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Massage Therapist Careers

What are the Attributes of Successful Massage Therapists? See what our readers are saying about the qualities of a successful massage therapist.

If you have been considering one of the many massage therapist careers that are available, you need to know if you are really suited for it. There are a number of different questions that you can ask yourself before you decide that a career as a massage therapist is really right for you. Here are a few of the most important ones:

• Do you like to work with people?
• Do you really want to become a massage therapist?
• Do you enjoy the feeling of touch?
• Do you accept people for who they are?
• Have you ever had a massage?

Do you like to work with people?

Massage therapy requires a caring manner and the desire to work with people on a routine and constant basis. Because you are required to be "always on" when you are working with a client, it is important to ensure that your personality is suited for this kind of work. In fact, many massage schools now include an application interview to screen candidates for suitability.

Although you will be working with people as a massage therapist, you may not be engaging in much conversation. Most massages are quiet, unless the client is interested in talking. You'll also have to be able to empathize with your clients without taking on their problems as your own. A certain amount of professional distance is an important tool to becoming a successful massage therapist.

You may also wish to ask yourself how well you work independently. Most massage therapists do not receive much supervision or direction, even if they are employed by a spa or other company. This means you'll have to be able to set your own schedule and stay on task without someone else helping you.

Do You Really Want to Become a Massage Therapist?

That may seem like a very basic question, but it is essential that you really want to become a massage therapist, before you enroll on a course. You need to be committed, to be able to get the most out of your course, and to become a good therapist. If you are not 100% committed, you will not complete the course, and will have wasted your time.

Bear in mind that over half the people who qualify as massage therapists quit within a year of starting out on their massage therapist careers. The main reason for this is that they did not feel that it was the right choice for them, and did not feel confident enough about being a massage therapist. So do yourself a favor and honestly assess yourself to see if you are a good match for a massage career.

You need to be passionate about becoming a massage therapist, and then keep that passion for massage going once you have qualified. If you are not passionate, you will not be doing your clients justice, and they will sense that. This passion and drive is so essential that if you don't have it, then none of the massage therapist careers are a good match for you.

On a serious note, if you do not have the dedication to pay close attention to all of the techniques that you will be taught in massage school, you could actually end up injuring yourself, or injuring a client. For example, some massage therapists do complain of carpal tunnel syndrome, but this should not be an issue if you use the correct techniques, and avoid working excessive hours.

Do You Enjoy the Feeling of Touch?

This applies as much to you being touched, as it does to you touching others. You should already appreciate, that all massage therapist careers revolve around touch. Practicing massage therapists often say that they were told that they had ‘a magic touch’, when they were younger, or ‘enjoyed the feeling of touch’. Your touch is going to give people a new sense of life, and make them feel much happier after you have worked on them than before.

You will have the power to really make a difference in people’s lives, through your touch. Depending on which of the massage therapist careers you choose, this could include parts of the body that you may not be comfortable touching. For example, lower back pain sufferers often gain relief from their suffering by visiting a massage therapist who works on the muscles in their buttocks. You have to be comfortable enough to massage a complete stranger, who will be partially, or completely naked under a towel.

Do You Accept People for Who they are?

We all like to think that we are tolerant of others but, for a massage therapist, it is essential that you do not judge other people. You are going to have clients who come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, have different religious beliefs, and have conflicting political views from yourself. You need to be able to rise above all of that, and treat every client equally.

If a client says something that you do not agree with, or has beliefs that you just don’t understand, it is essential that you do not let that affect your work. This applies to all of the massage therapist careers. As with other jobs, you do not need to agree with, or like, your client personally but you do need to treat them all with the same respect and professionalism.

However, as a massage therapist, you are dealing with clients on a much more personal level. You also need to be able to deal with every body type too. If you are judgmental about someone’s weight, the amount of body hair they have, whether they have smelly feet or body odor, or have eczema or another skin complaint, then you should certainly not going to be suited to any of the massage therapist careers. As a massage therapist you cannot discriminate against your clients for any reason, you need to be able to accept everyone for who they are.

Have You Ever Had a Massage?

If you are looking at pursuing one of the massage therapist careers, you need to have experienced at least one massage yourself, from a professional massage therapist. This will give you an idea of just what you will be providing your clients, and will give you an idea of the wonderful effect a massage can have. You should also help you with any shyness you feel about your body which will help you to appreciate more how you need to respect your future clients’ modesty too!

Those are just some of the questions that you should be asking yourself to check that you are suited to one of the many massage therapist careers.

What qualities make you a Good Massage Therapist?

It takes a special type of person to be a massage therapist. How did you know that Massage was a good fit for you? What qualities do you have that helped the most in your massage career?

See what other massage therapists are saying about the qualities that have made them successful in their massage therapist careers.

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