WHAT A novice massage therapist NEEDS in 2021

Do you want to become a great massage therapist, but don't know how to achieve this? Or are you just planning to master your specialty? Then you have come to the right place, because today I will tell you what a novice massage therapist needs: all the features of the profession.

In the future, this will help you develop your skills more confidently or finally decide whether to go to study. You will find out what awaits a specialist after receiving a diploma or certificate.

The most dedicated readers will receive a gift at the end of the article - free help in promoting your services.

What does a massage therapist do and why do people need him so much?

Anyone who has ever been in the hands of a massage specialist knows very well how beneficial it is for health. After all, a professional technique of pressing and patting on various points of the body can solve many health problems, improve well-being, and increase the overall tone of the body.

Types of massage

Massage can be divided into 4 large groups according to the specifics of solving specific problems:

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Curative (medical). Needed to eliminate health problems. This mainly concerns diseases of the musculoskeletal system and nervous system. For example, for people suffering from such an unpleasant chronic disease as osteochondrosis, massage helps make life significantly easier. It must be given a course. At the same time, within the therapeutic massage group itself there is a huge number of techniques and varieties of methods of influencing the cause of the disease through the human body.
Sports. Specialists in this profile prepare athletes for competitions. Manual influence on certain muscle groups allows you to increase athletic performance, and the effect on nerve centers increases endurance. In this area, there are also a huge variety of types of massage, which differ in purpose and depend on the type of sport.
Cosmetic. Included in the list of many cosmetic procedures. For example, there are techniques for body shaping, anti-cellulite programs, and the classic Jacquet massage even helps to cope with disturbances in the production of sebum, relieve swelling and restore a healthy glow to the skin.
Children's. The procedure is aimed at improving the health of the child’s body, promoting proper growth and development. Children's massage is often prescribed by pediatricians, orthopedists and neurologists for various pathologies (musculoskeletal system, developmental delay, hip dysplasia), as well as during the period of rehabilitation after injuries. You will be surprised, but the well-known children's game “Magpie White-sided”, in the process of which the child’s fingertips are warmed up and the open palm is stroked in a circular manner - one of the everyday varieties of children’s massage. Impact on these areas stimulates the maturation and development of the baby’s speech center. As with any form of non-professional massage, it is useful, but is not considered treatment.

All of the types of massage listed above require compulsory basic medical education: higher or secondary specialized, depending on the complexity of the technique and the assigned therapeutic tasks.

What does a massage therapist do?

A massage therapist is a specialist who conducts massage sessions for people who are indicated for this procedure. The profession of a massage therapist implies not only mastery of massage techniques, but also the ability to establish contact with the client.

In the absence of these skills, the massage procedure may become unpleasant for the patient, as he will not receive proper relaxation. The massage therapist must be attentive, careful and be able to create a pleasant atmosphere for the client.

There are two main types of massage:

Oriental.
European.

The first type of massage was created much earlier; the ancient Chinese practiced massage 3 thousand years BC.

And in India, for the first time, hot baths and massage were combined, which made it possible to enhance the beneficial effect of these procedures. Various massage techniques migrated to Europe from Africa and Persia. The first European country to start practicing this procedure was Greece.

Differences between oriental massage and European massage:

The procedure is performed not only from the center to the periphery, but also in the opposite direction.
Massage is performed not only with hands, but also with feet.
Often the procedure is performed without the use of creams, oils and other additives - this helps to have a deeper effect on the body.

In massage practice, there are three main types of massage:

cosmetic;
medicinal;
sports.

Cosmetic massage

is a procedure that additionally affects the face, neck and scalp.

Massotherapy

How to become a massage therapist with a medical education

If you are graduating from a medical university or technical school, then closer to the end of the educational process, you will be willingly offered to master an additional specialization at the educational institution. Provided that you show interest in this particular profession.

There are situations when you received your medical education quite a long time ago, but you want to change your main profile by becoming a massage therapist. In this case, you can take special courses, get a certificate and go to work.

How to choose massage courses with medical education

Approach this issue with all care. Please note that the institution providing this service must have permission to teach medical specialties, and upon completion of the course, issue a state certificate or diploma stating that you have completed the course and have successfully passed the final testing tests.

The reputation of the organization is no less important. You will need to look through reviews and find out how the graduates’ careers turned out.

You need to focus on the course program with a fairly clear idea of what technique you want to specialize in (paragraph of the article “Types of massage”). But what is common to all programs is the required basic medical knowledge that you have previously acquired.

Please note that the educational process must include practical skills training on real people.

How much do medical massage courses cost?

The estimated price of specialty training on average starts from 10,000 rubles and above. This indicator is, of course, significantly influenced by the region of your residence and the status of the educational institution - the higher its rating, the greater the amount you will have to pay. On the basis of medical educational institutions, professional courses, as a rule, have a higher cost and a long, intensive educational program.

Do I need to take entrance exams to enroll in courses?

No. You will need to present your diploma of medical education (with the exception of sports massage, here you will need a diploma in the specialty “physical education”) and pay the cost of training in the form provided by the organizers of the educational process (full cost, installments, partial payment). Some courses don’t even require you to present a diploma, but then, if you go for the trick and sign up for studies without basic medical training, be prepared to take responsibility for all mistakes on yourself.

Including criminal liability.

What items does a massage therapist need to know?

Anatomy and physiology will be the main disciplines on which training in medical areas of massage techniques is based.

In addition, complex types of procedures will require deeper specialized knowledge, for which a higher medical education and work experience in the specialty will be required.

Cosmetic massage requires an understanding of the basics of dermatology. It is taught in specialized courses for cosmetic aestheticians (based on secondary specialized medical education), and is also included in the mandatory program for the training of cosmetologists.

How long does training to become a massage therapist take?

This will directly depend on the type of equipment you choose for yourself. On average, the educational process can take from 70 to 280 academic hours. Monotechnics for advanced training average 20 hours or more.

Upon completion of your studies, you will need to confirm that you have mastered the skills correctly, so to obtain a certificate you will need to pass final exams, consisting of a theoretical and practical part.

Does a massage therapist need medical education?

Is it possible to work as a massage therapist without medical education? Yes and no – working as a massage therapist without education is possible, but it depends on the type of massage.

There are several types of massage:

Medicinal;
Cosmetic;
Sports;
Children's.

These types differ in purpose and area of influence.

Cosmetic massage affects only the skin and muscles, accelerates the blood, restores skin tone and improves its appearance. It can be performed after specialized courses.

Therapeutic affects the circulatory, nervous and lymphatic systems, as well as internal organs. It is prescribed only by a doctor and only after an accurate diagnosis, so as not to harm the patient. The effectiveness of therapeutic massage has been proven for heart failure, high or low blood pressure, during rehabilitation after myocardial infarction, for scoliosis and osteochondrosis, chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, neuralgia and other diseases. In this case, the specialist must know the medical indications and contraindications. Therefore, medical education for a massage therapist with such qualifications is a prerequisite for work.

The same applies to sports massage , with the help of which athletes prepare for competitions or recover from injuries, and children's massage (it is done in clinics even for babies).

Is it possible to master massage without professional courses?

Now there are a lot of free lessons online that teach various massage techniques. Such abundance invariably provokes the temptation to save money on courses and learn on your own to become a massage therapist.

It is important to understand here that medical massage is a big responsibility; uncontrolled training can lead to mistakes. And this is a risk to the health of your clients. Moreover, it is a rare person who will agree to undergo a course procedure with a master without a certificate. Therefore, of course, you can learn free lessons, but you can’t work on the basis of such training. Such training is applicable only for everyday purposes in a reasonable sense, for example, to please your significant other with a pleasant relaxing procedure.

Where can a medical massage master work?

Having a specialization in medicine and a diploma in massage courses opens up many job opportunities for you:

State medical institutions: clinics, rehabilitation centers, boarding houses, rest homes, etc.
Private medical centers: general, aesthetic health, children's (for the relevant area within the profession) medical facilities.
Studios and beauty salons.
Baths, saunas, SPA centers.
Fitness centers, sports schools and other organizations interacting with athletes (for this type of massage).

Often massage therapists open their own massage studios and work for themselves. In addition, it is possible to provide services at home or with a visit to the client’s home; such options are acceptable if, at the stage of entering the profession, you need to save on rent.

Where can a massage therapist work without medical education?

Having acquired a new profession, you need to find a place to work. And this is where difficulties arise - potential employers ask about education. Medical institutions generally do not have the right to hire specialists without specialized education. The solution is to get a job in a beauty salon or fitness club.

Does a massage therapist need a medical education to work in a beauty salon? No, not required. Only services can be provided in the field of cosmetology. Without a doctor's diploma, you can do cosmetic and sports massage, but therapeutic massage is prohibited.

If, when applying for a job in a beauty salon, an employer asks about medical education, it is worth checking with him whether he has a license to provide medical services.

Another option is to see clients at home.

It is enough to have a certificate of completion of the courses. In rendered . Working from home allows you to save on office rent and set your own schedule for seeing clients. But you will have to organize your workspace, buy a couch and equipment.

It is better to start doing massage without medical education in a salon. You personally don’t need to think about attracting clients; people trust specialists within companies more; they can visit a massage therapist after a manicure or haircut. This will allow you to “earn” regular customers. When you have at least ten regular clients and a stable income, you can open your own massage parlor.

How much does a medical massage therapist earn?

The ability to earn a high income depends on many factors. For example, when working in a government agency, you will have a salary and work hours for the month, but you will not need clients.

Working for a private business will mean obligatory donation of part of the money earned from a client to the organization, on average this equals 40-60% of your real revenue, but you will not need to worry about clients, paying rent, sick leave and vacation.

As a rule, it is quite difficult for beginners without experience to get a job in large private organizations.

The option of sharing a rental, for example with a partner in a massage course or another colleague, would be quite interesting in terms of earning money.

When working from home, you will need to allocate a separate room to perform the necessary manipulations and provide your visitor with the opportunity to relax as much as possible during the procedure. The same conditions are necessary for the home visit option, only on the client’s premises. In both cases, the cost of performing a massage is lower than in a salon.

A massage therapist’s earnings are directly proportional to the number of clients who come to you for a procedure per day, your specialization (for example, many therapeutic techniques are quite expensive), the demand for the specialty and your hard work.

Formula for a massage therapist’s net earnings: number of clients per day * cost of the procedure * number of working days. To calculate the real income that you will have in your hands, you need to subtract from the amount received the costs of funds necessary for work and other spending factors: rent, interest to the employer, etc.

The average income of a beginner starts at 20,000 and, with a good client base, quickly grows to 70 thousand rubles or more.

The exact figure, as you can understand, depends too much on many factors, which are not possible to take into account in one article.

Where can a massage therapist work?

Since there are many organizations, especially in the beauty industry, a professional will not have problems finding employment. Some companies don’t even know what kind of education a massage therapist needs, so they can hire specialists who have only completed courses.

Most often, massage therapists work in:

massage parlors;
SPA salons;
medical centers, rehabilitation centers;
hotels;
fitness clubs and sports centers.

If a specialist has gained enough experience, then he has the right to legally engage in private practice. A specialist working as a massage therapist must enter into an agreement with an organization to rent premises. Fitness centers and beauty salons have special rooms for this purpose that are specifically rented out. If he does not want to rent premises, he can engage in private practice, visiting clients’ homes. To do this, the massage therapist must have a special massage table ready for transportation.

Is it possible to become a massage therapist without medical education: features

This issue causes a lot of controversy and criticism, both in the professional environment and simply at the level of target consumers.

It is traditionally believed that massage is a purely medical manipulation, the purpose of which is to have a beneficial effect on an existing disease: to cure it or alleviate acute symptoms.

But do not forget that all people need relaxing procedures. This is the basis for a number of general health techniques that are gaining increasing popularity in the modern world.

We are talking about such a wonderful way to relieve psychological, emotional stress, and chronic fatigue as SPA technology. Agree, with today’s frantic pace of life, such help from a specialist can be useful to almost anyone.

And it can be provided within the scope of their competence by specialists without medical education. This area, which you can learn by attending specialized courses, is called SPA technology; accordingly, after successfully completing your training, you can become a specialist SPA technologist. Or, in simple terms, a master of healing massage.

This type of activity is carried out quite legally, however, the certificate of a spa technologist does not allow working in medical organizations, except for sanatorium-type institutions equipped for spas.

How to become a massage therapist without medical education

To do this, you will need to select and complete training courses. They are held more often at massage centers and studios, and the teachers are successful practicing massage therapists.

Within the SPA area, there are a lot of methods, including proprietary ones, so you need to study the training program to select courses.

Tentatively, the theoretical part should contain the following parameters:

Anatomical and physiological foundations of SPA techniques.
Relaxing massage (all varieties).
Acquaintance with the full list of services within the scope.
Necessary equipment for procedures.
Features of communication with the client.

This is the most general list, which can be supplemented by various disciplines at the discretion of the massage school and the teaching master.

And, of course, quality courses should provide you with the opportunity to practice.

What does it take to become a professional massage therapist?

Professional massage therapists most often work in prestigious public and private medical institutions. Sometimes they can conduct a private practice, visiting clients’ homes or organizing their own massage parlor. In order to master the profession of a massage therapist, you will need:

improvement of physical data. A massage therapist is a resilient and strong person because he spends most of his time standing on his feet and working with the patient’s body. He must also have strong and sensitive hands;
take courses. They will help you learn the necessary skills, as well as replenish your theoretical knowledge, including in the field of human anatomy and physiology. After all, it is extremely important for a massage therapist to understand the characteristics of the human body and correctly perform all the necessary actions.

An important and desirable condition for work is obtaining a medical education, since people have much more confidence in a massage therapist with a medical diploma.

How much do spa technology courses cost?

The price here will also depend on the popularity of the massage studio or a specific teacher, the content and richness of the curriculum.

Of course, your region will also influence this indicator. On average, in the periphery, the cost of basic training can start from 7000-8000. The higher the prestige of the educational institution, the more fees they will ask you to pay.

But don’t forget to read the reviews and successes of graduates in order to objectively weigh and evaluate your decision in favor of a particular school.

What a massage therapist without medical education needs to know

If you want to become a massage therapist, but do not have a medical education, the profession of a spa technologist opens up this opportunity for you. But you need to understand a number of features in order to avoid troubles in the future:

You carry out procedures for general health. That is, you work with healthy people.
Pathological conditions are within the competence of doctors, so people with diseases do not come to you, but to them.
Hygiene must be observed! Yes, you perform non-invasive techniques and do not violate the integrity of the skin, but external bacterial infection is no less dangerous, both for you and for the client. The complication of skin pyoderma is unlikely to be the effect that your visitor dreamed of.
The procedure you perform depends not only on your skills. The client’s mood will be of great importance; if you can give him the opportunity to completely relax, then you are most likely to get the maximum effect.
You must be able to interact not only on a physical level, but mostly on a psychological level.
The following will help you win over your visitor and give him confidence that he has come exactly where he needs to go:

manner of communication - calm, soft manner of speech;
environment - a clean, bright room, no noise or sharp sounds;
relaxing, quiet music during the session;
the ability to listen to the problems of others and show concern.

If you are going into the profession in search of easy money, think about everything more carefully. In this case, you need not just to master some mechanical manipulations, but to love your job and be eager to develop. In this case, high earnings will be a pleasant addition to your real calling.
And once again - do not exceed your competence, it is better to redirect medical cases to the appropriate specialists; it is possible that the visitor in this case will appreciate your professionalism much higher.

So, you have figured out the features, you will definitely learn the main subtleties in the courses.

Advantages of being a massage therapist

you help people and get money for it (the formula for calculating income for medical massage is also relevant here);
work in a relaxed environment: in a spa center or for yourself;
By bringing goodness and positivity to people, you yourself develop spiritually;
the profession will teach you to look at life from a different angle and pass this knowledge on to others;
By constantly building a client base, you can successfully expand your own business.
Working for yourself, you adjust your client appointment schedule based on personal convenience.

Where can a massage therapist work to gain experience?

Before starting to work for yourself , it makes sense for a future massage therapist to work for hire and practice on clients.

The main places where novice massage therapists can gain practical experience:

clinic, hospital;
fitness center, sports school;
beauty salon, bathhouse, sauna;
sanatorium, children's health center.

A competent specialist, having accumulated extensive experience, will acquire a regular clientele. Then it’s worth getting a license and starting private practice.

Disadvantages of work:

revenue depends on customers;
It’s difficult for a beginner to build a client base;
It’s difficult to get a job in a prestigious institution from scratch;
The work schedule in the salon is not subject to the actual appointment, but to the operating hours of the institution (that is, you can have two clients a day, scheduled for the morning and evening, but in your free time you are still required to be at your workplace);
You will have to work with clients mostly while standing, so if you are overzealous, you can expose yourself to the risk of developing occupational diseases, for example, varicose veins of the lower extremities.

What a massage therapist needs to work at home: general equipment

The list presented below is relevant for working from home; if you intend to work in a salon or other organization, keep in mind that in most cases you will be provided with furniture and consumables, and you will purchase your own cosmetics: oils and creams.

To get started you will need the following:

comfortable table for massage;
massage roller;
a chair for you (not all techniques can be performed standing);
a screen so that the client can undress and prepare comfortably;
wall mirror - after the procedure, the visitor will need to clean up;
separate linen for each client. You can purchase sets of disposable sheets, or buy several meters of fabric and sew them yourself.
blanket and pillow. For these items, it is important to take into account the parameter of odor preservation - they should not store aromas. And don’t forget that there should be no direct contact between them and the client’s body (see the point about underwear).
cosmetics: primarily those that provide slip. Each master works with what is convenient for him: some prefer cream, others talc; from the position of a professional, it is more comfortable for both you and the client to use natural oils. But due to their high cost, they can significantly influence the price of the session.
consumables: disposable caps, gloves, spatulas, cotton swabs, discs, napkins, paper towels, shoe covers, wrapping materials.
additional attributes: those items that will help create an atmosphere of comfort, they are selected in accordance with your taste for interior design.
small first aid kit: blood pressure monitor, allergy medications, antiseptics.
disinfectants for treating the office and couch.

This will be quite enough for working at home or in your own cabin; as you gain experience, you will always be able to quickly purchase missing items or cosmetics.

As your business expands, you can purchase a massage device. He will be able to more thoroughly work even hard-to-reach areas of the body.

There are many massagers, but not all of them are effective.

Experienced chiropractors recommend the Meridian acupuncture electronic massager . This device allows you to relieve headaches, relieve muscle spasms in the neck and back, relieve the client from pain in the joints, eliminate fatigue and nervous tension.

The massager incorporates techniques from traditional Chinese medicine, which is famous for its healing massages, as well as modern innovations.

The acupuncture effect of the device is to influence certain points of various parts of the body. It is no secret that each acupuncture in our body is associated with the functioning of organs and systems. It has been scientifically proven that the effect on certain points of the body ensures the release of endorphins, which block pain signals transmitted perineurally.

Thanks to the variety of heads included in the kit, the device can perform different functions. For example, one of the attachments is responsible for nodal therapy and helps get rid of pain and spasms along the periphery of the body. The other head will help improve blood circulation and eliminate inflammation. You can also use an attachment that simulates an acupuncture procedure for complete relaxation of the body.

With such a device you will have the opportunity to do various types of massages and increase the number of clients!

You can learn more about all the characteristics of the massager and purchase it using this link.

Where to get first clients for a novice massage therapist

Your most important task, as a beginner, is also a headache: attracting clients. Your future will entirely depend on the sequence of its solution. Using personal experience as an example, I described all the features of the process in the article “ How to find clients for massage .” If you want to learn interesting details about the process of debugging client flow, be sure to check it out.

In order not to take up a lot of your time now, I will say briefly: the most effective way, especially for beginners, is to use attracting visitors via the Internet.

You can start with the simplest thing: get yourself a nice Instagram, guests and subscribers of the page will be able to make a decision in your favor - come for a massage.

The only thing left to do is to properly design and develop your Instagram so that people want to subscribe and be active.

If you don’t know how to make your account attractive, use the valuable recommendations from the book “ Successful Beauty Master ” by beauty expert Angelina Bogdanova. You can order the book right now and immediately start building relationships with your audience through your page.

For those who are seriously ready to develop and attract clients using the extensive tools of the Network, the course “ How to Find Clients ” is perfect. This is an opportunity to quickly master online customer acquisition through free methods of promotion and brand building.

And now a gift

For those who find it difficult to make difficult decisions about purchases and learning to promote services via the Internet, the author of the training programs, Angelina Bogdanova, has prepared a free guide to managing Instagram , you can order it now when you finish reading.

The manual will give you the opportunity to start managing your page correctly, and once you get the first results, you simply won’t want to stop there.

Now you know about everything a novice massage therapist needs; if you have any questions, ask them in the comments under the article. Good luck to you, colleagues!

What are the advantages of being a massage therapist?

Most courses offer hands-on training that will pay dividends once you get your license and start working on your own. Many licensed therapists leave clinical jobs and become self-employed entrepreneurs. It would be great if you also took courses to understand the requirements and procedures of running a massage business.

Top Benefits of Becoming a Massage Therapist

If you are already a licensed professional

Best of all, you will be recognized in the medical community and will receive referrals from medical centers and medical practitioners. As a licensed professional in your field, you will be able to work in other parts of the world as well. Your professional qualifications will be in demand wherever you go.

Sports massage

- a very specific and strict area that requires a lot of knowledge for a massage therapist. During practice or work, lilacs.ru advises keeping your skills up to date and learning new methods.

Typically, massage therapists who have a large amount of knowledge and skills in broad areas of specialization command the highest salaries. What's more, you may also be responsible for getting the team's star player back into action as quickly as possible!