Things to Do Before Enrolling Into Massage Therapy School

Massage Therapy School, Enrolling into a massage school is a big decision.

Moreover, it is a decision about your career, and it may change your life significantly.

This is why you should be vigilant in making this decision.

Many individuals assume that just a liking for a profession is enough to take it up as a career.

But one has to realize that not everyone is cut out for every type of career.

This is why it is best to thoroughly research a career in massage therapy before joining a school.

You should also consider the expenses involved, especially if you are a student yourself.

Massage schools can be expensive.

To add to the expenditures, you will need to buy the equipment and supplies which you need for practicing massage.

You should start a checklist to account for every factor involved in joining a massage school and even beyond.

This way you will be able to weigh in all your options and make an informed decision of whether or not to go to a massage school.

Here are a few tips you can include in your checklist.

But before we get into it, you can download the checklist we have prepared for free here.

This can be your starting point as you carefully research massage schools.

Visit a Massage Therapy Facility

Before taking any step towards becoming a massage therapist, visit a massage facility.

You can let them know about your intentions of becoming a massage therapist.

Ask different employees about their experience in the profession.

In addition to this, you should ask the employees any questions you may have about the massage industry as a whole.

Compile detailed notes of your interaction and what you have learned.

Moreover, you should also consider getting a massage at that facility.

This may cost you a tad bit, but you could get a glimpse of how everything works in this profession.

Also, you should monitor the way the professional massage therapist works.

This will tell you whether or not you are cut out for this profession.

Visit a couple of facilities, but choose the best one out of them for the massage.

You will also be able to see how different facilities work.

Furthermore, you will get to know about the standards of massage therapy.

Read About Different Types of Massage Therapies

After researching various massage therapy facilities, you should also consider getting some knowledge about the types of massages because there are various types of massage therapies.

See if you understand some of the methods.

The reason this is important is that some professions seem great from afar.

But aren’t that interesting up close.

The background of massage therapy may not interest everyone.

If you are interested in reading about massage therapy techniques then, also read about the human anatomy.

This will also give you a head start on what you are about to learn in massage school.

Visit Various Massage Schools

Once you have made a decision to learn about a particular type of massage therapy.

It’s time to research schools.

Begin your search by considering all the massage schools in your area.

A great way to do this is an internet search. Make a list of all the schools that you should visit.

It is also a great idea to check whether those schools offer the type of therapy you want to learn about.

This is because some schools do not offer courses regarding certain therapy types.

Once you have made a list of all the massage schools, you should visit each one.

If possible, speak to someone who can provide you with relevant details.

Be sure to get the school’s pamphlet. Note down any details regarding the school which may come in handy.

One tiny detail that most individuals miss out on is the fee breakdown.

This is important because it will help you figure out your expenses.

You will be able to account for all the extra expenses you may come across.

Make sure you note down all these details as you will need to compare them later on.

To save time and hassle, we have prepared a comprehensive database of massage schools near you.

You can select the schools you want to research from our database and immediately request information all for free.

This ensures you maximize your time while all the information is delivered to your home for free. You can access our database here.

Research Tuition Payment Options

Before deciding on the school you should attend, you have to figure out how you will pay your tuition.

Most massage schools provide scholarships, thus this should always be your first option. Also, research the scholarship qualification criterion for each school.

In some cases, scholarships may be provided on the basis of need, the area of residence or previous qualifications.

If you do not qualify for a scholarship and cannot afford the fee, then your next best option is to get a student loan.

There are two entities you can get a student loan from.

The first is the federal government and the second source is private loan institutions such as banks.

Among these two options, you should first consider the federal government student loan.

They have more relaxed repayment structures you may also get an extension or temporary relief from repaying the loan, if need be.

With private institutions, you do not get any such relaxation.

Read our comprehensive article on Federal financial aid here.

Build Relationships with Others in the Business

While you are researching all these aspects, you should also consider building relationships with professional massage therapists.

First and foremost, professional therapists will be able to mentor you once you enrol in a school.

They may even be able to tell you about payment options they used.

Of course, you can also get recommendations regarding a good massage school from these professionals.

During your classes at the massage school, there could be certain aspects of massage therapy that you may need to discuss with the professional.

Moreover, professional therapists may be able to give you some valuable tips and tricks which could help you later on.

In addition to this, if your relationship with those therapists is good enough.

They may even help you take your first step into the profession.

Who knows, you may even get your first job at your mentor’s workplace after completing massage school.

Only after you analyze each option should you enrol in massage school.

The above-mentioned list may help you draw up a checklist of what you need to research.

But wait! Before you spend time doing so, have a look at the comprehensive checklist we prepared. It is free for you to use.

You can download our free comprehensive checklist here.

Neal Lyons is a founding member and volunteer contributor at the MTSI Institute, an information based portal dedicated to guiding and assisting aspiring massage therapists establish a successful career in massage. Neal is a published author and has collaborated on several mobile applications that serve the massage profession. You can view his published work on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Sony and Kobo. You can connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and on Google+

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