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Being A Registered Massage Therapist
Having been a Registered Massage Therapist for the past 10 years, I am asked frequently what the road up to becoming one is like and what the job really entails. There are many people I have encountered that have a somewhat unrealistic "Hollywood" image of a massage therapy career so I thought rather than keep having individual information sessions with people, I would put something here on the website.
First of all let me start off by saying that after ten years in this career (and I teach it as well), I still LOVE my job. I have worn a few different job hats before massage and this is by far the most rewarding. I actually got interested in massage therapy as a result of my daughter Caitlin, (then three years old) being diagnosed with asthma. Many articles I read on asthma stated that massage therapy is very beneficial in relaxing the affected muscles, which tighten during an asthma attack. Once I took the first level of massage courses I realized that this was something that I liked and believed in, so I started the certificate program. I am still amazed at the results achieved through massage therapy with my daughter and patients I have treated. To go to work and have a patient tell you that they had their first headache free week in 6 months is an amazing thing and is not something you can put in a paycheque.
Here in Calgary, there are three massage therapy schools: Mount Royal College, Foothills College of Massage Therapy and the Calgary College of Wholistic Medicine. Each has a website that offers information on their programs. Aside from the massage technique classes, you would be taking courses in subjects such as: anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, pathology and ethics to mention a few. For each hour of hands-on work that you do in the classroom, most programs require you to do an equal amount of practicum time outside of the classroom. You become very popular with friends and family.
Once you have finished a certificate program, you would apply to the city you live in for a license. Many people are surprised to learn that they do a police check on you before they issue you a license. Once licensed, you can register with a provincial massage association so that you are able to treat people with insurance claims and acquire the group benefits of that association (liability insurance, medical plans, etc).
As I have said before, the job of Registered Massage Therapist is very rewarding and obviously it is very physical. I have done as many as 14 thirty minute massages in one shift. In a clinical setting the average session times are 30, 45 or 60 minutes. Aside from the massage session itself, we are required to give each patient a treatment plan and any stretches or instructions for home that will help speed up their recovery time. Sometimes we have to be a cheerleader for them to keep pain from stripping at their spirits and keep them focused. There can be frustrating times when a patient does not seem to be responding to your treatments or they hit a plateau. That is when as a therapist, you must realize that no one modality is the cure for all problems and in the best interest of the patient, perhaps encourage them to seek out other types of treatment. Continuing to treat a patient who is not responding is just not fair to that person. You will encounter many different personality types in this field so it is important to be able to adjust your energy to make each one of them comfortable. The session is always about them and their feeling of trust and safety.
I know of a few therapists that have gone into this career field for the money and what they thought would be the glamorous massage therapy images we see on a film or television screen - they are no longer working in the massage therapy field. I am a big believer that to be successful in the health care industry, you really must CARE about the people you are treating.
I hope this helps to give some insight into a massage therapy career. If there any questions that I have not answered, please feel free to contact me here at the website.
Have a safe and healthy fall,
Christena Chesney, RMT
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