Tips for Success
in Massage School
Advice from Students
Massage therapy students give their best tips and advice on how to succeed in massage school and begin a career in massage.
If I were to give one piece of advice to myself a year ago, I would say, “Just do it! Give massage therapy a try, you will not regret it!” In addition to this advice, I would tell my past self a few more things. Consider the rest of this essay my message to the future massage therapists of the world.
Be all in, and for the right reasons! This is a helping career. And this is not an easy course of study. Keep in mind that as a massage therapist you must be selfless and client-focused, because if you are not, the people you work with will be able to tell. If you are in this for money or for popularity, you are not in the right place. So be ready to roll your sleeves, open your heart, and be all in. See 9 more tips for future massage therapists
My advice to future students who are about to begin a massage training program: 1) appreciate the knowledge that is passed down through teachers, 2) separate the massage therapist’s needs from the client’s needs, and 3) know that each person’s body is different. Even after we graduate from this program, we will forever be learning something new and is important to be thankful for this knowledge. Since each person’s body is different, not every massage is the same. Realize that while you may prefer a firmer touch or would prefer to focus on a certain area of your body, does not necessarily mean that your client will want the same. Address the client’s needs while reviewing their intake form and during the massage. Practice makes perfect! Practicing the modalities you have learned throughout school frequently with various clients will allow you to fine-tune your skills tremendously. While in massage therapy school, provide constructive feedback to your fellow colleagues and ask them to do the same. Read more…
I strongly advise massage students to have an open mind and eager to learn when beginning to learn the complexities of the human body and massage’s according impact. It is important to learn comprehensively about the body to be an effective massage therapist. Once one is able to understand a person’s reason for getting a massage, for example, for relaxation or to alleviate tension, the massage therapist builds trust with the person. That trust helps develop a long-lasting relationship with the person who will continue being a client. This will help build a business of customers to expand into one’s own massage therapy business and develop flexible hours. Therefore, I encourage students to be mindful of their relationships with clients and according schedules in addition to the influence of massage on each client. These two facets are crucial to one’s long term career and happiness in the massage therapy field. Keep reading…
For future massage students or those still yet to discover this path, I would remind you to stay open, stay sensitive and stay curious. As therapists, we are explorers with our hands and our hearts. We physically feel the body through our hands but there is a lot to understand about our clients through our intuition as well. Trust your abilities to heal even if the techniques seem foreign or uncomfortable at first. Humble yourself by being receptive to feedback. And practice your techniques, your anatomy and your inner wisdom so this remarkable healing practice will continue to evolve and flourish through our western cultures. Read post >>>
As for advice to impart to others considering the massage therapy training program, it would be this; first off, try not to get overwhelmed by the amount of information you will be learning. Take it slowly and steadily. On the other hand, don’t slack off and wait for the last minute to learn all of the new material – because if you don’t put in the time to study and learn the critical foundational material, you will easily become overwhelmed and will not be able to become an effective massage therapist. Lastly, enjoy the journey. There is an immense amount of information to learn and there are so many options to pursue. Continue reading >>>
My advice to any future massage students is to make the best out of each challenge. I learned to make all my obstacles something that deeply embedded my roots and helped me flourish as an individual and stand strong when storms come. Massage woke me up to the loving, caring, strong and driven person I am. Don’t be discouraged by challenges. Like Dolly Parton said, “Storms make trees take deeper roots.” Continue…
As for incoming massage therapist students the best advice I can give is to take school seriously and learn as much as you can. The thing that has been the most time consuming and the most helpful in my learning experience at Sage School of Massage has been doing outside of school massages every week. As a massage student at Sage, we are required to do two massages every week on our own outside of class, practicing what we’ve learned, writing soap notes and getting feedback from people. These two massages per week are in addition to our three clinical massages every week. Although this adds to the stress and demands on our time, it has been so important to my education. Read more…
My best advice for people interested in a career in massage therapy is to research it first. Also, when learning new concepts, set aside time to talk to someone about what you are learning. I talk to my boyfriend about all the cool and challenging things I’m learning in anatomy class. I find that it really helps me know what I am understanding and what I am not. “If you cannot simply explain something, then you just don’t know it well enough.” He has no knowledge of anatomy and physiology, so when I explain things to him, I need to have a pretty good handle or its going to make no sense. Also, don’t ever be afraid to ask questions or visit your massage instructor doing their office hours. Starting massage school is fun and exciting because you make friends and meet new people, but it is important to set aside study time. My anatomy class required 9+ hours of study time a week and that’s no joke. Time management is a very import skill to have developed by the time you reach college. It is important to remember that you as the student are completely responsible for the amount of information you retain. Read this post…
For future massage therapy students, I would tell them time spent practicing massage therapy, whether with your friends, clients, or classmates, is the best education you can get. It is a chance to practically apply the knowledge gained while in school and learn from all different body types and conditions. But, above all it requires a commitment to wanting to help and serve others. Massage therapy is a very unselfish profession. It requires you to quite literally sacrifice some of yourself, your time, energy, and body. In exchange for that sacrifice it is extremely rewarding to see the results and impact you can have on clients who are trusting you with their health and well-being. Read more…
I believe that time management is a crucial skill that can help massage students succeed in their coursework. Massage therapy school can be challenging, especially for people who have lots of work and personal commitments outside of their classes. Juggling different tasks and responsibilities is surely difficult, but not impossible to do. Developing time management skills is an effective way for students to address that issue. Planning for a time to study, and being able to do so consistently, is an important step for students to take to avoid getting behind in their classes. Notably, students should also use time management to plan for times when they can take care of themselves. Even though planning and managing the time to study is important, having the time to rest and to recharge oneself is equally as valuable. Keep reading…