Deciding on a career can be difficult, particularly when making the best decision for the entire family has to be considered. One possibility for a career that offers perks for the entire family is the massage therapy field.
Getting Started
One perk for beginning or continuing a career in massage therapy is the time commitment required for getting started in the field or maintaining certification. Accredited massage therapy training typically only focuses on learning the techniques a professional will need to help clients and perform massages. This means that the training time is relatively short in comparison to other professions, keeping the time spent away from family to a minimum.
Massage Therapy
Also, in many states, massage therapists that work outside of their own facility are not required to re-certify with any additional training or professional development courses, which also minimizes the time required to spend away from family in the long-term. More information on education and training for massage therapists can be found at the American Massage Therapy Association website.
Career Outlook
More and more people are turning to options such as massage therapy to deal with everything from pain to disease management to emotional and stress relief and treatment as well as for improving overall health and well-being. And, it is becoming increasingly likely for families to need to rely on a solid, steady paycheck for income. This is good news for the massage therapy field.
The demand for massage therapists is expected to grow at a faster than average rate with an estimated 23 percent growth through 2022. For more information on the career outlook for massage therapists, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Job Position Settings and Locations
Whether interested in opening a private office, spa or fitness center, or hospital or other medical setting, massage therapists have numerous opportunities for finding positions everywhere across the country. This gives the family a lot of flexibility in making decisions on re-locating for personal, academic, or financial benefits. With the ability to work in cities and workplace settings around the country, massage therapists are able to be mobile in their careers when needed. As far as equipment goes, all that is needed is a portable massage table. This allows a massage therapist to travel and perform at their own leisure.
Scheduling Flexibility
Flexibility in scheduling is another definite benefit. A massage therapist might work part-time or full-time and might choose to work day or evening hours based on what is best suited for family needs. Massages can be scheduled during the week or on the weekends; plus, the schedule could be set each week or could vary, all depending on the therapist’s needs and what works best. This can make things like vacations, school obligations, medical appointments, and other obligations easier to manage.
Massages for the Entire Family
Pregnancy, pressure point, and stress massages are some of the specific training a massage therapist will receive, and each could be beneficial for various members of the family throughout a lifetime. While in some cases bringing work home could be a negative, it is a definite positive for the spouses, children, and other relatives of a massage therapist.
From scheduling flexibility to free massages, there are a number of benefits for the family members of a massage therapist. With such advantages, it could be just what someone looking to help others is looking for.
