How To Choose The Right Massage School For You
The right massage school can be hard to find. There are so many options, and not all are created equal. As a prospective student, you’re planning on making a significant investment in money, time, and effort. Not to mention you’re taking some of the first steps into a new career. You want to choose a school that makes this transition as easy as possible, gives you the best training, and helps you deal with common obstacles and pitfalls. We know it’s not easy and it can be pretty stressful. So, we’ve put together this list to help you choose the right massage school for you.
Be sure the school has an approachable and supportive administration.
A massage school’s administration is there to facilitate your learning. So make sure that the school you choose has an administration that is available, approachable, and reliable.
Do they respond quickly to your emails? Are they able to answer your questions and address your concerns?
Make sure you feel comfortable with the administration and that you get the feeling that they’re there for you even before you’ve enrolled in any massage courses.
Does the school offer scheduling options that suit your needs?
When researching massage schools, always ask, “does this school have scheduling options that meet my needs?” If you need to study part-time, do so. If you want to take an accelerated path, go for it. Just make sure the school you choose is set up with multiple scheduling options so that you get what you need.
Another critical point here is ‘make-up’ classes. The reality is that things happen. We get sick, emergencies arise, and we miss class. Make sure to ask the massage school you’re talking with what their policy is for making up classes.
They offer payment plans that facilitate learning.
If you need a payment plan, make sure you choose a school that makes that as easy as possible, without forcing you to pay more than necessary. At IKRA ACADEMY, we understand that a payment plan can be the very thing that makes it possible for a student to start studying massage therapy. This is why we give our students the option to spread their payments out over the course of their studies, with no interest charges or other fees.
We pride ourselves on doing all we can for our students. We’re here to help you pursue your goals, and we believe this should be every massage school’s policy.
The teachers are experienced, meet industry standards, and love what they do.
A massage school depends on the competency, skill, and experience of its teachers. As a new student, you want to ensure that the teachers are adequately trained, certified, and meet industry standards.
But this is just the minimum requirement. Beyond technical ability, the best teachers are passionate about their subject, engaging, and present enough to meet each individual student’s needs. At IKRA Academy, we pride ourselves on our incredible teaching staff.
Make sure the massage school is part of a good association.
This is so important when choosing a massage school, but it often goes overlooked. If you want to know if a teaching staff meets industry standards or if the massage course you’re looking at is up to par, check out the school’s association.
For example the Fédération québécoise des massothérapeutes (FQM), consistently audits their affiliate schools to keep their standards as high as possible.
For you, the future massage therapist, this can mean the difference between needing 415 hours of training vs. 1000 hours of training before being certified and recognized by insurance companies.
In the end, choosing a school that’s affiliated with a good association like the FQM can make your entry into the massage therapy world a whole lot quicker.
Click here to learn more about associations.
Visit The School
You’ll be spending a lot of time at the massage school you choose. Which is why we highly recommend seeing the space before paying your deposit.
The moment you step into the space, you’ll get a chance to meet the administration, see the manuals and the books, and get a vibe for the place. Trust your intuition and you’ll know if it’s the right massage school for you.
In the end, you can have all the facts you like, but only once you visit the space will you be able to feel if it’s the right place for you.
A class in session at Ikra massage school.
The takeaway
Communication is key. The administration is there to help. So contact them and ask any questions you need in order to feel confident in your choice. Remember, studying massage therapy is an investment in yourself. You deserve to make the choice that’s right for you.
Hope that helps!
If you have any questions please contact us or check out our FAQ page.
