There can be quite a few perks that come with taking a continuing education class as a professional massage therapist or bodyworker. Of course, there are the obvious benefits of learning new information and advancing one’s skills, but there are also other more subtle ways in which massage therapists and bodyworkers can gain from continuing education classes.
One of the hidden benefits of continuing education classes for massage therapists and bodyworkers is the peer networking and colleague support that can come from a quality continuing education experience. In the field of hands-on healing, practitioners most often are working alone with clients, one on one in a quiet room. Unless you work in a large spa atmosphere, there may be little opportunity for getting to know your peers in this industry.
With continuing education classes, you have a chance to come together with other massage therapists and bodyworkers for the kind of ongoing experience that can allow for networking and building new relationships among colleagues. This can be beneficial for massage therapists and bodyworkers both socially and professionally.
Another somewhat subtle perk that comes along with certain continuing education classes is the chance to receive some much needed massage therapy or bodywork. Depending on the type of continuing education class you choose to take, there may be a requirement for practice hours. This often is the case if you are enrolled in a continuing education class to learn a brand new modality or to acquire more advanced techniques.
When it comes to racking up those practice hours, take the opportunity to exchange sessions with your fellow students—everyone stands to win by receiving healing sessions and earning practice hours. Ironically, many massage therapists and bodyworkers do not spend nearly as much time on the table as the advocate for their clients, so using your continuing education class to turn this trend around is a wonderful move.
A third benefit that can be a byproduct of most continuing education classes for massage therapists and bodyworkers is the sense of renewed enthusiasm for this work that students tend to feel after completing their course. With a dose of new knowledge at hand, coupled with the networking and support from colleagues and possibly even some time spent on the table, a large number of massage therapists and bodyworkers are likely to return to their practices with greater passion and energy after a good contiuing education experience.
Besides these extra perks, massage therapists and bodyworkers can count on continuing education classes to help them stay on top of their game and to steer their careers in the desired direction. These classes offer hands-on practitioners the chance to continually advance their current skill set and also add whole new techniques and modalities to the tool box.
In additon, there also are continuing education classes for massage therapists and bodyworkers who want to hone the business side of their hands-on careers. These courses may focus on topics such as marketing and accounting.
With a wide array of continuing education classes available, massage therapists and bodyworkers stand to gain a long list of benefits.
–Brandi Schlossberg