How I started my massage career - Sarah Minen

I always thought I would be a good massage therapist. In highschool, I fluctuated between wanting to go into a Psychology major or studying Massage Therapy for my trade. Both of my parents had a very traditional background and didn't believe that trade school provided an adequate education. They encouraged me to study Psychology, a subject that I excelled in. I went ahead and enrolled at Dixie State College in St. George, Utah and received my Associates degree. I had chosen Sociology as my major and decided to continue my studies at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City but was still unsure of where this career would take me. After 2 weeks in my first semester, I dropped out. It became very clear to me that this was not where I was supposed to be.

8 months later I enrolled at the Utah College of Massage Therapy, although I did so reluctantly. I always knew that this field interested me and that I would end up in a career driven towards helping and healing other people. However, I was not sure if I would be good at it. Massage therapists know that it takes a special quality of touch that makes one stand out in this profession. Also, I had never even received a professional therapeutic massage in my life. Nonetheless, I went ahead and started making my tuition payments and started my training.

For the duration of a year, I learned about massage techniques and all aspects of the human anatomy. I fell in love with the coursework and knew this was how I was going to help people and help myself. I suffered from frequent migraine headaches in my late teens and early twenties and became accustomed to constant pain. Once I began my studies in massage therapy I was receiving massage on a weekly basis and after only 3 short months, my migraines disappeared. How could I not pursue this career considering that I had first-hand proof that it heals the body?

On my last day of school we had to present a business plan to our instructor. My goal was to have my own business running in 5 years. I graduated from the Utah College of Massage Therapy in 2008. I have been a Licensed Massage Therapist for just over 2 years now, and have reached that goal. I started my business at the beginning of 2010 and it has been steadily growing. I don't have to sell this work to my clients because it is an art that sells itself. Massage therapy, in my opinion, is the best therapy for pain management and body maintenance. It heightens people's body awareness more than anything I've ever seen. And that is the key in motivating people to take their health into their own hands. This field has changed my life and health, and its immense healing qualities have been manifested in the majority of my clients.

About the author: Sarah Minen is a Licensed Massage Therapist practicing massage in Salt Lake City, Utah.