One of the many wonderful aspects of working in the field of massage therapy and bodywork is this industry seems nearly limitless, with new research, new methods and new arenas in which to work cropping up almost all the time. Even if you have been performing one particular modality for the past decade, there is always room to grow and change, refreshing your career and your enthusiasm.
Instead of being slotted into one narrow professional path, those who practice healthy touch have a broad range of possibilities available to them at any given time. For example, there are modalities within this industry that range from Swedish massage and craniosacral therapy to deep-tissue work and shiatsu.
As far as the setting in which a massage therapist or bodyworker practices, that can run the gamut as well, from home-based practices and spas to doctors’ offices and hospitals. It is clear the field of massage therapy and bodywork stretches far and wide. It is up to the individual practitioner of healthy touch to decide which direction he or she wants to travel within this industry.
This is one of the ways in which continuing education serves massage therapists and bodyworkers so well. Through this avenue of extended learning, practitioners can gain the knowledge and skills necessary to steer their careers in the desired direction. Continuing education is also a great way to find out if a new path is right for you before you make any major changes to your massage or bodywork menu.
For starters, find out whether there is a governing board that regulates the field of massage therapy and bodywork in your region. If so, you will want to know if it has any specific requirements, in terms of how many continuing education credits you need to earn in order to maintain your credential to practice. You also should ask whether there is a list of approved providers of continuing education and if there are any courses you are required to take.
Once you find out this basic information, you can begin your foray into the exciting world of continuing education, knowing that the right class could change your whole career for the better. Of course, there are those massage therapists and bodyworkers who found one or more modality they are passionate about practicing and feel no need to switch directions in this industry. For these people, continuing education may simply be about enhancing their current skill set or learning the latest information about the type of massage or bodywork they practice.
In any case, practitioners of professional touch can feel grateful to be working in an arena that continues to grow and evolve in so many different ways. Fortunately, as the field of massage therapy and bodywork expands, so do the options for high-quality continuing education classes.
Take your time to find and enroll in the continuing education class that suits your own needs as a provider of healthy touch.
–Brandi Schlossberg