Massage Therapist

You'll need:

• sensitivity and understanding
• excellent verbal communication skills
• active listening skills
• the ability to work well with your hands
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• customer service skills
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to work well with others
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

In a typical session you will:

• check the client's medical history, diet and lifestyle
• identify the client's reasons for wanting massage therapy
• plan a course of treatment
• apply pressure to areas of the body
• give advice to clients about their wellbeing
• refer clients to medical professionals

You could work at a hospice, from home, at a GP practice, at a health spa, in an NHS or private hospital or in a therapy clinic.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Career tips

You can specialise in a particular form of massage like baby and infant massage, or sports massage. You'll need to take extra training to do this.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the voluntary register of the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council or the Federation of Holistic Therapists.