Working in a spa as a massage therapist

View Schools that offer Massage Therapy Courses.

Whether it is a day spa or a luxurious residential clinic the role of massage therapist lies at the very heart. You will be welcoming clients and providing them with pampering therapies which may be part of a package of treatments which they have booked. The experience of working in a spa as a massage therapist offers many opportunities and is quite different from that of working independently. With luxury spas worldwide there are many alluring opportunities to work in a glamorous industry.

The spa may have particular rules about grooming or appearance and may have a uniform which you are asked to wear so that clients have a seamless experience of the spa as they move from treatment to treatment. As an employee you will work fixed hours for an agreed-upon salary, which is different from the challenges of working for yourself as a massage therapist. You may also get benefits such as use of the spa facilities or training and development. A different arrangement is that you work for the spa on a freelance basis so that you are still effectively working for yourself.

The spa will have a receptionist who takes bookings or you may take bookings on your own behalf. Each day you will have a fixed number of clients, although this may vary depending on how many people have actually booked. As a rule weekends tend to be busier than weekdays. You will tend to work almost continuously between clients. As an employee you may have to work long or unsocial hours, at least until you are established.

There will be treatment rooms and you may be expected to help with their maintenance. When a client arrives you will greet and escort them to the room and then allow them to get settled before beginning your treatment. You will need to familiarize yourself with a range of products relevant to your therapy, some of which may be unique to the spa. In some cases you may be on commission to sell these products to clients as part of your salary.

Whichever massage treatment you offer, you may wish to diversify during your time at the spa by learning and developing new skills and techniques. It may be possible for you to find funding to do this from your employer who might appreciate the value this could add to what is already on offer. For example, if you already practice Swedish massage, you could train in hot stones or aromatherapy massage to diversify.

As a spa employee you will be part of a team which means that you will have colleagues to discuss problems with and share experiences and workload with, something quite different from working as a solo professional. Hopefully this provides you with a level of support and opportunities to exchange information and professional experience. Opportunities within spas mean that it is possible to move into management if you are successful. The earning potential for the manager of a hotel spa can be high and there is also security of employment.

Spas exist around the globe and so there are fantastic opportunities for travel if you work as a massage therapist. There are spas in almost every country in the world, many of them in hotels or dedicated residential resorts. You may decide to apply for glamorous luxury five-star spas which are always seeking a high caliber of therapist. There are also opportunities to work at destinations such as cruise liners. There are usually shortages of staff for such high-end spas, so why not set your sights high?

Schools that offer Massage Therapy Courses

Kaplan College

Massage Therapy: Diploma

More people are relying on massage therapy to provide them stress relief or to prevent health complications, to offer techniques for relaxation by lessening symptoms of their illnesses, and for fitness programs. Now that the health care industry has turned to massage therapists for alternative treatment, more jobs are opening up for massage therapists.

Associate of Applied Science in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork

The techniques of massage therapy have been recommended by a number of physicians for years. Massage therapy today is accepted as a viable means of reducing stress, treating painful ailments, rehabilitating sports injuries, decompressing tired and overworked muscles, and promoting overall general health and well-being.

Clinical Massage Therapy Certificate

Kaplan College's Clinical Massage Therapy Certificate program covers several types of massage, including Swedish, sports, and chair. It also covers anatomy and physiology, the ethics of massage practice, and more.

Diploma, Associate.
Diploma: Clinical Massage Therapy, Diploma: Massage Therapy, Associate of Applied Science: Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.
Indiana, California.

Everest University

Diploma.
Massage Therapy.
Florida.

Keiser University

With an Associate of Arts in Paralegal Studies from Keiser University, you will be prepared to assist attorneys with legal research, drafting documents and motions, to interview clients and witnesses, manage cases, gather evidence, and process litigations.

Associate.
Massage Therapy, AS.
Florida.

Sanford-Brown Institute

Massage Therapy

Through the Massage Therapy program students will receive instruction in both practical and theoretical massage, anatomy, physiology, pathology, ethics, clinical practice, and hygiene. Training is provided to students in hydrotherapy and allied therapeutic modalities, therapeutic massage principles. It also deals with the external application of water, heat, cold, topical preparations, massage techniques, and mechanical devices.

Diploma.
Massage Therapy, Massage Therapist.
Florida, Pennsylvania.

Lincoln Technical Institute

Coursework.
Massage Therapy.
New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts.