Question for Certified Massage Therapists?

I am considering massage therapy as a second career and have a few questions. 1) I'm 46, most therapsits I have gone to are ';younger';, is age an issue in getting a job? 2) Is it a decent paying career? 3) Do you enjoy it? 4) Is it physically difficult on you? 5) I've read that if you are not careful, you can ';take on'; other people's issues that you are massaging. Does that happen to you?


Thanks so much for taking your time to answer! Peace, k.Question for Certified Massage Therapists?
One of the best massage therapist i know is 55 years old and he started massage at 50! It will not be an issue if you are physically fit person.Honestly it can be a decent paying career but you have to be willing to work hard. Really hard. When i worked for a chiropractor i got $24 for every hour of masssage i did.The problem with the chiropractors office was that some days i had to do 6-8 hours of straight massage back to back(it really takes a toll on your hands and back even if you do practice good posture)and some days i only did 1 massage.So my paycheck was very up and down.and untill you build up a pretty solid clientelle it will be a very speratic paying job. my boyfriend is a massage therapist too. he works for an accident rehab clinic and makes 17.50 an hour whether he massages or not and he does about 2 massages a day and also gets health insurance --that is another thing to consider--health insurance in a massage job is hard to find.


about the taking on of peoples issue's--you will learn about it in school. it is a transferring of energy if you are in a bad mood and you take it in to a session you can transferr it to that person or vice versa. you learn in shcool how to avoid that.


The main thing is that you really do have to really care for people. people think because you heal there phisical pain that you can heal there mental and emotional pain too so you will hear alot of stories and deal with alot of emotions. being a caring person is a must or you will go crazy.


good luck!!Question for Certified Massage Therapists?
Age isn't an issue in obtaining a job (that's illegal). You will have more doors open to you if you choose a good school. I know there are lots of commercials on TV, but think of it like this: You can get a business degree from community college or you could go to Harvard. Which looks better on a resume?





The job is physical labor. At the end of an hour session, I'm usually a little sweaty. If you go to a good school, your instructors will show you how to work smart instead of work hard. They will also give you pointers on how NOT to take on your clients' issues.





It is a good paying career, BUT don't expect to make any decent money right out of school. I kept the part-time job that I had during school AND worked at TWO massage establishments. Work will be slow until you get a client base.





A good way to make a start is in the office of a chiropractor. You will have steady pay and ample clients. That just wasn't the type of environment I wanted to work in.





Good luck in anything you decide.
I actually teach the A%26amp;P classes at a very good school for massage and bodywork. Many of my night class students are older and starting a second career. In fact the more mature students are better students then many of the younger ones. As for the issue of taking on other peoples problems, you must use empathy not sympathy. Yes people do say a lot of things but you must separate yourself and not become emotionally involved. I am sure you will do just fine and it is a very rewarding career choice.
I am not a CMT but I am very close to a few. I can tell you that age is not an issue when you are looking for a job, but the job can be physically draining which might have more effect on your body as you get older. The pay is great though, and the people I know enoy it.
Hi I am a massage therapist going on 12 years now. I am in my 30's and I love Massage therapy... My sister who is in her 40's is also a massage therapist.. she too loves it.. massage is very physical work..being in good condition will help you... yoga helps me enjoy massage ... one thing that i know for sure is that giving to yourself will help you be able to give to others... the saying is one can not heal others only be a healing presence for others. ...in taking on other people's stuff yes you can ... and finding ways to help you stay grounded will help you there are techniques that most schools will teach.. ok good luck with your healing process