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Massage Therapists Getting Younger
One of my latest concerns is seeing that the massage profession is getting younger and that high school students are wanting to become massage therapists. I used to be totally against 500 hours of training and thought that the minimum should be 100 hours because most of my friends only have that as initial training but if they are high school students I am now starting to think that we need a 3 year program like Canada. Is anyone looking into things like that and what is needed?
As I hear more stories about massage schools going into high schools for recruiting it makes me scared for our profession.
Julie
As I hear more stories about massage schools going into high schools for recruiting it makes me scared for our profession.
Julie
Views: 366
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mary Ellen Derwis-Balaz on
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I agree it is not the age that is an issue it is the maturity issue. My youngest has had the 'hands' for it since she was 14. Still does at 24 just not ready to deal with the boundary issues (this is a personal choice thing not age thing). That being said I have met 55+ practitioners that are so absorbed in their clients lives and vice versa it saddens me. This is not a forum to meet friends.
The beauty of coming to a practitioner for massotherapy of any type is the safety of the moment. No expectations to be social. Simply the opportunity to be.. and be ministered to. I personally do not want to lie on someone's table and hear all about my practitioner's dog!!!
As long as a practitioner keeps their personal stories to themselves and does not try these boundaries they are upheld. In my younger days I used to work at world class hotels and massage some very famous bodies. The spas gave them aliases and we all played along to protect their privacy. We all knew who were under our fingers. We simply allowed them to be invisible for that brief hour.
One other point that comes with maturity is the working in places for$15-20 per hour While the facility collects $150+. I checked around and found places that paid me a fare wage $50 + tips and still charged a generous amount for massage. They are out there. Anotherwords don't just jump at "whatever". Respect your abilities and work for someone who treats you with respect.. I will now take my mature self off the 'soap box' and be quiet. Good Luck!!!
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Permalink Reply by Nichole Honeycutt on
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I was 24 when I enrolled and had no idea what I was in for. I thought I would make lots of money and wasn't aware of the benefits of massage. It turned out to be the best thing I ever did. It was the right time for me to find the school. A new class had started before I left school and there were a couple of 19-20 year olds who I thought weren't taking it seriously..... I think regardless of how people find massage the world has a way of weeding out the bad ones. My intentions in the beginning were horrible but I learned a lot in that year. I've now been a therapist for 4 years and think everything happens for a reason. Since going to school I have often thought that more people should take the class even if they have no plans to a therapist. I was a medical assistant and the information provided in massage school was far more valuable.
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Permalink Reply by Beulah on
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I totally agree with you Julie , If this profession is to be respected in the medical community the education needs to be equivalent for that . I am a nurse and a massage therapist and have gained the respect in both , but I was approached by one of the physicians I work with and he told me he wouldn't go to ,or send patients to young massage therapists as he feels they do not have the experience and education . I said not all of them can be tarred with the same brush as some as with new student nurses have a natural talent for the profession , but I do agree that if the training was longer and more in depth the people who were not really cut out for it would not finish the course and so wean out the people who are getting through and are not really putting there heart into the profession .I was 22 when I became a nurse and 42 when I became a Massage Therapist I was in a class of young people just out of school and 2 years later only 3 out of a class of 16 are still licensed therapists . I really think Massage training still gives the idea of quick easy money and we all know that is not the case .It is a
passion for me as is nursing and they both compliment each other .
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Permalink Reply by Julie Onofrio on
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Thanks to everyone who has replied! Some really interesting perspectives! The other thing that seems to be coming up is the number of people who drop out of massage school! Now that should be a whole other topic! How do they get into massage school in the first place? Are drop out rates the same for other professions?
It is true that yes young people can make it but some don't. People over 45 can have problems too in the profession. I haven't seen anyone texting while doing massage but read about it on linked in I think it was or somewhere online. I was shocked too!
Julie
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They say that "when a woman reaches her 50's, she 'comes home' to doing what she should have been doing all along." I'm certain that applies to many men, too. I began this at 55 and attended an excellerated 500-hour, total immersion course, figuring if I didn't learn it now, I probably never would since I thought time wasn't on my side. It's my retirement career, a win-win situation for both me and my clients. I can bring to the table literally everything I have ever learned about relating to people from all walks of life and they appreciate that I can. Seems I'm at a ripe-enough age to have 'street cred' with people my age, and keep a young enough heart to appeal to lots of twenty-somethings too-- having raised two kids myself doesn't hurt, either. For either population, holding boundaries has its challenges, but knowing where they're likely to be BECAUSE of my age and history makes it pretty easy to maintain each relationship where it belongs. As for the physical part, this keeps me moving every day (well, I probably would anyhow) and I do mostly deep tissue work. Feels like home to me!
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Permalink Reply by Gloria Coppola on
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Why are they so young? A few perspectives.
1. Many recruiters don't seem to approach older individuals
2. Older individuals think they can't do it because it will hurt or they don't have the energy
3. Younger people are looking for a way to make big bucks - as many schools approach it this way and provide funding.
4. Younger people are interested in these fast paced programs , 6 months
I so agree with you Julie - The programs should be at least a 1000 hours. I feel, since the industry went to 6 month programs we have lost a lot in our profession. I am pushing for it to be more all the time and recently wrote a program for 800 hrs, but had to settle with 700 hrs , because the owners felt the competition which only has 500 might hurt their registration. I disagree.
Another insight...a few days ago I was at this up and coming massage school. A woman and her daughter stopped by to find out about the esthetics class. The interviewer rambled on to the younger woman/daughter and never made contact with the mom. I observed. A few minutes later I started to chat with the mom. She was looking for a career change and just turned 50. She believed she couldn't do massage because it would hurt her hands. After finding out what she loved to do in life, what her background was and that her hands wouldn't hurt, if trained properly - she is now considering a career in massage.
We as educators, recruiters etc., need to know how to interview. Many do not! They push the scholarships and grants to make the money for the school. They aren't necessarily interested in the quality of the student. I'm not saying this for all schools - but many. I have taught in schools across the US and been a program director many times. I have literally run down to admissions complaining that they do not educate the potential student on the commitment level, they reel them in for money, they don't explain the content of the course or that they are 'required' to give and receive massage (many freak out when they find out about this), they don't check backgrounds (felony, mental illness), etc. It is appauling.
I used to own a massage school. I was 'selective' in my choices/candidates. I had a 750 hr. program 10 years ago and was getting ready to make it a 1,000 - when life through me a loop. My drop out rate, honestly 1%. My failure rate. 0%. My employable rate 90% . Very few did not pursue the career.
Median Age - 35
Yes I had a few high school students that I felt were a good fit
I also had many in their 50's, 60's and even 70 years old!
The dedication /experience of my staff = Superior (Extremely important for success)
Schools need to stop bringing instructors who can't teach!
I feel the more we as colleagues speak up about creating quality programs and stop worrying about pushing them in and out because of money - we may someday have more success on all levels!
The Swedish Institute has survived for a long time and their program is more extensive. They don't seem to be worried about competition - because these quick programs are not competition. They are a joke in my opinion! How can we call ourselves "healthcare Professionals" after 6 months of training?
The Swedish Institute attract squality and every graduate I have ever met over the years,from there, has stayed in the profession for more than 15 years!
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Why are you affraid I have hired some really good therapist straight from school. But I still have to train them most of the time technique and things that over my ten year span I have learned but I dont think it is any different then having to train someone older the same way. I dont hold a license anymore but i dont think age is the problem I think it should be at least 1,000 hours and nothing skipped in there classes and everything tought in there books should be followed up by a hands on class. But I do agree 500 hours is not enough.
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Seems to me that the number of hours spent in "class time" rarely exposes the student (correct me if I'm wrong) to the circumstances in which to use and get the desired results from the more specialized techniques that are likely included in the certification from the get-go. For example, how do we know that a particular technique will work in a certain situation until we're actually presented with it? That only comes with experience and actually working on somebody whose piriformis needs work, or when myofascial release might be appropriate in addition to whatever style is being utilized. Students who work on one another in the classroom may not have the "problem of the day" so wouldn't actually gain that experience in the classroom--only the techniques to use in the event they encounter it. I think, as with anything, the bulk of the knowledge comes later and with independent study, which also keeps the work challenging and interesting. Longevity here is a direct result of confidence, and it seems this profession keeps those who begin with enough curiosity and have been rewarded with the ah-ha! moments which bring good therapeutic results.
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Permalink Reply by Kim Goral on
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I agree with people who said it has more to do with maturity than age. Having said that, the majority or students coming straight out of high school are not mature, but there are some. I was 22 (barely) when I started massage school. I was the oldest of the "youngins" and about 10 years younger than the next oldest person. I watched as several of the younger students struggled and either dropped back to part time (we were going full time) or dropped out of the program completely, while other young people did very well. The difference was their maturity levels, not their age.
I had just graduated from college (with a BS in Psychology) and felt very well prepared for massage school and did very well. I love the field, I love the work, I love the people. My program was 720 hours and while I did feel prepared for "the real world", I could also have easily stayed longer to learn more. I think a 1000 hour program would be awesome. 500 hours is not enough, IMO.
It's 3 years laer and I am now in grad school earning a Master's of Science in Applied Psychology and learning how to do research in the field of massage. I'm so excited to be doing this. We need the research to boost our profession and show what massage therapy can (and cannot) do. However, the research is useless if we don't have qualified therapists available to do the work. Higher education standards would boost our profession while at the same time weeding out the people who should not be in it.
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