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Massage Therapy College

We live in a very stressful world, and, not surprisingly, massage is becoming an increasingly popular way of soothing the aches and pains of the body away, as well as being very effective for rehabilitation after many different types of injury. Sitting in front of a computer screen for hours every day is not the best exercise a body can get – I know that one for sure – and a lovely massage really can help to untie the knots in those shoulders and relax the mind, making you ready for another marathon stint on the computer the following day. Hey, that’s life.

Massage Therapy therefore, can be a very exciting career option, you’ll be:

• helping people
• shouldn’t have any shortage of clients (especially if you have “healing hands”)
• making a good living

If you’ve decided that massage therapy is the life for you, then the next step is finding the right Massage Therapy College.

Choosing Your Massage Therapy College

As with any other college course, they are not all the same. Some Massage Therapy College’s will be more respected in the massage community, for a start, a degree from one college might hold much more weight than a degree from another, lesser respected Massage Therapy College. So how should you go about making the big decision?

1. Find out about the education requirements for the state you live and want to practice in. Requirements do differ from state to state. In general you’ll need around 500 hours of education before you can get your hands on a professional license, some Massage Therapy Colleges have on offer a two-year associates degree massage program, but a degree is not necessarily needed to practise massage therapy. Some states won’t accept training which was carried out in a different state – so do check it out for where you live and intend to work.
2. Check out what Massage Therapy Colleges and courses are available in your area.
3. Ensure that any Massage Therapy Colleges “on your radar” are recognized by the state and educational authorities. Check out their accreditation in any number of ways – online, ask the officials of the school, check with the the US Department of Education’s Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation, and whilst you’re at it see whether the Massage Therapy College is listed to provide continuing education with the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.
4. There’s much more to massage than nimble fingers, there are different speciality areas, so think a little about beyond college, and where you would ultimately like to work. Some Massage Therapy Colleges offer courses which have a more medical approach, some are more spa oriented, some offer instruction in the techniques practised in the East. If you haven’t really got much of an idea, try to find a Massage Therapy College which offers instruction in all three. If you’re interested in owning your own massage therapy business some day, then look for colleges which offer instruction in marketing and running a business too.
5. Unfortunately, as with many more things in life, our choices are determined largely by cost. Check out the tuition fees, many Massage Therapy Colleges will offer financial aid packages to make them more affordable for students. Check them out.
6. Visit any Massage Therapy Colleges which seem to fit the bill so far. It’s great if you can talk to some of the students (maybe they have an online forum), get a feel for the school and their reputation, find out whether the Massage Therapy College have a successful job placement program. Meet the tutors, ask lots of questions, you might even be able to sample a student massage, to see if they’re on the right lines.
7. Okay, you’ve done your homework and you’re about there. Just one other thing which really can be helpful before making your final decision about a Massage Therapy College – in the real world. Talk to as many massage therapists as you can find and discover which colleges really do have the best reputation and will be most useful in securing you a position after you have completed your massage therapy course.