After my certification exam -- where the examiner asks questions and asks you to do specific massage techniques -- the examiner offered me a job in her clinic. She was going on to medical school and needed someone to take her place.
CSD: I guess you passed.
PM: Yes, I must have done well (laughs).
In 2004 about three-quarters of massage therapists worked part-time, although many massage therapists who work 15 to 30 hours a week consider themselves to be full-time workers. Find schools.
CSD: Describe the jobs you've had in massage.
PM: In the clinic and later, while working in a health club, I did five 1-hour massages a day, five days a week. After that, I worked at a YWCA for four years. There I did sixteen ½-hour treatments a day. Then I went back to school full-time for my Psychology degree and did massage on the side, working for myself. But my massage schedule got busier and busier. I was very busy, between my classes and massage.
CSD: Did you consider a job in Psychology at the time?
PM: No. I liked the educational environment, but I found I enjoyed doing the massages more. Doing massages felt more like reality to me.
CSD: Did you continue working for yourself at that point?
PM: During that time I met my husband, who is now a chiropractor. I worked in his office for a while, until we had our son. At that point, I started working part-time from home.
CSD: Working part-time from home sounds ideal, especially with a child.
PM: It's great. Except for the cleaning! When you work at home, especially as a massage therapist -- massage is supposed to represent peace and serenity -- the house needs to be very clean. And with a 4-year-old at home, the house gets messy fast.
CSD: What was your day like today?
PM: As soon as I got up I started cleaning the house. I fed my son, fed the dog, planted some pansies in the garden, went across the street for a play date with my son, had lunch with my family. I worked from 1:30-4:30, doing two massages. My average these days. That was my relaxation time.
CSD: What do you think is the biggest myth associated with massage?
PM: Some people think it's a luxury and aren't educated about the health benefits.
CSD: Any advice for someone considering a Massage Therapy program?
PM: Research several schools; talk to people who have completed the programs; and decide whether you really want to do it. It's a wonderful job, I love it, but you need to do more than give a good massage. You have to dress neatly; present yourself well; have good verbal and listening skills; and you have to be reliable, consistent, and professional.
Sources
Learn more about Massage Therapy programs
About the Author
Candice Mancini is a freelance writer and a teacher of AP English literature and college writing. She has an M.A. in Education and a B.A. in English and history.
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