Two practicing massage therapists reveal the inside secrets of the massage therapy industry:

Matt Natoli

Matt is an experienced Myotherapist and Remedial Massage Therapist. He currently teaches the Certificate IV in Massage Therapy and Diploma of Remedial Massage at the Melbourne Institute of Massage Therapy.

What do you wish you knew before you started in massage?
How important it is to surround yourself with therapists from all around the industry (ie. physiotherapists, osteopaths and exercise physiologists, etc.). Learning from their experiences and knowledge is invaluable to your own personal growth.

What’s the best thing about being a massage therapist?
The flexibility. You can incorporate massage work with other jobs (I teach as well), and you have time during the days to do other things.  And of course being able to make a difference in a person’s life.

What was the biggest eye opener for you when you started?
Just how much knowledge you need to know and continue to know. As well as how much impact you can have on on a client through massage.

What do you dislike about massage therapy?
I love what I do but if I disliked anything it would be the amount of laundry I now have to do, washing all the towels and linen!

Lisa Lillicrap

Lisa is a Myotherapist and studied the Certificate IV in Massage, Diploma of Remedial Massage & the Advanced Diploma of Myotherapy at MIMT.

What do you wish you knew before you started in massage?
Absolutely nothing! Why? Lateral epicondylitis, tendinitis, basal joint arthritis…..All the perks of the job…. Would have i embarked on this career knowing the personal aches and pains? Maybe..maybe not…Would I change it for the world?….NEVER! I love my job.

What’s the best thing about being a massage therapist?
Flexibility of hours is great but the best part is helping to educate people and help them change their lives. Improving their performance in sport, relieving and or managing their pain, prevention of injury & managing their injuries, meeting new people….the list goes on.

What was the biggest eye opener for you when you started?

Feeling like I always need to learn more. The education is never finished in the industry. You can never learn or know enough. There’s always another case that has you stumped then reading and researching for hours on end…you never stop learning and you may never have all the answers.

What do you dislike about massage therapy?
Washing and drying loads and loads of towels.

CONSIDERING A CAREER AS A MASSAGE THERAPIST?