If you have arrived at this article, you have an interest in becoming a professional massage therapist. We applaud you!
The career you are considering can be rewarding on a number of levels: You can make money while helping people ease stress, pain and other conditions in a way that is natural and drug-free.
As a provider of holistic health care, you will contribute to the well-being of humanity by offering the gift of your positive touch to the world.
By becoming a massage therapist you will have the opportunity to help make people feel better, naturally.
You might be wondering how you go about becoming a professional massage therapist. Renaissance Massage School has put together this comprehensive guide to answer all your questions and get your prepared to begin your journey through massage therapy school.
But first, a little background on massage therapy.
What Is Massage Therapy, Exactly?
Massage therapy is the systematic manipulation of the body’s muscles and soft tissues for wellness-related purposes, such as relief of pain and tension.
Specific techniques vary widely depending on the massage type, or modality, practiced; the most common technique, known as Swedish massage, involves combinations of these basic movements:
• Effleurage (long, gliding strokes)
• Petrissage (kneading)
• Tapotement (tapping with the sides of the hands)
• Friction (vigorous rubbing)
• Shaking (gentle jostling)
Swedish massage can also be called classic massage—and despite its name, it did not originate in Sweden. While many textbooks attribute the invention of massage to Peter Henry Ling (1776-1837).
A technique called the Swedish Movement System, developed by Dutch practitioner Johan Georg Mezger (1838-1909), represents the beginning of Swedish massage therapy as we know it today; over the years this term intermingled with Ling’s and credit for the development fell erroneously to Ling.
Classic, or Swedish, massage is the type of massage most people think of when the term massage therapy is mentioned, and most massage therapy schools teach it as their primary modality.
However, many other modalities exist that schools may or may not touch on, including such techniques as prenatal massage, sports massage, craniosacral therapy, myofascial release, pediatric and infant massage and many others.
Further, Asian bodywork is considered its own body of knowledge and has schools and certifications dedicated exclusively to its techniques. Asian bodywork, according to the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia (AOBTA), encompasses techniques including traditional Thai massage, shiatsu, acupressure and several others.
Professionals who practice massage therapy are most properly referred to as massage therapists. You may hear the terms masseuse or masseurused to denote female or male massage practitioners, but these words carry negative connotations for many people.
With that brief history out of the way, let’s tackle some of the big questions you might have about getting your new massage therapy career started.
What Are the Prerequisites for Attending Massage Therapy School?
Most schools of massage therapy require enrollees to have a high school diploma or its equivalent.
However, many people enter the massage therapy profession as a second or third career, or after retiring from another field. Having education and experience beyond high school can greatly enrich what you bring to your massage career.
While schools may not conduct criminal background checks on their applicants, many states do require criminal background checks in order for you to obtain a professional massage therapist license.
If there is any reason you feel you might not pass a background check, it is best to bring it up at the time you enroll so you can avoid graduating from a school but being barred from licensing.
Another thing that’s not necessarily a prerequisite, but is definitely something you should know before choosing this path, is that a career as a professional massage therapist can be very physically demanding.
Doing too many massages too often for too long, performing massage without practicing proper body mechanics or skimping on self-care can easily result in injuring yourself.
Staying in good physical shape, working out and stretching, maintaining a healthy diet, getting your own massages regularly, and being vigilant about using proper form and posture when you work will help you extend your career and get the most out of your massage education investment.
Speaking of your massage education investment:
How Much Does Massage School Cost, and Can I Get Financial Aid?
The total cost of massage therapy school depends partially on where you live and on where you plan to practice once you finish school.
In order to become licensed, most states require you to graduate from a program of at least 500 hours, but may require fewer or more hours, which will affect cost. You’ll have expenses in several areas, including:
• Tuition
• Textbooks
• Fees
• Massage table, if not included in a fee
• Student liability insurance, if not included in a fee (read more about this in “Do I Need Student Liability Insurance?, below)
Educator and author Cherie Sohnen-Moe, who is also president of the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education, told MASSAGE Magazine that both the length and the cost of massage therapy education can vary quite widely from school to school.
You may find a broad range, from six-month programs costing a few thousand dollars to one- or two-year programs that cost upward of $15,000.
For example, Nevada School of Massage Therapy, which is operated by Steiner Education Group, owner of multiple schools across the U.S., offers a disclosure on its website listing tuition and fees.
Most massage schools offer some form of financial aid. As a first step, make sure that any schools you apply for are accredited—you can look up this information on the U.S. Department of Education’s website, which will tell you both if the school is accredited and by which organization.
You’ll find more detailed information on accrediting associations in “I’m Researching Massage Therapy Schools. What Should I Be Looking for?”, below.
Next, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (commonly abbreviated as FAFSA), which is typically a prerequisite to applying for grants, loans and scholarships. These funds may come from the federal government, from your state, from your individual school or from private entities.
For example, to attend one massage school in Gainesville, Florida, you could use any of numerous federal or state grants and loans, as listed on their website, as well as apply for an individual scholarship directly from the school.
For more detailed information on the process of financing your education, and the different types of aid that may be available, please feel free to reach out to us at Renaissance College Massage Program and we can answer any questions you have
How Long Does Massage Therapy School Take—and What Will I Study?
Again, this partially depends on how many hours your state requires for licensing, as well as how many hours you take at a time. Most massage schools offer a choice of day or evening programs, which may have different starting and ending dates.
Massage therapy programs range in length from several months to two years, said Sohnen-Moe.
Beyond learning and practicing massage techniques, you will also study the history and origins of massage; anatomy and physiology; pathology; kinesiology; contraindications to massage; business; ethics; and self-care, among other topics.
I’m Researching Massage Therapy Schools. What Should I Look For?
There’s only so much you can find out about a massage therapy school online. For example, you can discover:
• if it’s accredited;
• estimated costs, and if it has financial aid available;
• what massage therapy programs are available, their starting and ending dates, and what hours massage therapy classes and clinics take place;
• important statistics, such as the school’s reported job placement rate for graduates;
• information about the faculty and campus.
In addition to reading official information on the school’s website, also check out the school’s social media pages, such as their Twitter feed and Facebook business page, to see what others are saying about it.
This information may be biased, but it should give you an idea of what kind of general reputation the school has amongst current and former students, or people who have applied but not been accepted. You can also get a sense of the school’s level of community involvement by reading up on its public events and outreach.
Speaking with schools’ admissions staff and faculty in person can also provide you valuable information. Before applying, arrange to take a tour of the school and talk with staff members (and current or former students, if possible). Schools may also offer open house days for prospective students.
As you gather information, Sohnen-Moe suggests asking many questions, including:
• Is the school accredited through an organization such as the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA), National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts & Sciences (NACCAS), or Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)? If not, do they at least have COMTA-approved curriculum?
• Do they model their curriculum around the Entry-Level Analysis Project (ELAP) standards? ELAP standards were created by a consortium of massage organizations to to define minimum standards for preparing massage school graduates for entry-level professional work.
• What is the number of faculty and the length of time faculty members have been teaching? Some schools have many faculty members, while some may have all classes taught by one instructor, said Sohnen-Moe.
• What are the school’s requirements for teachers? For example, must they have a bachelor’s degree, a certain number of years of experience in the field if they are teaching hands-on courses, or informal and formal teacher training?
• What type of space does the school have for personal belongings, break areas and study areas? Does it have a library? Lockers? A student lounge?
• What types of textbooks do they require? How many?
• How do instructors grade students? What percentage do tests, projects and participation count toward your grade?
• How is the massage clinic space set up? Is it clean and well-stocked?
• How many supervisors per shift work during clinic practicums?
Get an impression of the school’s overall environment and culture, too. For example, Sohnen-Moe once saw a school that did not use tables and chairs—instead, students sat on floor cushions during class. “That really appeals to a certain personality, and not to another,” she said.
“What kind of technology do they have in the classroom?” she added. “Do they have things like LED projectors and smart boards?”
Ask specifically, Sohnen-Moe recommended, about how massage clinics are handled. “Some of them hardly do any follow-up with the students after their clinic shifts,” she explained. “The whole point is not for students to just do massage, because they can practice on anybody. It’s to get educated feedback.”
You’ll get the most out of the clinic portion of your education if there’s a chance to ask questions afterward and find out how you can improve.
In addition to massaging clients, some clinics also offer students the chance to schedule and confirm client appointments, which can give you good customer service experience, Sohnen-Moe said.
Ask how long the massage school has been in business. “Prospective students should be looking for a school that has a long, established record for success,” said Margaret Sharenko, L.M.T., C.P.T., massage program director at the Atlanta School of Massage in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sharenko said it’s a good idea to ask questions about how the school contributes to the massage industry, such as, “Is the massage school involved in the legislative concerns for the professional licensure process in their state?” and “Is this school teaching and developing curriculum that supports the growing need for massage therapy in research?”
She also suggested visiting local massage establishments that have employees and asking managers if there is a massage school from which they prefer hiring graduates.
Lisa Garofalo, L.M.T., program director at the Oregon School of Massage, recommended looking for a school that offers strong instruction in the health sciences, and asking staff what percentage of its graduates pass their massage licensing exam.
This percentage can tell you a lot about the quality of the school’s curriculum. (More information on licensing exams is coming up, in “What Is the MBLEx Test, and How Do I Prepare for It?”, below.)
Don’t forget purely practical aspects of your massage education either, such as how far away the school is from where you live and work. How long will it take you to get there on school days? Will you have to adjust your working hours or other responsibilities in order to attend the program? What method will you use to pay for school? If you don’t have a handle on these details beforehand, you may end up regretting your choice.
Finally, decide if the school resonates with you personally—all details considered, the environment should just feel like the right fit for you.
“Can you imagine yourself spending 640 hours here with these people?” Nicole Spears, admissions coordinator for the Oregon School of Massage campus in Portland, Oregon, suggests you ask yourself.