Massage Therapist Career Guide and Counseling

Question: massage therapist? I want to be a massage therapist but i don't know what i need... does anybody have any experiences? I'm a senior and i want to help people. Do any of you have any experiences with therapist?

Answer: First, check if your local city requires you to have a license. Then there are some colleges that offer courses in massage therpy and a certificate at the end of the course. It is not easy. You have to learn about the various muscle groups and how they interact as well as numerous other related subjects. If you check your area for massage schools, they will have all the information you need. Chris O'Hanlon, Colorado, USA chrisohanlon@yahoo.com

Question: How much to tip a massage therapist when I go to her home? My massage therapist quit the spa she used to work for, and now takes clients in her home. I don't mind tipping at a spa, because she probably only gets an hourly rate and most of the cost of the massage goes towards the facility's rent/electricity/supplies, etc. My question is: If I am going to her house for a massage, how much (if any) do I tip? She gets 100% of my fee, so is a tip necessary?

Answer: According to the article cited below: Do not tip a massage therapist who works for himself and makes house calls or owns the massage center. Have a polite day.

Question: How do I know that a massage therapist is qualified to massage my achillis tendons and groins? How do I determine a massage therapist's legitimacy? I have achilles tendinitis and a groin pull. I have want to run again and massage therapy might heal my injuries. I want both parts of my two legs massaged and I do not wanted to be ripped off.

Answer: Requirements are different in different states/countries, but where I live, a massage therapist must have his/her license on display in the place where he/she practices, and anyone can request information on any therapist or any other healthcare professional from the state. With injuries, your best bet is to either find a chiropractor with a massage therapist (many have them these days) or get a referral to physical therapy. The therapists working for chiros and PTs would be the most experienced in this line of work.

Question: Could I be a successful male massage therapist if I only work from my apartment? Would I get clients? I'm worried that people will get the wrong idea. I'm planning on going to massage school to become a certified massage therapist in several styles. I would love for this to work. I want to help people feel better and I would get a personal satisfaction in doing so. I'm having trouble figuring out what to do with my life and this seems like a nice idea. Just wondering if I could pull it off and make a decent living off of it.

Answer: A male massagist working from your own home? People will think you're giving people more than just massages.

Question: Any tips on how a massage therapist can make decent money? I have a friend who is a massage therapist. He is really struggling. Most of the places where he can find work just take most of the money. Any ideas?

Answer: Any place where you work for someone else, they will take most of the money. The reason is not always greed, but the business owners may value expenses of location, property upkeep, marketing and advertising over the expenses that they think a massage therapist deserves. It just becomes simple economics. Figure out a way to keep your expenses as low as possible, and your revenue as high as possible to create a decent profit margin. Many massage therapists find this by becoming mobile with a chair and a table. Initially, you will need to sacrifice some of your perfect scenario elements just so you can start in the right direction. Your start-up cost is relatively low, and you will have no overhead (so to speak) because you are not locked into rent or utilities. Your operating cost of supplies and/or fuel for transportation may be your biggest ongoing expense. Also, if becoming your own business person is the direction you want to go, then legitimize yourself by developing a professional business name and a logo. Find cheap ways to print business cards, set a fair price, then discount 15-25% for package deals (5 sessions or more). This will get the ball rolling. And most important. Take care of your customers! Arrive on time, don't change your appoinments with them unnecessarily and listen to what they are looking for in a massage session. Set some boundaries, but keep this consistent with them. Inconsistency is what drives people away from many service driven businesses. When people begin to ask if you have an office, then you will want to consider finding a place that rents a room. You should not need to pay more than 50% for the room rental. Be patient, but be persistent. If you need to supplement income through a full-time or part-time job, then do it. Give yourself time to build up clientele before relying on your massage income to support you full-time. Best wishes.

Question: What are prerequisites to be a massage therapist? I want to be a massage therapist and don't know if there are any prerequisites to take the program at a college.

Answer: At the school I attended the only Pre-req was to take an introduction course to the program. You'll have to contact the college you have in mind to see if they have any requirements. You will at least need to have graduated high school or have a ged. You will also need to take their placement tests and score high enough to be allowed to take the classes you need for the program. Even if your program does not require taking an anatomy and physiology class (usually known as A&P) you should take it. People may tell you it is too difficult or that you dont need it, but you absolutely DO. It is really not that hard and the test that you will have to pass for National Certification has a large portion of anatomy questions. People who have had anatomy have an easier time learning what they need for the test. Make sure to ask lots of questions about the program, find out what their success rate is, how they offer hands on training, how long it takes to complete etc. Make sure you are getting enough training so you will be able to meet your state's requirments to practice massage therapy as well as to feel comfortable working on clients. It's your future, make sure you are prepared!

Question: What are the benefits of becoming a Massage Therapist? I've always been interested in Massage Therapy. I would like to know what are the benefits of becoming a massage therapist, what's a massasge therapist salary, and is massage therapy a good career?

Answer: You always get to rub people the right way? Benefits and salary would depend on employer, so you would need to check with places that employ massage therapists.

Question: Do massage therapist get horny wile performing a massage on somebody? I know people getting the massage can, so what about the therapist, do you secretly get arouse, specially for men therapist, it's ok to tell the truth it's a normal reaction i think. But i'd really like to know what male therapist think.

Answer: You wish. Don't forget that they do it for a living. Perhaps the first few times they did, but I expect that after a while it just becomes totally routine.... And not only that, but giving the massage for an extended period of time really makes the wrists ache. So honestly... I doubt it.

Question: where can i find a massage therapist in puerto vallarta who does deep tissue therapeutic massage? I was in a car accident and have whiplash injuries. I need to find a good deep tissue massage therapist. There are a lot of massage therapists here for relaxation, but I haven't found one who does therapeutic deep tissue massage.

Answer: Check out really nice vacation hotels/spas.

Question: What supplies does a beginning massage therapist need? Can you recommend a type of portable massage table? What features are important to look for? What other equipment or supplies does a beginning massage therapist need?

Answer: I think a lot depends on where you plan on working, whether you will be starting out on your own or working for someone else. If you are employed by someone you really don't need any supplies. Many places will "hire" you as an independent contractor and they will usually provide a table for you and sometimes lotions/oils but some places don't. If you are going out on your own then you are responsible for providing all your own supplies. When I attended massage school we were given the One table by Oakworks and everyone loved it because it was very comfortable. Make sure you check for the weight limit on the table. If you are planning to travel around with your table make sure it isn't too heavy unless you are going to get a cart for it Of course you will need lotions and oils, you should purchase unscented (and hypoallergenic if you can afford it) and you can experiment with different (light) scents if your clients have preferences. If you have the money for it, a hot towel cabbie is nice for heating and keeping towels hot, this relaxes the muscles before and after the massage and can also be used if you will be doing spa treatments. However, if a cabbie is not within your budget right now you can use a crockpot to heat up towels also. Don't know if you will be doing hot stone massage then you will also need the stones and a heater. You could also get a massage chair if you are interested in doing seated massage. I have a couple of tennis balls I use for trigger points and I seat on a exercise ball sometimes if I have to work on one area for a long time. If you are just starting out and want a table on a budget you can check craigslist for a used one. That and lotions and or oils and of course your hands are really all the supplies you need to start once you complete your training. Best of luck to you and have fun.