Thinking about Becoming a Massage Therapist
I am not sure how it happened, but yesterday during my morning walks when I was letting my mind roam as usual, the idea got put into my head to potentially become a Massage Therapist. I think this idea sprouted because I have still not heard back yet from my other pending job application to become a gas station clerk, and I am wondering if this is the universe telling me to search elsewhere and put my destiny into my own hands. By becoming a Massage Therapist, I could set up my own business and seek out clients who may need my services.
There is a lot of research that I need to do, however. First off, what kind of education is needed, and what kind of certifications are out there, in order to become a certified massage therapist? After taking a quick look online at the Massage and Body Licensing Exam (MBLEx) website, the following requirements must be met before you can get licensed as a Massage Therapist in the State of Connecticut:
- Applicants must have 750 hours of in class instruction with an instructor present (online does not count)
- 60 hours of unpaid clinical or internship experience
- Training must come from an accredited school or program
These are some pretty significant requirements, and likely will cost a rather large upfront fee in order to get into these programs that would teach the skills necessary to understand how to become a massage therapist. Apparently, it's not just about using your hands, the programs go into deep anatomy, physiology, and even psychology courses for the participants who undertake these programs. It makes sense however, because if you are being paid by a medical provider through insurance in order to help someone with significant aches and pains, you have to know what you are doing to avoid causing more injury to the area that needs help healing.
The licensing exams are also apparently no joke either. Practice texts and practice exams are used by those seeking out licenses in order to study beforehand. This would be like heading back to school for real in order to become a professional massage therapist. As I am considering this, I will have to seriously ask myself if I believe I have the focus and motivation to be able to take on this rigorous program of education at the tender age of 42. Part of me gets excited by this, while another part wonders if it would be too difficult for me. Honestly, I think I would be fine. The bigger concern is probably the motivation part and seeing if the curriculum would interest me.
Because the government has a hand in everything, once you have achieved the education and passed the exam, you would then be licensed under the department of public health in the state of Connecticut (or whatever state you live) and have to pay an instatement fee of $375 and renewal fees of $275 (every two years). In addition, there are continuing education requirements that require 24 hours of continued education every 4 years, which would be another out of pocket cost to plan for. These requirements remind me of when I was an accountant and how I would have to have a lot of continuing education classes that were provided by the accounting firm I was a part of. It wasn't my favorite thing with accounting, so I am not sure how it would feel as a Massage Therapist.
I think the thing that excites me most about the prospect of being a massage therapist is that it would be quite the social job. I have been pretty closed off over the years, and being a massage therapist is not only hands on, but also, would likely result in meeting a bunch of new people, both business contacts and clients. It could be a way for me to fill up my time away from my online persona and provide a steady income for myself, while also challenging me mentally if I wanted to make it my own business and set out on being an entrepreneur again. At the end of the day, this is a big commitment to make, so I will have to make a few more inquiries to the different facets of this potential career path and make a judgement call once all relevant facts are available. Hopefully anyone else who is interested as well can gain some knowledge from this post and hope you all have a wonderful day.
Until next time,
Blackboa