By Aubrey Gowing
There are a great number of centres and colleges offering training in massage and complementary therapies. There are many diverse forms and styles of massage. There are also a number of awarding bodies and levels of qualification – certificate, diploma, etc. So how do you determine which is the best course for you? First you must ask yourself a few questions.
1)Are you pursuing a hobby or a career path?
2)Do you want to able to progress to further training?
3)Will you be able to work and be eligible for professional insurance?
4)In what country do you intend to practice?
There are introductory courses available to whet the appetite of the hobbyist. These are light on commitments, content and cost.This level of training will not lead to a professional qualification, but can provide a good introduction to a therapy. Training courses that do lead to professional qualifications are very different. They will have a far greater number of training hours, cover a greater depth, and include all relevant under pinning knowledge. It is not necessary to attend an introductory course before enrolling in a professional training course, but some people like to ‘test the water’ first.
If your interests are likely to lead to further training it is important that your qualification is transportable. This means it will be recognised by other awarding bodies. This can be a source of frustration later in your career, so put some thought into this at the start.
The massage industry in Ireland is governed by voluntary self regulation. Professional associations maintain standards of practice and codes of ethics. Check that your qualification will allow membership of a professional body, as this is often a required to gain professional indemnity insurance.
If you plan to practice or study further outside Ireland you will need an internationally recognised qualification. In most countries as with Ireland, there is voluntary self regulation, but some countries will require you to obtain a licence. This may mean sitting a local exam or in some extreme cases you may not be eligible to practice. So check before you start training or before you travel. Contact the embassy or a local Chamber of Commerce of the country you plan travelling to.
Colleges can also provide information to help answer these questions. Most Colleges will hold open nights or conduct interviews for this purpose. These are great opportunities to gather information and meet the course providers, so avail of them where possible.
The next step is to establish your eligibility for a course. Foundation courses will provide you with all the skills necessary to practice as a therapist and so rarely require previous experience or training. Advanced training or post graduate courses will require prior training. ( For example Sports Massage has become very popular in recent years and students are some times surprised that they must first study Holistic Massage as a foundation. In reality this makes perfect sense. The key skills learned in Holistic Massage are essential to facilitate the learning of the more challenging techniques used in Sports Massage.) Again your college can provide information on this.
It is also worth putting thought into the commercial viability of a therapy if you wish to earn a living as a therapist. Is it a popular treatment? Is there much public awareness of the therapy? How often is a potential client likely to require treatment? What are the average rates? This may seem mercenary, but some treatments are simply more commercial. As a professional therapist you will need to bear this in mind.
Most students will find themselves drawn to a particular therapy like Indian Head Massage, Aromatherapy or Acupressure. This will help decide the style of body work you study. Each college will bring it’s own understanding to the training provided, so styles will vary even within the same qualification. Getting a few different treatments is always a good idea. Many colleges will also have a clinic, this makes trying out their style of treatment easy and informative. If you have not yet settled on a particular discipline read treatment descriptions, the course prospectus and do research online. Talk to working therapists, course providers and again try out some therapies. You will soon find which therapies appeal to you.
Lastly there are no ‘bad’ training courses. It is purely a matter of suitability. Massage is an art. It is a form of self expression that develops with each experience. Training courses simply provide a framework to facilitate this process. So trust your own instinct. Choose a course that captures your interest. Choose teachers you feel you can learn from. Be open to learning, and remember, it should always be fun.
