Friday, May 2, 2014

Massage Therapy: Gateway to a Wide range of Career Opportunities

Massage therapy is a profession that offers you the opportunity to earn while helping people feel relaxed and making them feel good. It also gives you the flexibility to be self-employed or work with hospitals, gyms, fitness centres, beauty salons, spas, recreation, rehabilitation and organizations offering massage therapies to employees at the workplace.

The career prospects in this field seem bright. People no longer consider it a luxury; in fact, it’s being included in their monthly to-do lists, if not very frequently, to relieve muscle sprains, fatigue, aches, knots and injuries. They are also recognizing it as a wellness service for managing stress and other symptoms caused by physical and mental stress.

The popularity of spas, massage clinics and fitness centres is another reason for increased demand for message therapists. In addition, the provision of relaxation and stress management services to employees at workplace has opened doors to many career opportunities for massage professionals in the corporate world. Employment prospects are expected to increase further for massage therapists in coming years at a faster rate than the overall job growth rate.

Need for Formal Massage Therapy Training

As the popularity of massage therapy increases, so does the demand for qualified professionals who can develop therapeutic relationships with people and conduct a massage therapy practice within an ethical framework, supporting their health and well-being. The professionals are also expected to determine the specific requirements of their clients and develop, implement and follow a treatment plan accordingly. In order to become employable, the potential massage therapists need to undergo formal massage therapy training. It is a regulated health profession in Canada; therefore they need to at least undergo formal massage therapy education to acquired in-depth knowledge and understanding of human anatomy, physiology and psychology, and nutrition and lifestyle.

Massage Therapy Program in Toronto

Centennial College's post-secondary massage therapy courses are rigorous programs that prepare students for the broad range of career possibilities that exist for massage therapists. The courses combine massage therapy education, entrepreneurial business skills and opportunities to work with sports teams or within a hospital setting.

The courses are designed to help students
  • Develop an expertise in dealing with patients
  • Determine the exact conditions affecting the health and well-being of patients
  • Build business and research skills for a successful business
They learn to
  • Conduct massage depending upon specific requirements of a patient
  • Develop therapeutic relationships with clients
  • Collect and use client information to develop a treatment plan
  • Maintain professional readiness to ensure quality
The massage therapy program runs for three years, covering a wide range of subjects including concepts of anatomy and physiology, biomechanics and orthopedic assessment, fitness and remedial exercise, therapeutic relationships and neuroanatomy and physiology, and standards, legislation and professionalism.

Admission Requirements

In order to apply for the three-year post-secondary message therapy program, you will need:
  • Secondary school diploma
  • English Grade 12 C or University or equivalent
  • Biology Grade 11 or 12 C or University or equivalent
  • One additional Science Grade 11 or 12 (Physics, Chemistry or Exercise Science) C or University or equivalent
After admission, you will also need to:
  • Obtain annual clear police check with vulnerable sector screening
  • Complete and annually renew a recognized course in CPR
  • Complete a recognized course in Standard First Aid
  • Attend mask fit testing
  • Obtain pre-clearance health form completed by a physician or nurse practitioner stating that you meet the health requirements of legislated acts, ministry guidelines and agency policies

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