So what's the secret to a long and successful career in massage therapy? As in any field, the best teacher is usually hard-earned experience. Therefore, as a service to our readers, Massage Therapy Journal recently asked seven experienced therapists--all of whom have been working in the field for 10 years or more--about what they've learned through their hard work and real-life experiences in massage. The key question was: What would you do differently if you were just starting out?
 

Arch Harrison Spokane, Washington Specialties: Deep tissue, sports massage, strain/counter-strain, trauma rehab

Our group included Nancy Curulewski (Frankfort, Illinois), Christine Ruppert (Rockville, Maryland), Richard Royster (West Palm Beach, Florida), Arch Harrison (Spokane, Washington), Elliot Abhau (Annapolis, Maryland), Pamela Sheridan (Boca Raton/Delray Beach, Florida) and Marcia Shaw (Allentown, Pennsylvania).

Most of their words of wisdom have little to do with specific techniques. Rather, they gave a hodgepodge of tips based on one essential notion--that to be a good therapist to others, you first have to be a good friend to yourself. "The biggest misperception about being a massage therapist is that it's easy," says Royster. "Being a masseur is an easy job, being a therapist is a challenging job." Here, in no particular order, are their top six pointers.
 

Number One: Be A Lifelong Student
When Michael Jordan briefly left professional basketball to play with one of the farm teams of the Chicago White Sox, he wasn't only chasing a boyhood dream of his, he was branching out. Although he's returned to his first love, take a lesson from him. According to these therapists, one of the best ways to avoid burnout is to continue your education, and to specialize in more than one type of massage. "There is a tendency to get bored with anything, or fall into rut," says Curulewski. "This is especially applicable to doing massage."

Curulewski, who was initially trained in general massage, has since expanded her practice to include reiki, deep tissue work and CranioSacral^SM Therapy. This variety, she says, has been her saving grace through the inevitable ebbs and flows of her work. "One of the things that is important as a therapist is to keep your work fresh--to keep experiencing and learning different types of work."

Ruppert, who began her training with Swedish and general massage, now focuses primarily on neuromuscular massage for pain management in her private practice. She attributes her longevity as a therapist in part to this commitment to continuing education. "It keeps me balanced," she says.

"It can also keep you modest," says Sheridan, who has her own private therapeutic massage practice. "When we first become therapists, we learn all this stuff. We start to feel confident that we're getting good at it. We can start to think we know a lot. But the more we know, the more we should realize that there's so much more to know. Staying humble is a good thing."
Having several specialties and investing in continuing education isn't just good for the soul, it also keeps you marketable in a constantly changing market. "Because massage fits on a broad continuum, there are so many ways it can be applied," says Abrau, whose practice includes Zero Balancing¨ as well as eclectic massage, and whose practice includes animal clients as well as human.

"I've used it everywhere, from working with hospices, or going into business settings," she says. "There are bodies all around us. It's always suitable. With bodywork, there's always something you can do."
 

Arch Harrison does home visits and also works at an outpatient clinic.

The real reward, however, for continuing your education may be the fresh perspective you can offer your clients. "Many massage therapists lose interest because they burn out mentally," says Royster, who also has a doctorate in naturopathy. "Patients pick up on this. It's important to always invest in yourself to keep interested, and to learn something new."
 

Number Two: Look To Your Community To Market Yourself
When Curulewski first moved to the small community of Frankfort, Illinois, 35 miles southwest of Chicago, she was attracted in part to the town's historic downtown district and community feel.

At first glance, however, she wasn't sure how she would build her business. With further thought, she decided to go right to the source--the business community. Her first move was to join Frankfort's Chamber of Commerce. Once she was known to the other business owners, she arranged for them to carry her flyers in their shops. She even negotiated a "flyer exchange" with the owner of a local candle shop. Her creative marketing paid off. She now has a steady clientele and continued word-of-mouth business. "Word of mouth is good advertising," she says.

Ruppert also went into her community to market her business. She volunteers at local sporting events. "This gives me exposure," she says. Ruppert also uses the power of the written word by sending a two-page health and massage newsletter every quarter to existing and old clients. "It keeps people on my client list aware, and it brings back people I haven't seen in years," she says.

Royster recommends donating time to your local house of worship. "Do demonstrations," he says. "Offer one-tenth of your time for free. This will help you to network and to have contact in the community."

Shaw, who works as both an accountant and a massage therapist specializing in deep muscle massage, began her massage practice while still working full time as an accountant. Her first foray into marketing led her down a blind alley, but she eventually got the hang of it. "I advertised in the local paper," she says. "One of the phone calls I got, the person wanted to know if spanking was involved." Needless to say, she opted for other marketing means. "Instead I've joined clubs--the Allentown Hiking Club and the Hellertown Women's Club," she says. Fellow members pass the word to others about Shaw's expertise. "The word of mouth has been good," she says.
 

Number Three: Take Care Of Yourself
Repetitive stress injury, work overload, simple burnout. Sound familiar? It was to most of these therapists until they discovered a truism recommended across the board: Take care of yourself.
It's not simply indulgence; it's good business. "You have to take care of yourself in order to run a business. Self-care is highly important," says Curulewski. She learned the hard way. "I was working six days a week for three or four years until I got regular bodywork myself."

Ruppert learned the value of bodywork while she was still in school. "I realized how good it felt for me, and I learned much from it," she says. Now, she gets a massage every week. "I pay attention while on the table, not so much that I'm not allowing my body relax, but to notice how the stroke feels on my body, and applying it to my clients."
 

Pamela Sheridan Boca Raton/Delray Beach, Florida Specialties: Neuromuscular therapy, myofascial work

For Ruppert, it's a matter of survival. "I hear of many people who come out of school and never get a massage themselves. It's a contributing factor in burnout," she says. "We're putting out a lot of energy; we're giving a lot. Many of us give too much. You need to receive, too, in order to set yourself back up for your own healing process, and for self-awareness."

This combination of self-care and self-awareness also led Ruppert to a lyengar-style yoga practice. "It's very balancing for me, and it has a strong physiology component." As she does with the bodywork she receives, she uses her yoga practice to enhance her massage work. "I like studying anatomy, looking at those body parts and explaining what's going on as part of the session enables people to understand what's happening."

Shaw also gets regular bodywork, which she gives and gets through other therapists in her town. She also stays in shape with outdoor sports, such as hiking and kayaking, which, she says, helps mitigate the effects of her downfall--chocolate.

Sheridan agrees that staying in shape is important. "It's a physically active thing that we do; we need to take care of ourselves," she says. "And we're preaching health, so we need to be healthy, or try to be."

Curulewski also recommends a meditative, psychological or spiritual practice for massage therapists. "Whatever will get you in touch with yourself," she says. "This is especially important for those therapists who plan to work with clients on a deeper level with any type of energy work--CranioSacral Therapy or Ortho-Bionomy. If you haven't dealt with yourself, you won't be there for clients when they need you."

Sometimes self-care comes down to technical points. Harrison has a quick and easy tip for self-care: "Learn three different ways to do the same thing. Know how to do the same strokes with three different parts of your body," he says. "You will not overuse one part of your body."