In order to incorporate a lucrative living as a massage therapist, you will need some training. That will require going to massage therapy school. The cost to go can start in the mid four figures to the mid five figures ($5,000 - $15,000). However, if opt to go to a private college, the costs will be much more.
Make sure that the school you attend is accredited. You need to be at an educational facility where your classes will be honored elsewhere. Some of the classes that you are required to take are:
Anatomy
Physiology
Ethics
Business Practices
CPR & First Aid
Chair Massage
Table Massage
Aromatherapy Massage
Massage Therapy Certification
Medical Massage
Shiatsu
Sports Massage
As you’re looking for a school to attend, you will need to find out the requirements to be a massage therapist in your area. There may be different requirements for each state, county, city or town. If you’re looking to do it on a profession level (which is recommended if you’re looking to make a lucrative living from this), find out what the licensing requirements are. The majority of the states in the United States mandate that you are licensed in order to practice massage therapy and related wellness practices. Then there may be some states that don’t have requirements for professional licenses. However, there may be certain cities or counties that do. The best thing to do is to check all jurisdictions in your area. In addition to the classes previously listed, the majority of massage schools implement the teaching of Swedish massage. In order to get a license, you should have at least 500 hours of educational training or classroom experience. It’s important that you research very thoroughly to find a massage school that will meet your needs. With that, you can also take continuing education classes. You don’t have to take them right away, but they will help you increase your client base if you are knowledgeable about more things. Some of these classes include:
Therapy for Massage Fibromyalgia
Prenatal Massage
Reflexology
Legal Issues (good to know, especially for your own business)
Healing Energy for Infectious Diseases
