With so many continuing education classes being offered to today’s massage therapists and bodyworkers, practitioners may be hard pressed to choose which continuing education course to take next. However, by fully understanding the variables that go into one’s continuing education selection, picking out your next class should be fairly straightforward.
The reason it can be so helpful to get a firm grasp on these variables is because they can help narrow down your choices considerably when it comes to the various continuing education classes currently being offered. So, before you begin perusing the long lists of continuing education classes, take some time to hone in on what you need to get out of your next continuing education experience.
The first and most important variable to consider is whether or not you are required to earn continuing education credits. This tends to apply to massage therapists and bodyworkers who work in places where the field of touch therapy is regulated. Many times, part of these regulations will entail a requirement to earn a certain number of continuing education credits in order to renew and maintain one’s license to practice.
If you do happen to work in an area where massage therapy and bodywork are regulated and you are required to earn continuing education credits, your next step is to get the details on your state or region’s specific requirements. Find out if you are required to enroll in continuing education classes on a certain topic or those provided by a certain company or instructor.
In many cases, this first step can narrow down your choices to the point where it is simple to see which continuing education course you need to take next. However, if you do not live in an area where the field of touch therapy is regulated or if your regulations do not dictate any specific requirements as to what kind of continuing education class you must take, then there are some other variables to weigh.
For starters, ask yourself whether you have a preferred method in terms of how you take your continuing education class. In other words, think about whether you feel like you would be most comfortable taking your continuing education online or in person. If it is the latter, then consider whether you would rather attend your in-person continuing education class locally or if you would like to travel to take the course.
Some people may not have a strong preference when it comes to the manner in which they take their next continuing education course, whereas others may be set on taking the class a certain way. If you do have a specific preference, then this will serve to narrow down your continuing education options a bit more, as you can stop looking at those courses that are not offered via your preferred method.
However, many massage therapists and bodyworkers may find the best method for selecting a continuing education class is to locate the weakest aspect of one’s practice and then find the continuing education class that will strengthen this area. For instance, if you feel your marketing is weak, then consider a continuing education class on the topic of marketing for massage therapists and bodyworkers.