If you happen to work in an area where you are free to select your own massage continuing education classes, you may wonder how to choose the best ones for you and your practice. You can select continuing education classes based on the kinds of clients you enjoy working with or would like to work with in the future.
For example, if you work full time in a general massage therapy studio—meaning you do not see the same type of clients and conditions day in and day out—then there is a good chance you have a bit of experience working with a wide array of clients. In this case, you can draw on your experiences as you pick and choose your continuing education courses.
Continuing with this example, a massage therapist in a diverse and general practice may see clients who are old and young, athletic and out of shape, looking to heal an injury or simply looking to mentally unwind. Reflecting on all of these experiences, the professional massage therapist may recognize a pattern that conveys she is most enthusiastic and excited when a certain type of client with a certain kind of issue or condition comes through the door.
Taking this knowledge into the realm of continuing education, one could then base his or her choices about which continuing education class to take on that pattern of enthusiasm that was recognized in daily practice. Using our example, perhaps the massage therapist found herself feeling most passionate when working with athletic clients who were looking to stay in optimal shape, by preventing and healing any possible injury.
Noticing her own enthusiasm about this specific client base, the professional massage therapist could then begin searching for continuing education classes that deal with topics related to working with athletic clients. This might be a continuing education class on basic sports massage concepts and techniques, or a continuing education course on how to address a common issue seen among athletes.
In the huge industry of continuing education for massage therapists and bodyworkers, one should be able to find a continuing education class best suited to his or her newfound passion, whether that class is general or incredibly specific. Many practitioners may choose to start out with a basic or general continuing education course, to confirm they are indeed interested in this kind of work, and then proceed to take more specific and advanced continuing education classes.
It is important to remember, however, that quite a few touch therapists do not get a chance to experience working with so many kinds of clients. For instance, a bodyworker in general practice may never have the opportunity to work with a pregnant client. Therefore, it can also be a good idea to pursue a continuing education class based on a possible interest, to see if you really would enjoy working with a new and different population of clients.
Source: Massage Magazine
