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Massage Therapists: Hands-on Members of the Healthcare Industry
Want to be part of a growing movement in healthcare? Consider a career as a Massage Therapist.
As a Massage Therapist, you will combine procedure with artistry to create an experience that relaxes clients, reduces muscle soreness, and helps treat injuries and illnesses.
American Career College's Massage Therapy Program is designed to immerse a student into the massage field. In 720 hours and nine modules, students learn the various types of massage, such as Swedish, reflexology and deep tissue. They also study human physiology as well as the body systems, kinesiology and pathology.
"You have to have knowledge of the body and understanding of how it works," says Debra Stell, Orange County Campus Program Director. "You're not just rubbing bodies, you're affecting the circulation, digestion, respiratory and nervous systems."
The greatest strength of American Career College's Massage Therapy Program is that graduates are not "cookie cutter" Massage Therapists, who only know one "routine" and massage each client in the same manner during every appointment, says Ms. Stell. Instructors encourage students to follow protocol yet find their own individual style, to follow and trust their instincts. This is accomplished through hours of practice at home, on other students - at times, blindfolded - and at volunteer opportunities. For example, students at the American Career College Orange County campus often massage athletes training for endurance events with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team In Training program.
Ideal candidates for the Massage Therapy Program have excellent communication skills, an interest in science and the body, and a desire to perform quality work, notes Ms. Stell.
About 65 percent of Massage Therapists are self-employed, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.* Graduates may also practice Massage Therapy in spas, doctor's and dentist's offices, fitness centers, physical therapy centers or chiropractic offices. Numerous sub-specialties in the field allow Massage Therapists to work in an area of individual interest, such as sports, pediatrics or even Eastern philosophy.
"This field allows people a lot of flexibility," says Ms. Stell. "You can take it in many different directions. Regardless of where you work, if you're good, people will come to you."
Massage Therapy is an excellent part-time career, and can provide someone the income and freedom to pursue further educational opportunities, she notes. Online job site CareerBuilder.com rated Massage Therapy as the best part-time job for 2009, estimating nearly 42 percent of all Massage Therapists worked part time in 2006.**
The U.S. Department of Labor expects employment for Massage Therapists to increase 20 percent from 2006 to 2016, faster than average for all occupations. Employment will grow as more people learn about the benefits of Massage Therapy, and as more healthcare providers and health insurance companies recognize Massage Therapy as a legitimate treatment and preventative measure for injuries and illnesses. In addition, increased interest in alternative medicine and holistic healing will translate into new openings for Massage Therapists.*
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Massage Therapists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos295.htm (visited 3/31/09). **CareerBuilder.com, on the Internet at http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-1761-Flexwork-Freelance-and-PT-Best-Part-Time-Jobs-for-2009/ (visited 3/31/09).
