Becoming a massage therapist is a great vocation that enables you to work your own hours and choose your clients.
What qualifications are needed and recommended in Australia?
In Australia, qualifications in massage are given in national code. The basic qualification code or the primary code that you need to have is the Certificate IV in Massage Therapy HLT42015.
This is a prerequisite qualification before gaining the two other higher qualifications. It’s just like gaining your bachelor’s degree first before you can proceed with masters or doctorate.
What’s Involved in a Certificate IV in Massage Therapy HLT42015?
This is the entry qualification that you need to have for you to be acknowledged as a Professional Massage Therapist in Melbourne, Australia.
For you to gain this qualification, you have to be enrolled and study a course in massage therapy in certain institutions.
The Melbourne Institute of Massage Therapy is one of the institutions in Australia which offers nationally recognised courses in massage therapy.
It gives the aspiring massage therapists, like you, the opportunity to gain the skills you will need to work as a Massage Therapist by teaching you practical massage skills, human anatomy, pathology and first aid.
If you already gained the entry qualification, which is the Massage Therapy HLT42015, you can already proceed to higher qualification courses such as the Diploma of Remedial Massage HLT52015 and the Advanced Diploma of Myotherapy 22248VIC.
What kind of people make a good massage therapist?
In the massage therapy industry, they do not just hire anyone to be a massage therapist. According to Thompson (2017), a good massage therapist has the following personal qualifications:
Empathy
Having a degree of empathy, care and support as a massage therapist can make the clients feel truly relaxed in your company.
Clients are looking for those massage therapists who can give them complete relaxation. Showing empathy to the clients can make them feel completely relaxed. This is one of the most helpful qualities that a good massage therapist must possess.
Listening Skills
Good massage therapists are always good listeners since clients have distinct sets of physical and emotional needs. To be able to know what the client needs from the massage, you need to listen carefully on a continuous basis and adjust your technique accordingly.
Commitment to Training. A good massage therapist will always long for continuous development.
Skills are developed through continuing training. Accordingly, the basic required training in most massage schools is 700 hours of instruction and practice.
Not only that, but you also need to take continuing massage courses on a yearly basis. This can help you improve your manual dexterity so you can perform massage techniques correctly and efficiently.
Professionalism
A good massage therapist always exhibits a high standard of professionalism. Don’t miss your clients’ appointments and calls for no valid reason. If you missed, informed them immediately and explain your reason.
Moreover, dress up like a professional therapist. You should not look stressed or rushed because clients are going to you to make themselves relaxed so you should not contribute to their stress.
People with the following qualities mentioned above can be good massage therapists. If you think you also have these qualities, then, you can also be a good massage therapist!
How can massage help people?
Massage can help people address not only body pains but also some health-related problems. It is generally considered to be part of complementary and alternative medicine.
In 2016, the University of Minnesota researched specific conditions that massage therapy can help.
Massage therapy is an effective treatment for reducing stress, pain and muscle tension.
Additionally, it can also improve blood circulation in which it enhances the transport of oxygen and nutrients to the body cells and helps remove waste products.
Massage therapy is also believed to affect rest response, which decreases the heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure; raises the immune system; and generally, lowers the mechanical effects of stress.
Tips for starting your own business
Rush (2017) elaborates on how you can start a massage home business. According to him, the first thing that you have to do is to earn your massage certification.
To earn a certification, you have to complete a 500-hour massage training program from licensed institutions which offer such.
After earning a certification, the next thing that you have to is to set up a home massage room. Since it’s massage therapy, you need to create a relaxing space using dim lighting, soothing colours, linens and a quality sound system for calming music.
Other than that, you need to make sure that there is enough space for an expert massage table and the area for you to ply your trade. Some clients want to have a massage while seated.
So, you may also purchase a massage chair for seated massages.
Lastly, of course, you need to market your business. In marketing this kind of business, you have to introduce yourself to professionals working locally. For example, you might like to make contact with physical therapy centres, swimming pools and fitness facilities.
At the start of your business, you may open a promo and include freebies to attract clients. As much as possible, offer free lectures on the benefits of massage therapy to engage more new clients.
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