A Massage Therapy Career – What’s Your Motivation?

I remember the days before I began my massage therapy career. After getting a treatment, I used to float out of the clinic, eternally grateful to my therapist for holding my migraine headaches at bay for another two weeks. Yes, even before I began massage school, I wore rose colored glasses and thought that when I became a therapist, I would save the world, one treatment and one client at a time.

Then school began, and the reality of what I was undertaking hit me. Since I had left a great career in high tech with equally great benefits, gone was the hefty paycheck, and the “love and fluff” of only ever being on the receiving end of a massage. It was really hard, being in class for 7 hours a day and then going home to study some more. And the detail, my God, the detail – how many nights did I dream of that darn Kreb’s cycle, and of muscle origins and insertions (and not of Brad Pitt, either!). Then came the task of learning the hands-on aspect of the profession, the subtle nuances of giving a great treatment (the subtlety and greatness of which didn’t even happen for me until after I graduated. I had the treatment part down quite well, however.) I lived and breathed massage therapy as most of us do, and loved every minute of it.

In hindsight I realize that while I had the most altruistic motivation when I started my massage therapy education, eventually the reality hit home that this was actually (gulp) a career. I would have to pay rent and bills with the earnings of this endeavor, and with that reality came a little less altruism. After all, not only did I have to pay my living expenses, I would also have to pay student loans and eventually a car payment once my vehicle had finally had it. Wow. I hadn’t really thought of that.

So, what’s your motivation for a career in massage therapy? Are you in it purely for financial gain, or is it altruistic? If it’s for financial gain, you might want to consider another career path, for several reasons, not the least of which is the human cost of looking at clients like a cash machine. If it’s about helping others, can you see beyond the client to see the business side of the profession? Do you really think that you can save the world, one client at a time, or do you have a bit more realistic vision of how the profession will play out in your life. Let me just say that to be altruistic is great, but it will in all likelihood change during the course of massage therapy college, when you realize that there are limitations to what massage therapy can do for others. In fact, I noticed this decrease in idealism not only in myself, but also former students, and it is well explained and quantified in an article published in the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork.

During my second year of college, my chiropractor told me something that sticks with me to this day. She said “You will help about 80% of your clients to some degree. There will be 10% who are completely better from your treatments, and 10% whom you won’t help at all. Don’t let that last 10% discourage you from your work. You will still make a positive difference in so many lives.” What a brilliant woman she is! (and she was so right).

Before you take the plunge into a massage therapy career, take the time to examine your motivation and learn as much as you can. And, if you decide to go for it, don’t let the fact that your motivation might change upset or discourage you, you will still be true to your inner saint and help countless people with your skills.

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