How to become a good massage therapist without a medical background. How and where to look for a job as a massage therapist - what you need to start, and where to start

The profession of a massage therapist attracts many people. Because she brings good income, and mastering it is not difficult. What does it take to become a massage therapist? The article will discuss the features of the profession and the necessary skills.

What is the job of a massage therapist?

As in any other profession, it has its own characteristics and nuances. Massage is a system of dosed effects on the skin and tissues of a person to improve his well-being. In the process of work, you do not need to set the spine or joints. The masseur acts only on the surface of the body. However, a specialist can achieve an amazing effect. How to become a massage therapist? As in any profession, in order to become a specialist, you must have a large amount of knowledge.

Massage as a remedy has been used since ancient times. Currently, it is conventionally divided into sports, medical and cosmetic. Various shapes massage have their own areas of application. Medicinal is used during the period of sanatorium therapy and in rehabilitation centers. Sports massage specialists work with visitors to the fitness center and professional athletes. It is necessary to improve the condition of the muscles after exercise. Cosmetic massage is aimed at improving the condition of the skin. It is mainly used in beauty salons.

How to become a good massage therapist? To engage in such a profession, you need to understand all its features and have many skills. All types of massage use the same technique, which consists in kneading, patting, stroking and other actions. Massage is divided into several types: fast, slow, superficial, relaxing, erotic, deep, superficial, etc. Masseurs most often work with their hands, using small mechanical devices: brushes, massage cups. However, their work also includes modern technologies that involve the use of various devices. They are used for vacuum massage, vibration massage. Such procedures are referred to as hardware procedures.

What qualities should a massage therapist have?

The profession requires a person to have personal qualities that will be needed to do their job perfectly:

  • Getting in good physical shape is one of the most basic minimums, because the massage requires a lot of strength in the hands. Indeed, otherwise, you will not be able to properly stretch the muscles.
  • Endurance and patience. These are some of the main qualities that are required for the work of a massage therapist. In some cases, sessions are extended for a long time.
  • The need for constant professional self-improvement. After all, a person who has several massage techniques will be in demand in different areas its application.

If the applicant for this position has most of these personal characteristics, then mastering the profession will be completely easy. Where to begin? You can become a masseur only after receiving the appropriate education. Only special skills will allow you to fully master the profession.

What education does a massage therapist need?

Having a corresponding diploma will simplify the process of mastering the profession. Therefore, when professionals are asked the question of whether it is possible to become a massage therapist without medical education then get a negative answer. The masseur does not need to have higher education, it is enough to graduate from medical school, and then take special courses. After all, he must have at least minimal knowledge about anatomical structure a person, after all, acting on biologically active points, you can harm the patient. A regular relaxing massage requires fewer skills than a healing massage. Indeed, in the second case, one has to deal with the elements of the musculoskeletal system.

Where can you study?

How to become professional massage therapist? As already mentioned, in order to have the necessary skills, you need to complete special courses. You can sign up for them in almost any city. What are the positive aspects of such training:

  1. Availability. Everyone can pay for the course because the price is low.
  2. Fast results. The basics of massage are taught in 2-3 months.
  3. Upon completion of the courses, a certificate is issued, according to which you can officially work in this area.

How to become a massage therapist without medical education? There is a minus in teaching the courses, because the diploma does not allow for therapeutic massage. This limits the list of jobs and significantly lowers the top bar for a specialist's income.

Choice of specialization

How to become a massage therapist? Mastering a profession is not enough, the main thing is to determine the direction of your activity. Nowadays, there are many types of massage. These include:

  • Cosmetic or relaxing massage. This direction does not require medical education. To carry out such a massage, it is enough to take special courses. You can improve your specialization and choose one of the narrow areas - aromatic or energy.
  • Wellness massage. Such procedures require certain knowledge of medicine. The practical skills of a massage therapist are especially valuable, because one wrong movement can harm the patient's health.
  • Oriental massage. It belongs to new, albeit very popular, directions today. Thai massage parlors can be found in almost every city in the country.

The correct choice of the direction of activity will allow the masseur to perform his work with high quality and receive an appropriate income.

Types of masseurs

People who engage in this type of activity include:

  1. Children's masseur. His activities include working with children, and even infants. It is aimed not only at correcting physiological deficiencies, but also at preventing them. This will allow the child to grow up completely healthy.
  2. Sports masseur. This type of activity is aimed at increasing the physical capabilities and performance of a person, provided that it is completely safe for his health. Such masseurs work in fitness rooms and with professional athletes.
  3. Masseur-cosmetologist. In medicine, this type of activity does not exist, but there are similar positions in many institutions. This massage can improve appearance person (face and body). The treatment combines medical massage techniques and beauty treatments to make people look attractive.

The choice of the type of activity depends entirely on the abilities of the massage therapist and his preferences.

What will you have to learn?

How to become a massage therapist? Regardless of the specialization of his activity, he will need to master the following skills:

  1. General human anatomy.
  2. Basic hand massage techniques.
  3. The peculiarities of the use of vegetable and essential oils.
  4. Workplace sanitation rules.

All these skills allow the masseur to do his job better.

Where to go to work?

The masseur can also work at home. To do this, you will need a special table, as well as some accessories and consumables (these include essential oils). Spending several sessions a day, the masseur can return the money invested in the inventory in a short time.

People who want to expand their field of activity should consider opening a massage parlor. Thanks to the constant influx of clients, it will be possible to develop practical skills. In the future, they will allow a specialist to become a real professional.

If he has a medical education, then a private clinic or sanatorium, where the salary is high enough, will become a prestigious place of work. The profession of a massage therapist is considered to be in demand, but it requires special skills and abilities from its owner, because in the process of his work he encounters the patient's health. Over time, with the acquisition of certain skills, a specialist can become a real guru.

The work of a massage therapist requires a certain amount of energy and strength. It cannot be called easy, but it is in demand. Plus, working with people is always fun. This is constant communication, acquiring new acquaintances and expanding contacts.

Where to study to be a massage therapist?

It takes from three weeks to several months to learn to be a massage therapist. If you have a medical degree, then it is enough to complete massage courses at a medical institution, which last a couple of months. There you will learn various techniques and receive your certification as a professional massage therapist. With this certificate, you can start working in any sports or medical institution.

If there is no medical education, but you want to learn all the intricacies of the profession, then it is better to enroll in a medical medical center. These are long courses in which they study anatomy, physiology, and massage techniques. After training, a special certificate is issued.

Study to be a masseur

It should be noted that before going through the training, you need to decide what kind of procedure techniques you want to master: western, eastern; which part of the body will you specialize in: face, whole body; what is your goal of learning: a professional procedure, a procedure for yourself and your friends; how much money and time you can spend on training.

Based on all this, it is necessary to approach the choice of courses. Remember, if they promise to teach you all massage techniques in a few sessions, do not trust such courses. When choosing training center be sure to check for a certificate. It will not be superfluous to conclude a written contract for training.

Courses for students without special medical education pay a lot of attention to theory, exercise therapy, help in studying different types massage. After graduation, students receive a corresponding certificate. Very often they resort to the services of specialized centers, since massage is one of the constituent parts of their work.

Completion of the courses will not guarantee employment. In cosmetic and spa salons, as well as in sports centers, qualified specialists with a medical education are most willingly taken. Having a massage therapist certificate will allow you to private practice and build your own regular customers... And over time, you will be able to open a massage parlor.

Perhaps you will be interested.

For many people, a massage therapist is a profession where you can relax and get big money. But this is not the case. After all, such a position requires a lot of endurance and responsibility. This means that becoming a massage therapist without a medical education is not very easy. But still, this is not the most difficult job. With the right patience, you will definitely master it.

What qualities should a massage therapist have?

This specialist must be hardy. After all, here it is necessary to work physically. It is worth making a lot of effort.

You also need to have a medical education. This will enable you to work in healthcare facilities. In this case, you can graduate from a medical college or technical school. You don't have to go to college.

In addition, do not forget about the courses of massage therapists. There you will be taught the massage itself. You will be able to competently massage people. Without this skill, you cannot master the profession.

Can you become a massage therapist without a medical education?

Some people argue that this is not realistic. But this is not the case. You can become a masseur without medical education!

Take special courses. Receive a document on their completion. Everything. You are a massage therapist. Only you will have some restrictions:

  • You will not be able to work in healthcare facilities;
  • You will not be able to get a job in large beauty salons;
  • Customer confidence will be low;
  • You will not be trusted to massage children.

But it is not all that bad. Many small beauty salons recruit masseurs without honey. education. You can also do this at home as a hobby. This way you can earn extra money after work.

What massage courses to choose?

This type of training is a mandatory attribute of becoming you as a massage therapist. You should study where:

  1. There are masters with medical education;
  2. Experienced specialists teach;
  3. The number of students in a group is no more than 15-20;
  4. There is everything necessary equipment and technology.

It will not be possible to explain the massage technique “on the fingers”. Therefore, the educational institution should have visual aids showing the structure of a person's back. There should also be massage couches and everything you need for the educational process.

It is important to note that in order to work with children, it is necessary to take courses in children's massage. They are more complex. But it is there that they teach wellness massage, which is recommended for children.

How about a job?

This profession is not common in our country. Therefore, it is quite possible to get a job as a massage therapist in Russia. If you can't find a job, then you can practice your business at home for a modest fee.

If you do not have a medical education, then you can take courses in general massage without a healing effect. This will make it easier to get a job.

Massage is very popular today. Many saunas, beauty salons, baths, swimming pools highlight it in additional service... So this profession is very promising.

You just have to master it perfectly and practice as often as possible. Then you will become a real professional.

Whoever said anything from TV screens and from the pages of newspapers that things in our camp are getting better and better every day, the economic crisis has not gone anywhere. The factories are still closed, the “optimization” is in full swing at the operating ones, and people are left without work. The question arises, what to do next - to look for a job in your specialty or to spit on everything and find a new specialty, more pleasant, in demand, more interesting, more money, which is always with you?

An excellent option in such conditions can be the work of a massage therapist. Massage procedures are by no means cheap, and sooner or later everyone's back begins to ache, and only cavemen do not know about anti-cellulite massage.

If you want to master massage and medical education you have, great. It makes sense for such people to choose a place where they can take the so-called "Certification Course" with a duration of 288 hours. It takes about half a year, but one must be prepared for such training morally and financially. But you will receive a state-recognized certificate and will be able to get a job in any medical institution (unless, of course, there are no redundancies and there is a place for you).

If you do not have a medical education, but you are interested in the work of a massage therapist, do not despair, you can still get this profession and earn decent money. At the same time, many are probably tormented by questions. Here are the main ones:

1. Will I be able to give massage to people without medical education, without fear of harm, break something, ruin something, etc.?
2. Will I be able to get a job as a massage therapist without medical education?
3. If I decide to do massage without medical education on my own, working as an individual entrepreneur, will I need a medical license that everyone is talking about?
4. Probably, massage is the lot of young people, I can't do it at my (no matter what age) ...
5. What evaluation criteria should be used when choosing massage courses?
6. What if I don't have clients after graduation?

The main thing that you need to get started is a strong desire to master massage, and we will answer these questions and dispel your doubts. So …

Question number 1: Is it possible to massage people without medical education, without fear of harming, breaking something, ruining something, etc.?

Regardless of whether you have a medical degree or not, while doing massage, you should NECESSARILY! know the indications and contraindications for massage, understand what you are doing with a person, for what purpose, how many procedures your client needs and why, know the basic rules of massage and not violate them, know what massage techniques you use and why, what will be the result of your exposure during the procedure, immediately after it and after a certain time, why did you choose such a table and exactly this position of the client on it, oil or other cosmetic product, etc. etc. You must be able to competently explain to a person what you are doing with him and competently answer all his questions. Therefore, regardless of your education, the program of massage courses that you take must surely give you the necessary knowledge and comprehensive answers to all questions. Studying massage without theory, in any case, is pointless and even dangerous. Beware of places where only technique is taught and nothing else.

If the training program for the massage courses you have chosen is soundly built, takes enough time, and you are a diligent student, then it is difficult to harm a person without malicious intent. Man is a strong structure with many degrees of protection. See what athletes do with each other in contact martial arts and compare it with the effect of a massage, or simply put a chicken carcass on the table and try to break its bones. Even in the case of chicken, it's not that simple, so what about a person? Draw conclusions)).


Question number 2:
Will I be able to get a job as a massage therapist without a medical education?

If you have a diploma (certificate) of a massage therapist, but there is no medical education, then you cannot get a job only in specialized medical institutions... If at an interview when applying for a job, for example, in a beauty salon or fitness center, you are asked - "Do you have a medical education?", Ask a counter question - "Does the beauty salon have a license for medical massage?" Medical licenses from beauty salons, massage parlors, etc. - NO. First, a medical license is an expensive pleasure. Secondly, the salons do not provide medical massage services, so they do not need such a license.

You go to work in a salon or massage parlor to do “household” massage, not medical massage, so medical education is not required in this case. The requirement for a medical education by the leadership of such organizations, as a rule, is explained by poor knowledge of the laws of the Russian Federation and a desire to play it safe.

In general, in reality it usually happens like this. You come to an interview, show the "crusts" that you received somewhere, after which they tell you, "this is all good, and now show that you can" and depending on whether you like your job or not, and not at all on the value your documents, you will be hired or not hired. This is correct, because you will benefit the person who comes to you with your own hands, and not with the help of a certificate, attaching it to the client's body)). Something like that.

Question number 3: If I decide to do massage without medical education on my own, working as a PI, will I need a medical license?

Let's take a closer look at what the law says in this regard.

In legislation Russian Federation, namely in paragraph 10 of Art. 2 of the Federal Law of 21.11.2011 No. 323-FZ "On the Basics of Health Protection of Citizens in the Russian Federation", the concept of medical activity... It means professional activity for the provision of medical care, medical examinations, medical examinations and medical examinations, sanitary and anti-epidemic (preventive) measures and professional activities related to transplantation (transplantation) of organs and (or) tissues, circulation of donated blood and (or) its components for medical purposes.

Article 2. The Federal Law determines medical assistance as "a set of measures aimed at maintaining and (or) restoring health and including the provision of medical services." In turn, a medical service is understood as "a medical intervention or a complex of medical interventions aimed at preventing, diagnosing and treating diseases, medical rehabilitation and having an independent complete meaning." At the same time, in the definitions of the terms prevention, diagnosis, treatment and medical rehabilitation, the concept of a disease is mandatory.

Medical activity in Russia is subject to licensing. Common to all types of activities subject to licensing is the Federal Law of 04.05.2011 No. 99-FZ "On licensing of activities." Article 12 No. 99-FZ contains a list of activities for which a license is required. Licensing of specific types of activities is carried out federal authorities executive power and executive bodies of the subjects. The licensing procedure for each type of activity is established by a separate decree of the Government of the Russian Federation. The procedure for obtaining a special permit (license) to carry out medical activities, including the requirements for the applicant and the conditions that must be met, are contained in the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of 04.16.2012 No. 291 "On licensing of medical activities." The Appendix to this Resolution contains a list of services that constitute medical activity. One of these services is MEDICAL massage. Based on the foregoing, it is mandatory to classify massage as medical services is to provide it in the presence of a disease (for the purpose of treatment or medical rehabilitation).

However, it is impossible to speak on the basis of these two normative legal acts about the existence of only medical massage, because the goals of massage can be the achievement of other, different from therapeutic, effects. Such, for example, as: general health, tonic and cosmetic. These types of massage are also normatively defined.

Let us refer to the Orders of Rosstandart dated November 29, 2012 No. 1597-st and No. 1605-st. The first of them was approved and put into effect "GOST R 55317-2012. National standard Russian Federation. Services to the population. SPA services. Terms and definitions ", and the second -" GOST R 55321-2012. National standard of the Russian Federation. Services to the population. SPA services. General requirements". Analysis of the content of these standards allows us to draw a number of important conclusions.

Firstly, GOST 55317-2012 absolutely unambiguously fixes the existence of SPA massage and defines it as "massage performed in a SPA environment in compliance with certain ethical and aesthetic standards in order to improve health, shape modeling and / or correct the client's psycho-emotional state." Massage, according to GOST, is a manual procedure, i.e. a procedure performed by SPA specialists manually, without the use of devices, using professional cosmetics and in accordance with certain regulations. At the same time, the provisions of GOST are aimed at preventing terminological confusion between medical massage, which is subject to compulsory licensing in accordance with Resolution No. 291, and household massage.

So, distinctive feature is the use of massage in the spa exclusively on healthy people. The method of SPA massage is to use a complex effect on the client's senses, and the ultimate goal is to harmonize the body, mind and soul of a person. Note, nothing to do with the goals of medical activity. In addition to consolidating the definition of massage, GOST provides a classification. The following types of massage stand out:

Sports, Oriental, Ayurvedic, Fitness massage, Aromatherapy, Lymphatic drainage, Hydromassage, Stone therapy, Cosmetic (aesthetic) massage.

The latter is understood as a hygienic massage, which uses methods of influencing surface tissues (skin and subcutaneous fat) in order to improve the client's aesthetic appearance.

Household massage

In addition to specified GOSTs, cosmetic massage is enshrined in the Order of the Ministry of Labor dated December 22, 2014 No. 1069n "On the approval of the professional standard" Specialist in the provision of household cosmetic services. " Performing cosmetic massage belongs to the labor function of a specialist, which once again confirms: massage can be in the nature of a household cosmetic service... The specialist carries out cosmetic massage of the face and body using cosmetics.

Thus, in addition to medical massage related to medical activities and subject to the regulation of Decree No. 291, there is also household massage, namely SPA massage (its various types are described above). The division of massage into medical and household massage is carried out according to the purpose of the procedure: medical (therapeutic) massage is aimed at curing the disease, household massage is aimed at relaxation, normalization of the psycho-emotional state. In itself, the presence of the word "massage" in the list of services provided by the organization is not a basis for compulsory licensing of this activity.

The attribution of massages to exclusively medical services by individual representatives of Roszdravnadzor and Rospotrebnadzor is most likely explained by departmental subordination and the need to comply with departmental directives. Also, probably, this can be explained by the lack of awareness of the existence of other, related, normative acts, in particular GOSTs, Federal Laws and Professional standards regulating the procedure for the provision of cosmetology services, which, in accordance with Russian legislation, can be both medical and household.

Question number 4: Probably, massage is the lot of young people, it is no longer possible to do it at my (no matter what age) ...

Regardless of your age, consider massage this way. Massage is a regular physical activity, an opportunity to regularly train your motor skills and, therefore, always keep yourself in good physical shape. For example, if we talk about our massage school, then the youngest listeners were two friends - Oleg and Denis, 15 and 16 years old. The oldest listener was Nina Ivanovna, who at that time was 71 (!) Years old. I will also add that Nina Ivanovna is actively working as a volunteer in the Emergencies Ministry, travels around the world and gives massage to victims ... This is how a person realized himself. Even a man of age who had suffered a stroke learned to massage with us! For him, it was an opportunity to restore motor skills and communication, which is also important. If you know what a stroke is and its consequences, then you will be delighted with this person. By the way, his name is Pyotr Bocharnikov, and you can find his video feedback about training on the corresponding page of our website: http: // website / video-reviews /

Question number 5: What evaluation criteria should be used when choosing massage courses?

Place of study. Should you choose only a large, well-known organization?
In fact, the answer to this seemingly simple question is not so obvious. In any case, what you learn depends on who, how and what will teach you. Unfortunately, there is a high turnover rate in large schools. One person can start training, and finish (sometimes after a break) is completely different. Therefore, it is not always necessary to focus solely on size. educational institution... It is advisable to find a teacher whom you trust and someone who will guide you through all the hardships from start to finish.
Duration of training. As mentioned earlier, beware of places with too little training time. In such places, they usually save on theory. Practice is good and interesting, but theory is needed in any case, and for what, it was detailed in the answer to question no. 1. On the other hand, choosing massage courses with too long a program, be prepared for this morally and financially, because you will not be able to work until graduation.
For example, in our school, the duration of the main curriculum is two weeks - this is the optimal duration of training obtained empirically and the feasible time to master the required minimum of theory and practice of massage. More is already difficult for many, less time for a course is too little.
Number of courses. Sometimes, there is a wide choice of massage courses. curricula... A beginner's eyes run wild from such abundance. He consults, chooses a program and decides to study, but during the training it turns out that the program he is studying is good, but in order to practice massage, you have to go through another 10, and this is a completely different time and money. Divorce of pure water. That is why we only offer three courses, not more:
Course 1:«Russian classical massage for professional work"- this is the basis, the basis for everyone and a sufficient amount of knowledge in order to start practicing massage.
Course 2:"Anti-cellulite massage and spa treatments." It's no secret that most of the visitors to massage rooms are women for whom attractive appearance is very important. Anti-cellulite massage and spa treatments are at least 50% of the work of any massage therapist. A great addition to the first year and + another 50% of your income.
Course 3:"Special Techniques and Skills for Professional Work" is already a program for those who have already completed both previous courses, but want to develop further. After all, massage is an art that can work real miracles with a person.
Regalia of the school. Yours truly - the author of this article, was previously the champion of Moscow and Russia in massage. You may want to achieve similar results, but do you know what these achievements give? - Respect for colleagues. Your achievements are not very important to your clients. It is important for them to get the result for which they came to you. If you give them the desired result, then it will hardly be possible to serve everyone. There is not enough time and effort for everyone)).
Massage safety for your health. Pay attention, everyone is talking about the client and the benefit that you should bring to him, but there are few places where you will be taught how not to harm yourself. It is important that when learning to massage you are not only put your hands, but also given the correct ergonomics of work. Otherwise, in a year or two you will be bothered occupational diseases- arthritis, arthrosis, osteochondrosis, back pain of various origins, varicose veins in the legs, bursitis, etc. All this can be avoided, but the correct ergonomics of work is needed, which is why it is so important. In addition, massage is a very close contact and exchange of energies between you and the client. The answers to the questions of work safety and in this regard, you should definitely know.

Question number 6: What if I don't have clients after graduation?

After graduation, you will not have clients only if you do not want it yourself. Already during the training, your friends and relatives will vying with each other to expose their backs, shoulders, arms and ask you to demonstrate your skills to them. You will say, but then how can I make money if I do massage for free? Massage is no worse than any other job, and any job must be paid for. This is fine. After all, your friends also work somewhere and get paid for it? In addition, your friends also have friends, and word of mouth has not been canceled. So, if you do the massage correctly, your job will definitely like it and you won't even have to find a job, you will acquire clients in a natural way, your strength would be enough for all. But to make sure that you do massage well, correctly, for the benefit of the client and without harm to yourself is the task of the courses or the massage school that you have chosen.

Summing up all of the above, I would like to say that there are obstacles and difficulties in any job and in the development of any profession. Do not be afraid of difficulties, learn massage and good luck on this interesting path!

Massage is a great way to relax and relieve muscle tension. This skill can come in handy to help loved ones. And also - a good way to earn money, because the specialists who own it are in great demand. But many do not know how to become a massage therapist. But you can acquire a useful skill even if you do not have a medical education.

What does it take to become a massage therapist?

Oddly enough, in order to master this specialty, you must first of all improve your physical shape. The massage requires sufficient physical effort and stamina; an ordinary person will fizzle out very quickly during a session, without completing it. Hands and fingers get tired especially quickly, therefore it is necessary to start training them, strengthening the muscles with the help of special exercises. It is also useful to study the theory: the structure of the human body.

How to become a massage therapist without medical education?

Anyone can master massage skills without special education. To do this, it is enough to complete training courses and receive a certificate. Similar programs are offered by medical institutions, some, commercial organizations... You can find a lot of similar offers on the Internet. The prices here may be different, but in general, the cost of the courses is not very high and is approximately equal to the cost of driving courses. To learn to be a massage therapist, you will need at most several months, but then it will be advisable to devote a little time to gaining experience, practicing with friends and acquaintances.

After completing the courses, you can work professionally as a massage therapist. However, in this case, you can only do general or cosmetic massage, not therapeutic and not restorative. Without medical education, you can start working as a massage therapist in a beauty salon, etc. establishments or offer their services privately.

How to become a licensed professional massage therapist?

If you are interested in the answer to the question of how to become a good massage therapist who is licensed and earns a lot, then you should bear in mind that there is nothing to do here without a medical education. First, you will have to graduate from a medical school or take a special qualification course at a medical school, and then also graduate from massage courses. And only after that it will be possible to count on obtaining a license and a highly paid job.