Traits of a Good Massage Therapist

There are common traits any good massage therapist must have that are obvious. They must enjoy working with their hands. Working outside of an office is a perk, along with enjoying flexible working hours. Any good massage therapist must enjoy being around people.

Of course, we want all of our Massage Therapy students at our Concorde campuses in Memphis, Tenn. and Southaven, Miss. to enjoy successful and rewarding careers. So, we decided to ask for a little help and dig a little deeper, to learn other key traits any good massage therapist must possess. We enlisted the help of Sunethra Guy, Academic Dean and Director of Student Affairs at Concorde - Southaven, to help us out. She went the extra distance and came up with 14 traits for success in Massage Therapy.

So, here they are:

14 traits of a good massage therapist

1. As mentioned earlier, a good massage therapist must show a genuine interest in clients' health and well-being.
2. They must possess the ability to use different modalities/approaches to address clients' needs.
3. They must provide an ethical and professional environment for the client at all times.
4. Display a passion for the healing art of Massage Therapy.
5. Be loyal to their employment (punctual, dependable, flexible, honest and dictated to their clients).
6. The ability to self-promote is important. A great massage therapist will be most successful if they can promote their work to attract new clients.
7. You must create a relaxing atmosphere. A great massage therapist employs a variety of means to ensure a relaxing atmosphere, including dim lighting, soothing scents, or music.
8. A great massage therapist has excellent interpersonal skills and can create a rapport with a client that helps put them at ease during treatment. They answer questions readily and explain what they are doing during a massage.
9. You also must have excellent customer service skills and be willing to accommodate a client to ensure a good experience.
10. Of course, knowledge of proper technique. A great massage therapist has extensive knowledge of the techniques used in a variety of massage types.
11. A great massage therapist has excellent manual dexterity and is able to easily perform the complicated maneuvers required.
12. You must have a good deal of physical stamina and be able to handle standing for long periods of time as well as the rigorous physical effort massage requires.
13. A strong sense of empathy is vital. You must strive to use massage techniques to help improve a client's well-being.

And finally ...

14. A great massage therapist is focused solely on the client and is able to tune out all other distractions during a massage. They are committed to providing an enjoyable service to their clients.

Do you have what it takes?

So, there you have it. Do you have some or all of these key traits to go out and earn your diploma and massage therapy certification? Basically, it comes down to proper technique, an affable personality, and commitment to the profession and your clientele.

If you think you possess these qualities and that you might be interested in a rewarding career as a massage therapist, go to the website and learn more about Concorde's Massage Therapy programs in Memphis and Massage Therapy programs in Southaven.