Is There a Healer Hidden Inside You?

Many people find their way to the career of massage therapy because it is a viable, promising business opportunity. It is especially attractive to those who consider themselves "free spirits" who plan on moving around quite a bit, taking their skills with them wherever they go. Many artists, writers, musicians, housewives, aerobics instructors, manicurists, stylists, nutritionists, psychologists, and others find massage to be the perfect complement to their lifestyle. Some people do quite well as therapists working only part-time while they concentrate attention on some other area of their life. However, those who go the furthest and have the most impact in the world are therapists who are dedicated and who have come to the profession out of a desire to help others feel better. Many among these have had their own healing experiences with massage, which is how they decided to get into the field. I know several people who had car accidents or illnesses and were subsequently helped by massage. They usually decided right there on the therapy table that this was something they wanted to do—something important, something meaningful, something that helps. People choose massage when they have one of those what's-really-important-in-life kinds of moments. If you look within yourself and focus on what you know to be true on the deepest level, you'll see that health, wholeness, and vitality top the list. Does part of you want the opportunity to spend more time offering that to others? Do you want to develop your innate abilities to make others feel better? Do you want to delve into the mysteries of the human body/mind and find ways to help harmonize its inner workings?

If you've had inklings lately that would lead you toward becoming a therapist but you aren't really sure if this is the right direction, you will probably benefit from taking the following test. In it, you'll find out if you have any of the telltale traits of a "born therapist." Go easy on yourself. This test isn't the final word on who should become a massage therapist and who should not, but it will at least give you some important issues to think about during the decision process.