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Choosing The Right Massage School

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How To Choose A Massage School

When you begin the process of selecting a massage school, the approach will not be very much different than making a decision about any other training and education options. The single most critical decision you will make prior to beginning your search is to make a determination about what you intend to do with the training you receive.

This lens starts by asking you to ask yourself what type of massage you are interested in learning and what criteria are important for choosing a massage school that fits your needs. It then looks at several components of a massage education that should help you focus in a particular school.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Massage is a broad category and offers many different approaches and disciplines. You should ask yourself some serious questions prior to getting deep into the decision-making process.

Would you like to offer massage that is targeted at alleviating stress or reducing pain?

What type of clients would you like to work with? Athletes, medical patients, children, pregnant women, the general public?

Do you want to work alone or with a team?

Choosing A Massage School

What's Most Important To Me

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What Type of Massage

You should become very familiar with many different types of massage techniques to determine if a particular method or philosophy appeals to you more than others.

Sports Massage
Deep Tissue
Deep Muscle
Swedish
Reiki
Shiatsu
Acupressure

Each type of massage offers a specific benefit and during your research you may find massage schools that specialize in a particular technique or offer training in multiple methodologies.

What School Should I Go To?

Once you have honed in on the type of massage skills that you would like to pursue and develop, you can start the process of researching and evaluating massage schools located in your region and begin the process of deciding which schools are appropriate given your particular interests.

The next step is to get in touch with each massage school to acquire the promotional materials that will provide you with all of the specific details associated with each school such as costs and requirements to be accepted for the programs offered at the school.

Licensing and Certification Requirements

It is becoming increasingly important to be familiar with the licensing and certification requirements for the state and possibly the municipality in which you intend to practice. You should pay particular attention to the amount of training hours mandated and the exams that are required.

As you research the candidate massage schools, you must make certain that the courses offered will allow you to be compliant with all licensing regulations by insuring that they synch up with the programs available at each massage school you are considering.

How to Become a Certified Massage Therapist

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Visiting A Potential School

It is definitely worthwhile to take some time and visit each massage school on your list of potential schools. Have a conversation with the staff of the admissions office and pay close attention to the level of professionalism and expertise they display.

Do they respond to your questions appropriately? How do they make you feel?

Do you sense that they will have your best interests in mind or are the just selling you?

Take a tour of the school and visit the classrooms and training areas. Are the facilities clean and would you qualify them as being sanitary?

Is the equipment up-to-date and functional?

Do you get the feeling that the school will be a comfortable place to learn and grow?

How Long Does it Take to Be a Massage Therapist?

Learning to be a massage therapist takes commitment, but the initial schooling is much quicker than what is required for many other careers. Every school is different, and may have different program lengths. Many states require licensing as well, which may also add additional time to the program. On average, you can expect it to take six months to a little over a year to learn to be a massage therapist.

Once you are a massage therapist, however, it's important not to rest on your laurels. Incorporating new modalities and keeping up with the latest in massage will be an important part of reaching your career goals. Fortunately, people who have learned to be massage therapists find this continuing education interesting and are excited to bring new ideas and therapies to their clients. Massage school teaches the basics and perhaps a specialty or two, but with so many modalities, there is always exciting new methods to learn as you build your clientele.
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Is The School Accredited

You will need to determine if the schools are accredited by appropriate agencies and/or associations. There are quite a few agencies that have received approval from the U.S. Department of Education to present accreditation for massage schools. Some of these authorized organizations are focused on criteria that apply to broad education tandards while others %u2028are more concerned with occupational training standards. A few of these entities are very narrowly targeted at the healthcare fields and still others frill right down to massage

US Dept of Labor says:

"Employment growth for massage therapists is expected to be faster than average for all occupations with very good job prospects, particularly for those seeking part-time work."

Costs & Financial Aid

The cost of attending massage school will correspond to your specific goals and the type of school that you select. If you intend to practice as a massage therapist in a state that does not require licensing then it is possible to receive certification for as little as $1,000. But if your intention is to become a reputable and respected massage professional, and you intend to qualify for a state license by meeting or exceeding the licensing requirements, it may be necessary to receive 600-900 hours of qualified training. The total cost for your massage education could be from $5,000-$10,000.

You can receive financial aid for attending a massage school. Federal loans and grants are available for schools that have received federal accreditation. Low interest loans are also available and the staff at the school's financial aid department should be able to refer you to reliable resources.

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Alumni Help

It would be very useful to speak with alumni from the massage schools that you are reviewing. Ask them questions about their personal experience as a student at the massage school. Find out if they have maintained contact with the school since graduating. You can find out from alumni if the school provided career advice and if they were helpful in finding employment. The type of comments that you get from alumni will provide useful insight about the level of support you can expect.

Do Your Homework

The more homework you have done, the better off you will be when the time comes to make a decision about the massage school you will attend. As a massage therapist you will have the opportunity to pursue a career that can offer tremendous personal and professional satisfaction.

With the appropriate training and counseling you will literally have in your hands the ability to significantly alter, for the better, the physical and mental state of many people who will be extremely grateful. The time and effort that you expend evaluating massage schools before making a decision will be an investment that will pay you back with interest for years to come.

Additional Resources For Massage School Students

If you are thinking of attending massage school to start a new career to change from job you are unhappy with, here are some import resources you'll want to be aware of. Remember, this may be one of the biggest decisions you make, so do your homework and make the right choice.
Department of Labor Statistics - Massage Therapists
* Nature of the Work
* Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
* Employment
* Job Outlook
* Projections Data
* Earnings
* OES Data
* Related Occupations
* Sources of Additional Information

Some Unique Forms of Massages

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What Do You Think?

Tell us your thoughts on this lens or choosing a massage school.

  • Beth Miller Sep 11, 2010 @ 7:12 pm | delete
    Great information. I'm thinking of going to massage school in California and wasn't sure what to look for. This really helps. Thanks, Beth
  • NurseBuilder Sep 10, 2010 @ 12:36 pm | delete
    Good questions and answers for anyone thinking of attending massage school. Same questions apply to someone interested in attending nursing school. I especially like the suggestion to speak with alumni from the school. Thanks for posting. A solid thumbs up.
  • Terry416 Sep 11, 2010 @ 8:29 am | delete
    Thank you for your comments.
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Terry416

Most of my career has been in advertising but for the past five years I have been marketing healthcare online specifically in the massage and travel n... more »

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