We Asked: What advice do you have for someone about to graduate from massage school?

Here is what you told us...

If you have been taught a routine during your educational process, lose it! In my opinion, routines serve their purpose during school to make sure that students learn and can properly demonstrate the strokes. Having been an instructor at several massage schools, and licensed for 14 years, I find that when students in my area contact me for their "professional massage" portion of [their clinical requirement], they are at a loss as to where to begin if they do not stick to their routine. Where is their creativity and imagination? How are they to develop their palpation skills when they are working rote? There are no two bodies alike. Sure, we all have the same basic parts, but to approach each client the same is to make an error in judgment about the treatment that is being administered. I say let's give students back their imagination and creativity, and encourage them to ditch their routine as soon as they learn it.
Pixie Larizza
Jacksonville Beach, Florida

1. Set a target market. Decide who will make up the majority of your clients; for example, working women. This way you can market to a specific group.
2. Never compromise safety or ethics. Make sure you have clients fill out health questionnaires, carry insurance, check with clients’ doctors, and always conduct yourself professionally.
3. Tell everyone what you do. Word of mouth is a powerful and cost-effective way of advertising. Carry your business cards with you at all times.
4. Have a professional outgoing message on your answering machine and return calls within 24 hours.
5. Go the extra mile. Make note of clients’ birthdays, [favorite] music, and massage strokes they like. They will remember that you remembered.
6. Network. Become a member of a professional organization. Attend free health fairs and sporting events, and volunteer your service.
7. Stay current in your field. Read all you can on massage.
8. Advance confidently into your new profession. You are selling a great product.
9. Always do your best.
10. If things do not go quite your way, maintain your sense of humor.
Nicole Reggia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With 25 years of massage practice and [as the owner of] a clinic giving over 100 massages a week, I suggest the following: Spend your money on a basic business card listing a maximum of three modalities; print (no photocopying) a flyer listing benefits that clients can relate to, such as "relieves neck and back pain, helps headaches"; do face-to-face promotions, handing out your flyers and business cards; give free massages in your clinic or at nearby coffee houses, businesses or sporting clubs, and promote yourself while you massage; never ask clients if they want another massage—instead, use your ethical judgment to [assess] how many more sessions they will require, and then ask, "Would next week suit you for your next booking?"; and lastly, expect [that it will take] two years before you are doing well. Keep your heart pure, your mind in marketing and your hands in healing.
Lolita Knight
Auckland, New Zealand

I've worked in the physical-therapy and chiropractic fields for many years, and I can tell you this: Especially in the early stages of rehab, it's a thin line between rehabilitation and making matters worse. I guess it depends on where you want to work (spa vs. medical). But if you're planning to work in the medical field, please study your pathology and anatomy, as well as contraindications—and always err on the side of caution. Work closely with your doctors or other health-care professionals, and be cautious of recommending stretches and exercises [to your clients] until they've checked with their physician. Let's all work as a team to assist our fellow human beings in the healing and wellness process.
Jeff Azad
Ormond Beach, Florida

1. Listen to your clients.
2. Never give away your work.
3. Don't let your ego get in the way.
4. Don't sign a contract for your services without a trial period of at least one month and a legal review.
5. Develop business savvy. Do a cost analysis, business and marketing plans, and know what SWOT (strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) means and how to apply it. A good record-keeping system is helpful for clients and for tax purposes.
6. [Do] an honest assessment of what it takes to be a good therapist and entrepreneur, and what you want from this career.
7. Advertising can be one of your biggest expenditures—make it effective and cohesive. Word of mouth is the best, but it takes time to build a clientele this way.
8. Cultivate an attitude of continuous learning.
9. Recognize and accept you cannot be all things to all people, and that you are a facilitator in the healing process.
10. Take good care of yourself.
11. Love your work.
Teressa Gibson
Rockwood, Ontario, Canada

You will not really know how to handle a body until you are on your own. Just as in driving a car, you begin to really take care [when you know that] no one has an overdrive or duplicate pedals to take over. Treat each person with love. The only person that matters [during the massage] is the client to whom you should bring pure, unconditional love. Remember, many clients will be disabled and have a lot of frustration that you will need to teach and reach. Teach the person they matter and have something to offer, and reach out to them in their need. Never, ever discuss politics, religion or personal details. The client has come for themselves, not to hear of your problems. Above all, remember you are never healing on your own. God (or any other name you choose) is using your hands to heal.
Glennis Rogerson, Ph.D.
Skegness, Lincolnshire, England