Massage Therapy Goes Well With Lots of Things!
I know, I know, we could all use a massage, but the art and practice of Massage Therapy is one of those things that is co-dependent on other jobs in the Therapist's arsenal, but that arsenal can bring about lots of intriguing and fun opportunities (even though they aren't all medical they are somehow related to medicine.)
Picture it: Atlanta, 2009. A Counselor sees clients all day in, well, counseling situations and talks to them, works with them and helps them with all of their problems. This person is about one step away from being a Psychologist (actually, a Master's Degree in Psychology will allow you to do counseling in most states so that is ONE job to look at.) After she's seen all of her clients for the day she teaches a yoga or Pilates class. (Though we don't have these jobs listed here on MedicalJobs.org they are highlighted in articles here.) After that she might go and take care of a couple massage clients.
You see, that's how massage therapy works for a lot of people. You fit it into the other things you're doing because it may not be your full time job.
Massage Therapy also goes great with other kinds of therapy. Let me tell you one more story and then I'll shut my mouth:
Imagine the school Occupational Therapist who sees kids all day that need help writing, using scissors and doing all the other "manual labor" that school requires. She works all day with these kids, but some of them also have issues walking or doing "gross motor functions" with their arms and legs. What would be a great foil to those problems? Massage Therapy. Now, in a school setting it would be highly unprofessional to just give kids massages, but with a parent's permission and a little time the Occupational Therapist can use her skills as a Massage Therapist to help relax the muscles that her students need to use the most.
After work she could meet a few massage therapy clients and ply that trade with people who just need a stinking massage! Though Massage Therapy was not her full-time job it was a vital part of her livelihood.
Well, what if you want this to be your full-time job? It would be smart to get hooked up with a Doctor's office, Therapy clinic, or independent Therapist who may want to refer their patients to you after their therapy. This would work as a "tandem" practice where you're basically refers your clients to each other and everyone wins. You could also work in a hospital helping not only patients, but helping Doctors as well. We never said being a Doctor was easy and if the stress became too much maybe the Doctors and staff would need a massage too. If would help you earn a full-time income and it would help the Doctors and staff do their jobs more effectively. That's win-win if you asked me!
All in all, just look for the hidden opportunities to do massage therapy outside of thinking "This MUST be my full-time job" and think of ways to fit it into your life and use it as best you can. Be resourceful, have fun, and get to work!
