How To Choose A Massage School

So, you think you want to become a massage therapist. Now what? Even once you’ve decided that you have the aptitude and attitude to do the work, you’re left with much to consider. Can you find work you will love once you are out of school? Can you earn the income you need? Choosing the right massage school can help turn your questions into positive answers. It requires a big investment of your time and money to attend massage school. You want to get the most from both.

You can find the massage schools in your area by looking in the phone book. But that’s just the first step in finding the school that is best for you. Send for the school's catalog, or go online to browse the school’s site. If a catalog looks good to you, make an appointment to talk with the admissions staff, and be sure to take a tour of the campus while you are there. If you want to move away to go to school, search the Internet and you’ll find many schools in every state. But if you are planning to return to your home state to practice, make sure that your out-of-state school meets the minimum requirements for licensing in your state, and that your state will accept training from an out-of-state school.

One of the most important things to know is whether the school is accredited by your state’s education or vocational-training agency. You want to make sure that the classes and hours you take will meet or exceed licensing requirements in your state. Schools may have other accreditations, as well. Some have been approved to offer financial aid. Others will have been approved by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA). This means that the school meets certain standards set by COMTA, and has periodically been re-evaluated. You can find all the information you need about COMTA, and a listing of COMTA accredited schools, at www.comta.org.

When you visit the school, ask how long it has been in business. While I would not discount a newer school, I would certainly factor in a school’s age and reputation in the community. Ask about the number of graduates and what percentage is actually working in the massage industry.

You will also want to find out how large the classes are, study the curricula, and make sure that the school has experienced teachers. Ask if you can sit in on a class for an hour to get a feel for the school. Talk to the students over a break if you can, or ask for references of former students. Each massage school has its own style and personality, so you’ll want to find one that matches you. Review the modalities (types of massage) in which you’ll be trained. Schools tend to focus on broad areas: some will train more toward the spa industry, some toward medical or clinical therapeutic work, and some toward Asian or Eastern modalities. If you are particularly interested in special populations, such as pregnant women or geriatrics, see if you will have a course in that specialty. Make sure that the training in anatomy and physiology is strong, for you will need a good working knowledge of both to help your clients and benefit from continuing-education workshops after you graduate.

My own bias is to check teacher qualifications carefully. A great massage therapist can be a great teacher, or a very poor one. Teaching requires a degree of paperwork and organizational skills that some therapists just don't have. Find out how many different teachers you will have, too. It’s usually best to learn from a variety of teachers, so that you are exposed to different styles and approaches to massage. Ask if the school invites outside instructors or therapists to come in as visiting staff.

It can be helpful to know what types of testing the school uses. Some schools now use computer-based training, and testing may be on the computer, as well. Others use a combination of written tests along with hands-on testing. You are learning a hands-on skill, so make sure you get hands-on training for part of your classwork.

Find out about class scheduling, including any clinical requirements you must meet to graduate. If you will have to work while in school, you may need a program that offers part-time enrollment or night classes. If a school requires that you be a full-time student, make sure you can meet that commitment for the duration.

Schools have prerequisites that you must meet to enroll, so check these carefully. There may be different prerequisites for different programs in the school. Be prepared to gather documentation (proof of high-school diploma, for instance) before applying for admission.

If you need financial aid, be sure that the school you are considering offers it. Be clear about what you are signing and when you will be expected to start paying back student loans. There can be a lag time between graduation and obtaining your license, and you won’t be able to work as a massage therapist in the meantime.

Being successful as a massage therapist means having a combination of good massage skills and business skills. A lack of business-skills training can be a weakness in massage education. Make sure the courses include basic business skills, especially marketing. I can name dozens of former massage therapists who had good hands and did well in school, but refused to face selling themselves once they could practice. That’s why they are former therapists. They failed. You want to know that you will get solid skills in business and marketing from your education, for they are important parts of a massage business.

Talk to the placement staff at the school. Ask what type of placements the school usually helps to find, and at what rates of pay. Find out if the placement service is available to you for a certain length of time, or if you can use it several years later. Some schools offer all graduates placement help no matter how long they have been out of school.

End your research on the school by doing something fun: Schedule a massage through the school’s student clinic. By doing so, you’ll get a good feel for how the clinic operates and come away with a sense of the school’s spirit. It amazes me how many students in massage school have never had even one massage. Don’t start massage school clueless; get a massage! It's a good start in practicing what you will preach to others.

Sue Painter, L.M.T., is the owner of the Touch Therapy Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. She practices massage and coaches other practitioners in customer service and business-building techniques.