4 Ways On How Male Therapists Can Enter This Woman-Dominated Career

It may sound like a gender discriminating career, but the reality is massage therapy is still a career that accepts more women than men. Considering that massage involves skin to skin contact, regardless of gender, patients feel more at ease when women are the ones doing the massage.

Why Patients Choose Female Massage Therapists

- Female patients are afraid of sexual harassment or being taken advantage of by male therapists

- Male patients are not comfortable being touched by fellow men

- Both male and female patients prefer the soft and sensual touch of female therapists

Given the above reasons, does that mean then that if you are male, you can no longer practice as a massage therapist?

Of course not. Therefore, how can you break in this career if you are a man?

How to Increase your Chances of Working as a Male Massage Therapist

There are many other options and places of work where males are preferred over female massage therapists.

Learn more massage techniques. Despite the trend that shows more women are hired as a massage therapist, some clients or patients prefer the strong hands of males when it comes to giving massages. Therefore, you should be well versed in various massage techniques such as deep-tissue massages and Swedish massage, among others, so that you can also work in this industry.

Obtain higher education. Graduating from a 1-year or 2-year massage therapy course can help you land a job. However, obtaining higher education shows how serious you are when it comes to your chosen field, thus, this could be a way t attract potential employers. In addition, you do not have to limit yourself to work as a massage therapist because with higher education, you can work as office manager, massage therapy instructor, or even as physical therapist if you pursue a different path.

Find employment as a sports massage therapist. Nowadays, sports teams include a resident massage therapist in their payroll because after each game, athletes usually need to relax their bodies o tensed muscles to get ready for their next game. In addition, athletes are known to like hard massage than soft or medium massages, and because of this, teams usually hire male therapists.

Likewise, you may find employment in fitness centers, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers where patients are more likely to "see" you as a medical personnel rather than a masseuse.

Don't be discouraged by "trends". Trends are indicative of a number of people's preferences, but it does not necessarily mean you cannot enter the field. Be professional when it comes to dealings with your clients and build a professional reputation so that people will go to you regardless of your gender.

Make yourself indispensable by learning as much massage techniques as possible. This will be your key to a lucrative and fruitful career in massage therapy.