Reach Out with a Massage Therapy Career
by B.J. Fairfax
bj.fairfax@careerschooldirectory.com
Career School Directory Columnist
Perhaps, throughout your life, you have been told that you give wonderful massages, have strong hands, or other compliments to that effect. Or maybe your first instinct is to reach out and touch someone when they are in need, or simply to show friendship and affection. Whatever your personal reasons, career training in massage therapy could be the right step for your future.
With the proper career education in massage therapy, it is possible to work in a wide variety of settings, including your own home or massage studio. Formal training in massage therapy offers a flexible schedule and the opportunity to help others on a daily basis.
A Career Education in Massage Therapy
The type of career training you choose should depend heavily on the state in which you wish to practice massage therapy, and sometimes the specific city. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 33 states and the District of Columbia regulate the massage industry, meaning massage therapists must earn a certain number of hours of
career education and pass a licensing exam.
Your first step is checking into state laws, as well as local laws (they sometimes differ), and finding out how many hours of massage therapy career training you need in order to sit for the licensing exam. The average requirement tends to be around 500 hours, according to industry surveys, but that number can be much higher in some states, such as New York.
No matter how many hours your training program consists of, certain topics of study are standard for a career in massage therapy. For instance, you will likely take courses in anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, ethics, business principles, and hands-on techniques.
The Massage Therapy Career
After obtaining the proper career education and a license to practice, if necessary, you are ready to start your career in massage therapy. Depending on your training and your personal interests, you might choose to work in a hospital or doctor's office, an alternative health clinic, a yoga studio or gym, or in your own home or massage studio.
The BLS reports that this is one of the fastest growing fields in the nation, so your opportunities to find work as a massage therapist should continue to increase.
Source
About the Author
BJ Fairfax holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She writes for a variety of print and online publications.
Posted on January 26, 2007 at 11:16 AM
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