As a career, massage therapy has some fantastic perks, such as accommodating a travel bug and being an all-around flexible and fun occupation. But that doesn’t make massage therapy the right career for everyone.
To determine the answer to whether or not massage therapy is a good career choice for you, there are some things to think about…
Ask some questions about yourself and your interests:
- Do you enjoy helping others and improving their wellness?
- Are you a good, clear communicator? Do you consider yourself (or have you been told that you are) a good listener?
- Are you interested in learning about how the body moves and functions through human anatomy and physiology?
Ask some questions about physical interaction with clients:
- Do you enjoy working with your hands?
- Are you comfortable with skin-to-skin contact?
- Are you content working one-on-one?
- Can you be unbiased and nonjudgmental about people who are different from you?
- Are you able to keep your personal, romantic, and intimate relationships out of your professional life?
- Would you enjoy coaching people on better ways to care for their bodies?
Ask some questions about the business side of being a massage practitioner:
- Are you prepared to handle the demanding training required to become a massage therapy practitioner?
- Do you have an idea of how to run a business, or do you plan to get training to learn?
- Are you able and self-motivated to pro-actively promote your own practice?
- Are you comfortable working alone, without a supervisor, and managing the increased professional freedom and responsibility that entails?
- Would you enjoy having a flexible work schedule, or would the uncertainty bother you?
- Given your physical makeup, how much will you realistically be able to work, and will the associated income be enough to satisfy your financial needs?
- Are you willing to “pay your dues” for the first couple of years, while improving your professional skills?
Still not sure? Try the American Massage Therapy Association’s massage therapist career path assessment quiz.
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