To start massage therapy school January 09.

[vickky :)]

Hi ~
I'm new here. I hope I can add something to this forum. I'm planning to start massage therapy school in January.

When I think about AFTER school, the program lasts 1 year, I am concerned that I will not have what it takes to do massage professionally. I live in Pennsylvania, and I understand that we are getting a professional license examination in a couple of years, so that could be a good thing?

I just wonder about other massage school graduates. When you graduated, how much work or how many massages were you giving a week? If I go on my own, that is work for myself, what am I to expect? If I make, say $55 dollars a massage and must claim this for taxes, what kind of net do I make on a massage? Do I need insurance?

Thank you for reading this and hope to hear from anyone.

 

[Hassan a]

Hello, and welcome!

I'm in NY so things are probably different than in PA, but...

-After I graduated I started working as an independent contractor at a wellness center; my first day I did 4 massages. That is not the norm for me even now 1 and 1/2 years later. I work 4 days/week and do an ave. of 4-8 massages/week. I assume it would be more if you were to start out at a spa, or allow for longer days (I keep mine short on purpose).

-When in school I was told to put aside 1/3 of your monthly income for taxes if you're going the non-employee route. Of course I was also told to pay my taxes quarterly...:roll: Don't forget about any rent you might have where you work, I pay 30% of my monthly income as rent.

-I would definitely recommend insurance. I don't know if it is legally required but I follow the "better safe than sorry" motto, and besides, if you get your insurance through a massage organization, you'll get other cool things as well, like magazines, newsletters, discounts, etc.

I hope this helps a little

 

[NikkiBay8]

Hi there, and welcome to the boards Congrats on starting massage school soon. What led you to your decision?

I am concerned that I will not have what it takes to do massage professionally.

Want to expand on your concerns? Why do you think this?

When you graduated, how much work or how many massages were you giving a week? If I go on my own, that is work for myself, what am I to expect? If I make, say $55 dollars a massage and must claim this for taxes, what kind of net do I make on a massage?

It was very hard for me to find work in my area when I first graduated. I started practicing privately almost immediately just to have some cash coming in. YMMV.

Check out the student forum and read through as many of the past discussion as you can. You'll find a number of threads discussing the concerns you brought up here.

 

[ReginaldQ]

EgoMagickian

Thanks for your input. I guess when it all boils down to my concerns, I'm worried about rejection - by the clients. I am a very nice person, not bad looking, physically fit. I do have a low self-esteem though. I'm concerned I will have a tough time building client relationships and keeping their acceptance of me - why, I don't know.

 

[Abbie]

Heartwood Institute

One more thing. What did you think about the Heartwood Institute? Is it affordable tuition wise? The school I am planning to enroll into is
Pittsburgh School of Massage. The cost is around $7 grand for the one year program.

 

[shashou]

EgoMagickian

I do have a low self-esteem though. I'm concerned I will have a tough time building client relationships and keeping their acceptance of me - why, I don't know.

In my experience personally and witnessing other students, massage school with bolster your self esteem. You will emerge from school a very different person. If you allow the process to unfold, you will probably connect better with clients because you will understand their own self imposed limitations and you will be better able to set them at ease.

However, you will probably really have to study up on creating proper boundaries so you don't let clients run your practice.

 

[Aubery Drake]

re: tribute

That is encouraging. I really appreciate your thoughts. :

 

[campus cutie 09]

I do have a low self-esteem though. I'm concerned I will have a tough time building client relationships and keeping their acceptance of me - why, I don't know.

Excellent that you have awareness around this... that means you can begin to shift it.

I too think massage school can really help with that, although different massage schools offer different experiences.

That's probably the main reason I went to Heartwood... it was the only school I found with an explicit focus on students doing their own healing work as part of learning how to help others.

Heartwood is more expensive than the figure you mentioned. They do offer some financial aid. Last I heard they were somewhere in the process of being able to offer federal finaid, too. You'd have to talk to them for more info.

Anyway, I encourage you to work on the issue you described, both in school and in other ways. Personally I'm a fan of hypnotherapy, energy work, and acupuncture. There are lots of other ways to improve your sense of self and worth, too. You can make building relationships with clients easy, safe, and secure. Read more, ask questions, and good luck!

 

[akki]

congrats on starting school! keep in mind that when you graduate you will be so much more knowledgable in the subject than you are right now. so although you worry about not being good or clients not liking you, i think that will pass after learning everything you're going to learn. my school offered an internship so i massage a lot of clients (people from the general public) before i graduated. hopefully your school offers this because the compliments i got from those clients made me feel comfortable going out into the "real world".

i commend you for joining this forum where you can learn from and connect with other people in your future field. it shows that you're pretty determined and serious about this. i think you'll be great!