How to Make a Living in Massage Therapy
Ask five different therapists how to make a living in massage therapy and you'll likely get five different answers based on their own experience. However, there are several essential ingredients in having a successful massage therapy practice. Researching career goals, types of bodywork to practice, location and other factors during and after massage school may make it easier to find the ideal position for a new massage therapist.
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Instructions
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Prioritize your clients. A quality massage session is client-focused with emphasis on strong listening skills. Listening to what a client says verbally and to what their body says, non-verbally, is essential. A massage therapist has very specific technical skills, but a client knows their body best.
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Diversify massage offerings. Swedish massage is wonderfully relaxing, but sometimes deep tissue or trigger point work is indicated. Offering spa treatments appropriate to a massage therapy practice are a nice alternative for repeat clients with a desire to try something different.
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Keep massage rates within a reasonable range. Undercutting prices seldom works to draw new business and overpricing will steer potential clients to other therapists. Check around for rates locally, not for the national average. There is as wide a range of massage therapy rates around the world as there are massage and bodywork options.
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Take care of business. Besides massage itself, there are other facets of the massage therapy business to take care of. Client notes, marketing efforts, and taxes and accounting all need regular attending.
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Continue learning. Massage therapy is evolving all the time so it's important to learn new skills or refine old ones. This helps not only to teach, but to keep a massage career exciting and fresh.
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Take care of yourself. A practitioner that does not take care of himself will not likely sustain a living in massage therapy due to the mental and physical demands of the job.
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Tips & Warnings
Location is important for those who own their own massage therapy business.
Offer extras whenever possible. For example, heated towels, bottles of water, special offers.
Realize that the massage session hourly rate is not what a therapist is actually earning. Overhead from owning one's own business, taxes, or the percentage that is taken from an employee's pay must be figured into the equation when determining how to make a living in massage therapy.
