Working for yourself as a massage therapist

View Schools that offer Massage Therapy Courses.

Massage therapy is a career which offers you the opportunity to enjoy the freedom and independence of working for yourself. In fact, over 90% of practitioners do just that. If you enjoy working with people, caring and bringing health and wellbeing to others you will be motivated to enjoy the challenge of working for yourself as a massage therapist. It means that you can manage your own workload and create a schedule that fits round the demands of your life.

For example, if you have a young family you can work during school hours so that you are free to be with them when school is out. Or perhaps you want to juggle working as a massage therapist with another career, at least until you get established – it is quite possible for you to make evening appointments only.

While there are many advantages to self-employment it does mean that you will have to market yourself in order to find clients. Many therapists contract to work with gyms, health centers or health clubs and so that is an avenue well worth investigating. Alternative and complementary health clinics are also a great avenue to explore. Usually you will rent a space within the clinic for a set number of hours a week. In return you can see clients there and make use of shared facilities such as a receptionist and any marketing and promotions which the clinic takes part in.

What works for many practitioners is a combination of working for clinics and private work from home or travelling to clients' houses. For this you will need your own transport and a portable massage couch which you can easily transport. You may want to invest in some professional business cards which you can distribute in order to spread the word about your services.

In order to get started some therapists volunteer their services to hospitals, hospices, old folks' homes and similar organizations. This is a great way to build up practical experience and to spread the word about your services. After a while you should be able to begin charging in at least some of these areas, although you may wish to continue doing some work for free on a pro bono basis.

When working for yourself as a massage therapist it is important that you are covered by relevant insurance, especially as there is a high degree of responsibility in dealing with the health and wellbeing of another human being. You are highly recommended to join one of the relevant associations and to take advantage of the insurance schemes which they offer to members.

The work is both physically and mentally challenging and so you will want to work out how many hours you can reasonably work for each week. Will you work full-time? If not, how will you manage your income? Many practitioners find that it is most satisfying to offer massage therapy on a part-time basis as this helps to keep them fresh. For some practitioners this will bring in enough income to live on, for others they will want to investigate another means of bringing in additional income.

Massage therapists have one of the most fulfilling careers, meeting many different kinds of people and helping them to combat physical pain, and alleviate stress, strain and mental distress. The rewards in terms of client feedback and customer satisfaction are high and the freedom which can be enjoyed is very different from the routine of 9 till 5.

Schools that offer Massage Therapy Courses

Brown Mackie College

Certificate: Upon completion of the Paralegal Assistant certificate program, students will be well prepared to work under the supervision of an attorney in entry-level positions for legal offices and firms. The program focuses on teaching the students how to perform legal research and writing for various areas of law. This objective is achieved via legal, business, and technical coursework.

Associate: The Paralegal associate' s degree program was designed with the purpose of preparing students for working, with the supervision of an attorney, in entry-level positions and performing general background work for the legal firm. The goal of the program is to train students for the many responsibilities a paralegal must take on in their job role.

Associate.
Associate of Science in Health & Therapeutic Massage.
Indiana.

Medical Careers Institute

The program focuses on the medical and rehabilitative effects of massage while conferring an understanding of the art and science of massage therapy. Sound business practices are taught, which prepares students for success in the workplace. The curriculum integrates clinical experience with hands-on work, and students get to know about the care given to patients in different stages of health.

Associate.
Massage Therapy - Associate.
Virginia, North Carolina.

Everest College

Diploma.
Diploma - Massage Therapy , Diploma - Massage Therapy - Sports Specialist , Diploma - Massage Therapist - Spa Specialist .
California, Washington, Virginia, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nevada.

Ashworth College

Diploma, Coursework.
Massage Techniques.
Online School.

ATI Career Training Center

Qualified students who wish to sit for the National Certification exam should take the 200-hour Advanced Massage Therapy Program. We train students in advanced techniques such as Trigger Point therapies and Myofascial Release which will teach students how to deal with more in depth conditions.

Diploma.
Massage Therapy (MT).
Texas.