Whether you hope to add a new modality to your massage menu or figure out how to bring in more clients to experience your current techniques, continuing education can help you meet your goals. These courses are specifically designed to benefit massage therapists and bodyworkers who already have graduated and gone into professional practice, but may wish to bring new skills on board as they progress through their careers.
Most people who stick to one profession, including massage therapists and bodyworkers, often find that at some point along the way, they feel the need to refresh their skills, renew their enthusiasm in the work and gain more advanced techniques for better business. This is where continuing education comes in—to help you hone and direct your massage therapy or bodywork career as you see fit.
Of course, for some massage therapists and bodyworkers, enrolling in continuing education classes is not necessarily a choice based on where they are at in their careers, but rather a task that must be completed in order to renew and maintain a license to practice. This is typically the case in states and regions where the field of massage therapy and bodywork is regulated, as a large number of industry governing boards require a certain number of continuing education credits as part of practicing professionally in that area.
Even if you are not coming to continuing education on your own because you feel you need to learn more about a topic pertaining to your practice as a massage therapist or bodyworker, you still stand to reap the same benefits. As long as you take the time to put some thought into the continuing education classes you enroll in, you should be able to enhance your practice to suit your goals and personal preferences.
For example, a massage therapist who has been practicing predominantly Swedish massage techniques for the past five years, may begin to get curious about deep-tissue techniques, especially if his or her clients are presenting with issues or conditions that could benefit from deeper, hands-on work. In this case, the massage therapist would likely want to look into continuing education classes on such techniques as trigger point therapy or myofascial release.
On the other hand, a different massage therapist could be perfectly content practicing the skills that are currently on his or her menu. However, this same practitioner may be having trouble bringing in enough clients to stay busy and profitable in his or her practice. Using this scenario, the massage therapist would want to begin exploring continuing education classes that focus on marketing for massage therapists and bodyworkers.
Do a simple online search for continuing education classes for massage therapists and bodyworkers, and you will see there is a topic for nearly every need. Narrow down your own options by figuring out which aspects of your practice need to be bolstered for long-term success. You can further filter your options by determining whether you want to take the class online or in person, and then setting a budget for your continuing education endeavors.
–Brandi Schlossberg