Becoming a massage therapist

Becoming a massage therapist can take some real dedication in order to see any true result. It is a three step process to becoming a professional massage therapist, and all of the steps require some hard work. The first step to becoming a professional massage therapist is to enroll in a massage therapy school. There are more than one thousand in the United States alone, and most of them require at least a high school diploma in order to enroll. After taking the classes, you will need to proceed to the next step, in which you have to apply to become nationally certified as a massage therapist. To do so, you will have to take the National Certification Exam for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. This accreditation is required in order to practice massage therapy in thirty three states and is generally recommended in those states which do not have laws governing massage therapy experience. That does not discount all state regulation, however, and a full thirty seven states regulate massage therapy practitioners. In order to receive many of the state accreditations, you will merely need to have a certain number of training hours undertaken as well as be required to take and pass an exam. After passing these steps, you will be ready to begin your work as a professional massage therapist! There are many different types of massage therapy that you can perform, but amongst the most commonly desired techniques are the Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, and sports massage.

One great thing about being a massage therapist is the flexibility that you will have when it comes to where and how you work. You may choose to work in a spa, to run your own practice, or to do on-site massage therapy. You may find yourself within reach of an exotic opportunity such as doing massage therapy on a cruise ship! Also, you will be able to have a large degree of flexibility when it comes to your hours and how much you want to work. A study conducted in 2005 showed that only thirty eight percent of all massage therapists work full time.

Learning to become a licensed massage therapist can take some serious time and effort, but many people find being a massage therapist a very fulfilling career decision. If you decide to take the plunge, good luck!

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