What to look for in a massage therapist?

How do you know when you search the internet looking for a therapist you are finding the right person? It can be difficult to know as websites can be very impressive but that doesn’t necessarily mean the therapist will be! There are some easy ways to ensure you find a suitable person who not only has the relevant qualifications and insurance but also the correct experience to suit your own unique needs.

So how can you judge? 

Your absolutes are:

• Qualified

• Insured

Your preferables are:

• Experienced in your field

• A member of a professional body with Code of Practice

Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for proof of the above, if the person is suitably professional they will have the qualifications and insurance documents and will be happy to put your mind at rest.

It is also important to understand that the person you chose does only practice what they are qualified to and does not pretend to be anything other than a massage therapist. Some offer ‘medical massage’ or ‘physiomassage’ but don’t be fooled into thinking they are medically trained or physiotherapists.  These are quite different careers and a good massage therapist will have good relationships with the medical profession and other bodywork therapists.

The ‘therapeutic relationship’ is important and you must feel you can put your trust in your therapist, and rely on them to always provide the optimum treatment for you, and give you valuable and honest advice. Sometimes we have to give out personal information and private heatlh information, we need to know that the person we give this to is able to understand and work within their scope of practice to help us. We also need to be confident of confidentiality. Over time you should build a rapport with the therapist and feel at ease discussing your health with them.