Let me tell you my favorite thing about massage. As a client, I get to connect in a safe, professional relationship with my practitioner where trust and healthy boundaries allow me to experience the pleasure of sensation and deep relaxation that comes from caring, physical touch. I know in my life that has been a profoundly healing experience as I’ve grown emotionally. As a practitioner, I am honored to be able to offer that depth of experience to my clients. Of course, sometimes a massage is just a simple way to unwind. Other times, it’s part of a self-care routine and the cycle of healthy stress management. Some moments, it’s so much more.

Let’s get right to the business here. Some people live from a poverty mentality, always feeling they lack and need to compete to survive. That is a truly tragic way to walk through life and robs you of joy and success. As a life coach (see part 2) I have helped hundreds of people overcome this very mindset obstacle. In rural, small-town Ohio, this toxic perspective runs rampant. Others who do similar work want to gatekeep it and tear others down. I do not subscribe to that way of thinking. I believe that everyone has a divine purpose, a passion to follow, and a subset of people they are meant to encounter or reach with their gifts. There is enough for everyone.

Generally, there are three separate paths to a career in giving massage, and Ohio law recognizes these three options. The most common and well-known path is through obtaining licensure with the Ohio State Medical Board. An education from a medical massage school and then a state test is required to gain a credential as a Licensed Massage Therapist, or LMT as its commonly referred to. The stand-apart benefit to this path is that an LMT can work on and treat injuries as a type of medical therapist. Another option is to carry a license from the Ohio State Board of Cosmetology and specialize in a modality of spa massage. The benefit to this path is that the pay for spa work is generally much higher and there is no medical treatment involved. Another option is to use your education and training to operate within the law for providing relaxation massage, which the state of Ohio recognizes as a stand-alone path. Most people and the general public are not aware of this path simply because it is only really discussed among those who are trained in massage, when we are learning our options and the laws that govern the practice of massage.

Now that you know the simplified version of types of massage practitioners, I will share a short version of my own path. More than 20 years ago, I originally was educated and trained under the cosmetology board as an extension of my license. My education began with full body, Swedish massage, chair massage, hot stone massage, reflexology, and aromatherapy. I would call that the foundation of my experience as a practitioner. In the early years, I worked in spas and high-end settings. Massage quickly became a favorite tool for sharing my passion with others and a channel for my deeper, spiritual gifts. Over the years, I embraced opportunities to learn different techniques and train in other modalities. I found what resonates with me and put it into my work. Eventually, I decided to retire from working in the beauty industry and escrowed my license. Thankfully, I was able to keep doing bodywork because that is what lights up my soul. Sometimes the path we take isn’t for the reason we initially think it is, but we end up right where we are meant to be.

So, what is the takeaway? I am not a “massage therapist.” Legally, only a medical massage provider can use the word therapist. It’s a lot like being a life coach… I am no longer providing therapy. That is a sacred word to the medical industry. I can’t treat your injury, and frankly, I don’t want to. Yes, I have considered the option of getting that LMT but at this point it would be giving my money and my time to do what I already do, and I don’t want the extra connection of treating medical conditions. I work in energy and emotions and I love that space. I am very well educated and have a wealth of life experience. My clients know this and gain the benefit of my eclectic style. In all things that I do, I am not meant for everyone. Those who are meant for my path will find me.

In other lives and other cultures, what I do would be revered as a Wise Woman. I know who I am and what I bring with my gifts. Even if others do not understand or want to accept me, I will thrive.