Becoming a Massage Therapist

Being a massage therapist is more than rubbing people’s back with tons of upper body strength. 

The truth is that you don’t have to be a bodybuilder to provide a strong massage. All you have to do is learn the techniques from a reputable massage school, but before we look at the school, let’s look at the career. 

Here are some things you might not have known about a career in massage therapy! 

• There are over 300 massage therapist positions throughout Arizona
• The massage therapy career field is due to grow by 22% by 2028
• A full-time massage therapist schedule is between 25 and 30 hours a week
• There are over 300 modalities/specialties in massage

Each state regulates what it takes to be a massage therapist in that state and has a board set up to ensure adherence to these regulations. These regulations state the number of hours the education required, what exams are needed, and in some cases what designation you will receive due to other criteria.

This is a career that is rewarding because you are helping people and a career that allows you to continue growing as a professional. Needless to say, it is hard to get bored in this career. If you get tired of something, you take a continuing education class and learn something new! 

To be a massage therapist, you also have to know anatomy and how the muscles work. You have to understand the systems of the body and how massage influences each of them. 

The biggest thing you will learn in massage school, and probably one of the most important things, is when a massage can actually harm a person. There are times when a massage is contraindicated (or has the potential to cause harm) for the client. 

These are all factors that a massage therapist must take into account when performing a massage – so it is more than just learning massage techniques. However, there is a silver lining to this …You will get a massage almost every day in class. You have to practice right?!  

You learn more about healing and health than you would expect, and many of us start changing right away improving our own lives.