Advice for New Massage Therapists - What I Wish I Would've Known, as an LMT

So, you got your license to practice massage. I’m sure you have many questions like:

“Am I actually prepared to DO this?”,

“Should I work for myself right away or someone else?”,

“How can I be successful in building clientele?”

Well, you’ve come to the right place. I graduated from massage school in 2020, and particularly with COVID going on, I had NO idea what to do, and I had to do a lot of trial-and-error on my own! Thankfully, after having a few years of massage therapy under my belt, I can confidently say that I have had some massive takeaways, tips, and advice that I desperately wish I would’ve been told when I had just graduated from massage school myself.

So, I’m writing this blueprint to you new therapists, today. You therapists are like the “next generation” for massage therapy in my eyes, and although I’m not currently a massage school teacher, I WAS offered a position as one, so... there you go. You could say I’m a teacher in theory, not in practice.

First, accept that the first several massages that you complete for pay, you may not feel confident about. No matter WHAT.

Here's the thing about massage therapists. We most certainly didn't go into this for the money, and we often tend to care about our clients -- a little too much sometimes! Especially when just starting out. Ground your feet into the floor, and remind yourself that all the knowledge is really in your hands, not your head! Use your body, and less of your brain. Yes, anatomy and physiology are of vital importance, and that's not to say they should be ignored, but trust that your guidance in school has prepared you well. Breathe, and slow it all down. Proceed like you're dipping your toes into water, not taking a dive off the shallow end. And always ask for feedback if you're unsure. A simple "How does it feel when I [blank]?" should suffice.

Not everything you’ve learned about massage is as cut-and-dry as A&P; we’re working with people, not robots.

As a continuation of my last point, just because you know that your client could seriously use a psoas release (as an example), does NOT always mean you should do it. Remember that your client is a person, and working in emotionally-sensitive areas does require a certain degree of trust and parasympathetic relaxation from your client. Sometimes, less stimulation = more, and if this is a new client and/or you can tell that their nervous system is in a markedly upregulated state (widened eyes, dilated pupils, quick pulse, fidgety, speaking quickly), you must first work to bring the nervous system into a more parasympathetic state first BEFORE proceeding into deeper work. More on this in other posts.

Work all over town. However and wherever you can.

I'm not saying to work yourself to the bone. In fact, pace yourself. More on pacing yourself later, but seek massage and wellness community opportunities as far as you're willing to drive for the money that so-and-so is willing to provide. Meaning: you never know who you'll meet, and you never know who will become your next client. I've made massage clients by working in restaurants, hotels, retreat centers, spas, mobile massage services, and more.

While in San Diego, I worked in Del Mar, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Julian, and Coronado. My radius for work expanded and contracted based on demand; I did not settle for working on one area, and I was greatly rewarded for it. Just 2 years after massage school, I had so many offers for massage that I got to pick and choose what I wanted to do, and THAT is how you want it to be. Maybe your studio isn't getting great action right now, but hey that mobile massage service you work for is popping! Massage is seasonally and holiday-driven, and oftentimes, my hotel and spa (aka "luxury" massage) offers would be ringing off the hook, while my personal clients would leave on holiday. That's the beauty in keeping your options open, as much as you can. You get to go where the work goes if you set it all up right, and you'll never have to worry about a lack of clients.

Networking, Networking, Networking

One of my favorite places for finding massage work and other massage therapists and wellness providers has been Facebook. I've had some excellent work opportunities come along just by checking my state and/or region's Massage Therapist group page often. I would also recommend having an Instagram page for your business. Create your niche (Who are you? What makes you stand out as a massage therapist? What kinds of clients do you want to have? What are your philosophies and ideal work environment?), and create content that tags your local area on social medias (Instagram, Facebook, and occasionally Tik Tok). I've also received job opportunities this way; I've had businesses reach out looking for a massage therapist JUST because they liked my personality/"brand" on Instagram and wanted to work together!

Creating Your Niche - The Secret to Long Term Clients

I'm often disappointed when I ask massage therapists what their niche is, and/or who their ideal client is. I often receive an answer like "really anyone, I just like doing massage," or "anybody who just does what I tell them to." Now, this is fine if you want to work at a spa or similar work environment for the rest of your life. You'll be a no-name, no-specialty bronco therapist for the rest of your life if you can't find one or more specialties that excite you. I say this from experience: my own journey with chronic pain and PTSD essentially carved out my niche for me. I enjoy and thrive on getting to know and healing my clients who struggle with chronic issues, and they can see it. They can feel it in my work without me even saying it. And that should be your goal: someone should be able to lay down on your table without a word and be able to pick up on exactly what your philosophy with massage is all about. Your touch should say it all. Get the education you need to support the work you want to do as your continued education, and boom, you've got your niche that way too.

"But Samantha, I don't know what excites me about massage!" Well, there's at least 80 massage types out there, and you'll have to get to researching. Find something unique that excites YOU, and your clients will look at it like a mirror. If you're excited about it, and it serves your client in an advantageous way, you've got yourself a niche. And, a repeat client who remembers your name.

Working for Yourself vs Working for Others

As a new therapist, I recommend doing both. Eventually, I think that your most stable income comes from having your own business, first and foremost, however; avoid thinking about the work that you do as being all-in business owner only, or as being all-in employee/contractor only. Here's why. When you're first starting off, you probably won't know much about how to conduct your business. I learned so much about what to do in my business just by working for others. I also got to meet many other therapists (networking!), and get connected to all types of clients.

So, use what you learn about how various business owners run their clinics, as an employee, and use it as your personal Blueprint of Checkmarks and X's for you, as a business owner As a practitioner, you have an advantage vs a non-therapist business owner, and that is: you get to see and understand what clients ACTUALLY want and don’t want, because you're the one in the treatment room with them. Don't let lack of money smarts and/or business know-how get the best of you. That's why I recommend starting right away, and building slow. You can create intake forms, a website, clients, social media, etc., at your own pace, and meet mentors along the way! You won't have to rush or struggle for

Never Stop Learning

In order to stay current and successful in this field, you must seek out continued education. Not only to fulfill CEU requirements, but to also gain a competitive edge. One way to do this cheaply is by working at a spa/wellness center/etc. that offers CEU courses, free trainings, etc. I've also been at spas that offered a certain amount of money per year to therapists to put towards their continued education. Just because Spa A pays you more than Spa B, if Spa A doesn't offer anything in the way of money towards CEUs, yet Spa B does, Spa B may still have an advantage in the way of your learning and future money that you'll most likely have to put towards meeting the CEU requirements for massage therapists.