Hello massage therapy enthusiast, The purpose of this page is to help guide individual’s into pursuing their goal of becoming a massage therapist. I’m here to talk about turning your passion for massage therapy into a thriving career.
I began my massage therapy practice in 2005. I had worked for Kellogg’s Co for 20 years and decided I wanted a change in careers. I was actively pushing for an environmental clean up in my neighborhood, and needed a better understanding of the medical community, and responsibilities. My ultimate goal was to become a registered nurse, and I needed a way to earn money to carry my wife and myself through the 2 years of clinical studies needed for the nursing education. I became a registered nurse in 2010, and continued on for my Masters degree in nursing. To this day, I am a practicing massage therapist along with being a registered nurse. I could not have done this without the dedication and support from my wife Gretchen.
There is a lot of competition in the field of massage therapy, and it can be quite overwhelming to try to figure out where to begin. But fear not, Harmony Restored has got your back!!! I will be adding to this post weekly to help guide potential massage therapist through the process of starting your own practice. I will share the successes and failures I have encountered in the massage therapy practice.
I would also like to state I do affiliate marketing and receive a small commission from some products I endorse on this site.
I will talk you through choosing the right massage therapy school that fits your needs to building your skills, and even earning a full-time income.
Your decision on choosing a massage therapy program should meet your needs for the current time and future endeavors. You will need to know your state license educational requirements. You will want to know if the program is by the credit, or a certification after a certain period of hours. If it is by the credit, you may be able to transfer credits from a past educational experience.
The program I chose was by the credit. It allowed me to transfer in my core courses, which were middle states accredited. The core courses included English, Math, Psychology, Anatomy and Physiology. This was able to reduce the cost and time it took to complete my massage therapy training.
Preparing for the massage therapy state exam is very important. Mosby makes a great study guide that you can view on your tablet or smart phone. This link will bring you to the Mosby’s Kindle massage therapy review. It is the perfect way to study on the go. This link will bring you to their website, and provide me with a small referral commission. https://amzn.to/3Qq2mZY
I started my business in 2005. I chose the name Harmony Restored after several weeks of thinking of a name that would allow my business to expand into other ventures if I wanted. So my suggestion would be to choose a name that would fit many types of businesses, yet inclusive of massage therapy.
The next step was to get massage therapy insurance. I chose Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals. The price is extremely reasonable, approximately $209.00 a year. This includes many free classes, updates on the massage therapy regulations, and a free website. This link will bring you to their website, and provide me with a small referral commission. https://www.abmp.com/refer/858907
The next step on this journey was to determine where I would be performing massage therapy and purchase the equipment to get started. As a new massage therapist, I was cautious about how much I spent on the equipment. One thing I did realize was how imperative it was to have a quality massage therapy table. The first table I purchased was an Earthlite portable massage therapy table. I wanted a table that was sturdy, and didn’t squeak when working on a larger person. This link will bring you to an equivalent massage therapy table that I had bought when I first started my massage therapy practice, and provide me with a small referral commission. https://amzn.to/43NB5Ua
When I first started my massage therapy practice, licensure was not required in Pennsylvania. Therefore, I was legally allowed to do massage therapy while going to school. My first independent massage was done at a persons home. I remember carrying my massage table up a flight of steps, along with the sheets, music, and lotion. I recall thinking to myself, “this isn’t worth it”. Fortunately, I was very wrong. I looked at that experience as a learning opportunity. At the time I was charging $45.00 for a one hour massage. I realized I needed to include my drive time, and prep time to make an out call session financially rewarding. Moving forward I would charge $45.00 per hour for the time it took me to get to the clients home, do the massage, and the time to get back to my place of origin. This formula works out well to this day considering I currently charge $65.00 an hour.