What is massage therapy?
Massage is the process of putting pressure, maintaining or rehabilitating the soft tissues and muscles of the body. This subsequently enhances the well-being of a client as well as bringing many other benefits such as:
- Increased joint mobility
- Improved flexibility
- Heightened mental alertness
- Reduced stress hormones
- Reduced anxiety and depression
- Improved circulation
- Quicker injury recovery
- Reduced muscle tension
Some popular massage therapy specialities include:
- Chinese Massage
- Bowen Therapy
- Myotherapy
- Remedial Massage
- Sports Massage
- Reflexology
- Lymphatic drainage
Below are some of the associations that massage therapists in Mackay can join:
- Massage Association of Australia (MAA)
- Association of Massage Therapists (AMT)
- Massage & Myotherapy Association (MMA)
- Myotherapy Association Australia (MAA)
Should you complete a massage course?
A career in massage therapy is ideal for anyone who is interested in improving the physical and emotional well-being of others. Additionally, it is necessary that you also possess the below interpersonal skills:
- An attentive listener to be able to monitor the client's symptoms and determine the root cause of their pain.
- Clear and concise verbal communication skills when explaining how the massage therapy session will be conducted to clients.
- Dependable and high attention to detail with determining the safest massage technique that will alleviate the pain of their clients.
If you see a linkage between your passions and personal characteristics with those required by massage therapists, continue reading to discover your massage therapy study options in Mackay.
What are the course and study options for massage therapists in Mackay?
To gain a brief understanding of the work that massage therapists do and the core foundations of massage you should enrol in a short two-day Introduction to Massage Therapy course.
After completing this course where you decide that you want to become a massage therapist, you will need to complete a longer qualification. In Mackay, you will need to graduate with a Certificate IV in Massage Therapy before you can practice. With this option, there are many delivery options for those individuals who want a greater degree of flexibility. This includes on-campus, online or through a blended learning system.
During your massage therapy classes, the instructors will teach you about neuromuscular techniques, anatomy and massage therapy techniques. The practical aspects will allow you to gain first-hand experience of how to manage a massage therapy clinic and interact with clients.
If you are ready to begin your journey as a massage therapist in Mackay, this page will provide you with the course options and career pathways that you can take. Once you shortlist your preferred massage therapy institutions you can enquire with them to learn about their syllabus, tuition fees or delivery modes.
What happens after you complete your massage course in Mackay?
After you finish your initial qualification in massage therapy, you will be able to work in rehabilitation clinics, massage centres, sports clubs, recreation centres or wellness spas. Additionally, Mackay-based massage therapists are required to abide by the following legislation:
- Health Ombudsman Act 2013 ensures health practitioners including massage therapists maintain high standards of health services in the state of Queensland.
- The National Code of Conduct for Health Care Workers (Queensland) outlines the minimum standards that all unregistered healthcare professionals must abide by in order to guarantee the protection of the public.
- Child Protection Act 1999 is for healthcare professionals who work directly with children and their families with the aim to keep children and adolescents out of harm's way.
If you feel confident as a massage therapist and have been able to perfect your skills when working for an employer, you should consider beginning your own private practice. This is a highly sought-after alternative for many massage therapists as it gives them the opportunity to manage their own businesses. If this is something that you decide to pursue in the future, Natural Therapy Pages will be there to assist you along the way by growing your traffic and clients. This would be achieved by letting you list either your face-to-face massage services or online sessions via Natural Therapy Pages online practitioner listing pages.
Additionally, you can pursue further education and training through enrolling in a diploma or a specialised training program. This will allow you to develop technical knowledge of other massage therapy techniques and branches. This would subsequently increase your job prospects and employment opportunities.