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I have been asked many times about how does one go about to become a massage therapist. I shall do my best to provide a balanced answer.

Massage therapy is a field that is growing by leaps and bounds in today’s stressful society. There is a perpetual shortage of professional massage therapists especially in many Asian countries where massage skills are valued as both a traditional art and a tourist money spinner. There are an average of 4 female massage therapists for every male massage therapist that has undergone professional massage therapy training.

To become a massage therapist, you have to ask yourself if you are capable of doing constant physical work. Then, you have to ask yourself if you have a good service attitude and have a calming and soothing personality.

Massage therapists can offer their customers relief in many different ways; some specialize in helping to relieve stress and muscle fatigue, some work towards helping sports athletes to perform at the top of their game, while others help individuals to work towards solving debilitating health problems that they have. Whatever the case, there is more of a demand for qualified massage therapists today than there has been at any point in the past. If you’re considering becoming a massage therapist yourself, there are definitely some things that you should familiarize yourself with.

The first step to becoming a professional massage therapist is to enroll in a massage therapy school. There are more than one thousand massage therapy schools in the United States alone and most of them require at least a high school diploma in order to enroll. After taking the appropriate massage theory and practical classes, you will need to proceed to apply to become nationally certified as a massage therapist. To do so, you will have to take the National Certification Exam for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.

This accreditation is required in order to practice massage therapy in thirty three states and is generally recommended in those states which do not have laws governing massage therapy experience. That does not discount all state regulation, however, and a full thirty seven states regulate massage therapy practitioners. In order to receive many of the state accreditations, you will need to have a certain number of training hours undertaken as well as be required to take and pass an exam. After passing these steps, you will be ready to begin your work as a professional massage therapist! There are many different types of massage therapy that you can perform, but amongst the most commonly desired techniques are the Swedish massage, deep tissue massage and sports massage.

In Asia, the steps are roughly similar. For example, in China, to become a qualified Tui-Na massage therapist, one has to enroll in a qualified Chinese medical school for a certification course. In Thailand, many Thai massage therapists enrol in temples(Wat Pho) that specialise in training Thai massage and will need to pass a certification test before allowing to be a therapist. Competition to get into some of the more famous Wat Pho can be competitive.

In Singapore and Malaysia, many spas and massage boutiques conduct their own courses or combine to become a school of massage. These certificates will further need to be verified by the National Spa Association.

One great thing about being a qualified massage therapist is the flexibility that you will have when it comes to where and how you work. You may choose to work in a spa, to run your own practice or to do on-site massage therapy. You may find yourself within reach of an exotic opportunity such as doing massage therapy on a cruise ship or a 6-star luxurious hotel.

Also, you will be able to have a large degree of flexibility when it comes to your hours and how much you want to work. A study conducted in 2005 showed that only thirty eight percent of all massage therapists work full time.

Learning to become a licensed professional massage therapist can take some serious time and effort, but many people find being a massage therapist a very fulfilling and rewarding career decision. If you decide to take the plunge, good luck!