In the modern industry of massage therapy and bodywork, this healing, hands-on work often is regulated by a state or regional governing board, much like any other kind of business that involves interaction with clients. One wonderful aspect that has come from the regulation of the massage therapy and bodywork field is the fact that these governing boards often require practitioners of healthy touch to pursue continuing education on a consistent basis.
This can be considered a positive facet of the regulation of massage therapy and bodywork, for it encourages practitioners of healthy touch to keep learning and growing, expanding their skill sets and their enthusiasm for this powerful work, all through high-quality continuing education classes.
For some massage therapists and bodyworkers who live in states or regions where earning continuing education credits is a requirement, it may at first seem like a burden or a chore to complete a certain amount of continuing education in order to renew and maintain one’s license to practice massage therapy or bodywork legally.
However, most massage therapists and bodyworkers will find that the investment of time and money into continuing education classes is well worth the return, which often includes more satisfied clients, more new clients, a bigger bottom line and a better daily attitude about the work you do.
The key to getting the most return on your investment when it comes to continuing education classes is to make sure you sign up for the right ones. To determine which continuing education courses will do the most for you and your practice, you will need to do a bit of observation and reflection.
Take a clear look at the strengths and weaknesses of your practice, as well as the common themes or trends in terms of the conditions or issues the clients in your area seem to be presenting with at your practice. You may also want to do some observation and analysis of your community as a whole, to figure out if there may be an untapped segment of the population that could use your services, such as the elderly, prenatal women, tennis players, golfers, snowboarders and so on.
Once you have gleaned these important details from a careful study of your practice and your community, you should have a better idea about what kinds of continuing education classes would most benefit you and your business.
Of course, you will need to first make sure that the governing board in your state or region does not already have specific criteria for the continuing education courses you must take in order to renew and maintain your license to practice. If that is the case, be sure you cover those necessary bases before signing up for other continuing education classes.
Even if you happen to live in an area where the industry of massage therapy and bodywork is not regulated, you should still take the time to pursue continuing education. With forethought and planning, you should be able to pull a nice return on your investment.
–Brandi Schlossberg