Before choosing to become a massage therapist, I volunteered in variety of settings for working health professionals. I quickly saw that, of the health careers I was interested in, the one that offered me the most variety and the most freedom was massage therapy.
Since then, I (and many of our graduates) have worked in an incredible variety of contexts. Here are just some of the possibilities. It’s up to you to choose!
• On private sailing trips
• On cruise ships
• With professional sports teams
• With touring musicians
• In Chiropractors offices
• In hospitals
• In PT clinics
• In health clubs
• In salons
• In day spas
• In international retreat centers
• At bed and breakfasts
• In one’s own office
• In a shared office
• In a holistic center / group practice
• In a home-based practice
• In a massage center
• In nursing home
• In hospice
• With a chair massage company
• With an acupuncturist
• With a counselor
• With a dance troupe
• With a theater company
• With a celebrity
• With an orthopedist
• With a podiatrist
• With an osteopath
• In a dental spa
• In a local or destination resort
How exciting is it that massage is a career that inhabits the best of both worlds – medical and holistic. Because massage therapy is not just for disease treatment; it is also a health-amplifying therapy. It is ideal for stress and so, in this stressful world, everyone is a potential client!
Because there are so many choices of work contexts, you can find the one that works best for you – not just fit yourself into a pigeon-hole or, God forbid, a cubicle!
I can honestly say after 40 years in this profession that every day I feel good about my work! I am very grateful to my teachers, to our students, to the employers, and to the clients who enjoy the benefits of this wonderful health therapy.
