Choosing a Massage School-What to Look for

Therapeutic massage is being heavily promoted as a career with high income potential. This is sometimes-but not always-true. If you're thinking of becoming a massage therapist, it helps to get off to a good start. Here are a few considerations for choosing a massage program that will improve your chances for success in this very competitive field.

Cost considerations
Massage programs tend be considered vocational training. A few are run by local community colleges, but most massage schools are privately owned and operated, and tuition can vary widely. Here are a few questions to ask:
- Will you have to pay for the entire program, or can you pay by the course?
- Is there more than one level -for example basic, advanced, or specialized programs-with different pricing?
- Does the school offer financial aid? If it's a college-based course, you'll probably be able to apply for state or federal financial aid, but if the program is private, you may have to obtain your own funding. Most private schools do offer financing plans, but you may be able to get a better rate on your own.
- What does the tuition include-and exclude? You'll almost certainly have to buy your own massage table, linens, oils and lotions, and textbooks. But does the school also require uniforms? Even if these are just scrubs, you may have to cover that cost yourself.

Massage licensing requirements
In order to answer this question, you'll first need to decide where you want to practice. The school's curriculum should definitely meet the license requirements for that area-if it doesn't, stay away! But what if you're thinking of moving to another area, or even out of state?

In the United States, the practice of massage therapy is regulated at the state level, but not all states have licensing requirements. If you're in a state that doesn't, don't assume that once you finish massage school you can "hang up your shingle" and start charging for your services. Unless you're in a rural area, you'll probably find that your local city or county has requirements for a massage business license, which you'll need to have in order to practice there.

Many business license requirements won't apply to your massage education. But it may be important to find out which do. For example, if you graduate from a 200-hour program and then decide to practice in an area that requires 500 hours, you'll need to take more coursework before you can get your license.

Curriculum considerations
A few schools, especially if they're affiliated with community colleges, now offer associate degrees in massage therapy, but most still issue certificates or diplomas. Unless it's a degree program, the school curriculum will probably specify a certain number of hours. Generally the minimum is 500, but in some places-for example, some areas of California-you may be able to take a much shorter course and still be able to practice.

A 500-hour course can usually be completed in a year if you have a full-time job, or less if you don't. Longer programs will of course take longer to finish if you're also working.

It's a good idea to find out if the program hours include non-class time (like homework). If it does, you'll have more hours when you finish. But classroom time is valuable because it gives you a chance to get your questions answered by someone with experience-the teacher.

Also, it may be harder to complete the hours if you have to do it on your own. If you have trouble staying motivated, or don't have a lot of free time, you may not ever finish the program.

Specific courses
All massage curricula should include both theory and practice courses. Theory courses can include anatomy, physiology, ethics, and even psychology. Practice courses will include basic, intermediate, and advanced massage and topics like shiatsu, chair massage, and energy work (Reiki and similar courses).

If you find a massage program that's offered by correspondence only-even online-don't even consider it. You need that practice, in front of a qualified instructor, in order to learn how to do massage properly. This includes body mechanics as well as massage techniques. When it comes to massage education, there's no substitute for in-person classes.

Finally, the program you choose should include one other extremely important topic-business management. Most massage therapists are self-employed. Even those working for a day spa or wellness center are usually on a contract rather than employed by the business. And yet, most people have been working for someone else all their lives, and are not at all acquainted with the ins and outs of running their own business.

You may give the best massages anyone's ever had. But if you don't know how to run a business, you'll have a really hard time becoming successful. You won't know how to attract and keep the right kinds of clients, or how to avoid the wrong kinds, or even how to budget your money so you can pay your taxes on time. So make sure the massage program you choose offers courses in both marketing and running a business.

Massage therapy can be very rewarding; when you help someone to feel good, you feel good too. Get off to a good start by choosing the right massage program, so both you and your clients can enjoy the benefits of your massage career for a long time to come.