You have no idea how many times people ask me that question. Here's some examples. A client sitting in my office says "I want to be a Massage Therapist", A tenant in my building says "my girlfriend wants to be a Massage Therapist", or a complete stranger finds out that I am a Massage Therapist and says "wow, I have always wanted to do that for a job".
I am always very supportive of the individuals in the first two examples. I'm a result of the first cited, once being a client who chose to pursue massage after being exposed to the difference that well done massage can make in ones life. The second example gives me the opportunity to support a person who is considering their options, possibly helping them to make a decision. I'm not all that excited when a stranger mentions it, as I can't tell if they only want to make conversation or that they are hinting they want a masssage without knowing how to ask for one. Silly people!! Just ask to book an appointment.
In my case, I was a fledgling college student who was exhausted, stressed, and working too many hours. I had received massage in the past and was looking for a source for body work that I could afford. I was fortunate to discover the Muscular Therapy Institute in Cambridge MA. I can't say that the massage was the best one I had ever experienced up to that point. It was, however, very different than any massage I had before. I wondered why there coud be such a difference in massages, going back a couple more times to see if I could discover the secret.
I really began to understand the the differnece lay in the work and the depth of massage. One day, I ended up at one of the introductory workshops; the next thing that I new, the following fall I was enrolled in the school. I didn't plan on becoming at student at the school, only to get affordable massage from students, and relief from the stresses of school and work. I'm not sure what happend. I haven't tried to figure it out or wonder if there was any divine intervention or anything. It just happened. Well, thirteen years have passed since then. I'm still going!
Regarding the tenant who asked me about his girlfriend wanting to be a massage therapist, his desire is to offer encouragment and support to her. That's part of the fun! I got to answer his questions and, for the most part, just listen to what he was saying. I offered a few suggestions about what to do if she really is interested and also offered to meet with her if she wants to talk further. I encouraged her plans and hope that she get's in touch with me.
Well, that's it for now. I will expand on the qualities and education that I think one needs to become a good Massage Therapist over the next few posts. Otherwise this post will be too long for anyone to read. Plus I need a few more topics to keep the blog going.
