No matter how long you’ve been in the field, continued learning and skills advancement is vital as a massage therapist. Upskilling allows you to widen your knowledge base, increasing your expertise and giving you the confidence needed to keep performing your best and remain motivated in your job.
The best way to upskill is through continued education and an ever-evolving practice of hands-on training, so in this article we tell you all you need to know about upskilling as a massage therapist.
What is upskilling?
Upskilling involves the continuous process of learning new skills through education, training, mentoring, or work experience. Since jobs are constantly changing due to advancements in technology and management, workers – including those within the massage industry – need to remain competitive. Upskilling has the potential to boost morale and engagement in the workplace, as well as increase your skill-set and overall job satisfaction.
Why do you need to upskill as a massage therapist?
As a massage therapist, upskilling has the potential to broaden your skill-set, improve your client relationships, and also help you branch out into other areas within the massage field. Every job and client is different, with unique needs and requirements. The only way to get better at meeting these challenges is to be proactive and look at opportunities that will allow you to improve. This is where upskilling comes in to help you to stay on top of the latest massage techniques.
How to upskill as a massage therapist
Here are a few key ways you can upskill as a massage therapist:
1. Learning new types of massage therapy
One of the wonderful things about the massage industry is that there are many different types of massage, ranging from deep-tissue massage, to aromatherapy massage, sports therapy massage, and more.
If you’ve been training in one type, you may want to think about expanding your training and branching out into these other different forms of massage. Having a wider skill-set will allow you to treat a broader range of clients and be competent in advising new patients, which will inevitably build your client-base.
2. Practising massage in a different environment
Along with branching out into different forms of massage, you may also want to look at changing jobs as a way to upskill. The massage therapy industry has an ever-increasing range of career options and working environments available, from sports and health clinics, to day spas, and even cruise ships. If you’re feeling the itch to change-up, you may also think about working from home or running a mobile massage therapy service.
3. Finding a mentor
Finding someone to mentor you at your workplace is an easy way to gain new skills. If you’re working within a health clinic, try approaching one of the therapists working in the remedial massage department or who specialises in prenatal massage to give you some insight into these other fields. You can ask to sit-in with them to observe as a means to gain new perspectives and skills that you can either bring back to your current role or use to branch out into another area.
4. Continuing your education
Learning doesn’t stop as soon as you graduate, rather, it’s an ongoing journey. There are endless benefits to continuing your education after you’ve received your initial massage course. Along with giving your existing massage skill-set a boost, additional studying will also keep you motivated and open up potential new avenues that you might never have thought of before.
Finding an education centre that focuses on intensive training and has qualified trainers can help you develop a more integrated approach to your massage therapy work, as well as give you an edge when it comes to career options and job opportunities. If you’re employed, you may be able to receive supported external study whereby your employer pays for your specialist course. There are also opportunities to study either in person or online, depending on the course provider and your individual requirements.
Upskill with Discover Massage Australia
Upskilling is a smart investment toward your future as a massage therapist. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been working in the field or how many certificates you’ve acquired; being in the massage industry requires ongoing education and the continual expansion upon your existing skills. Look into the courses offered by Discover Massage Australia and find out how they can help you to upskill as a massage therapist today.
