I recently got a text message from a former patient who just moved to Texas asking me if I could help him find a good massage therapist. The city he moved to has a TON of massage therapists! A Google search pulled up over 30 for me to look through! This got me thinking. It is SO HARD to figure out which massage therapist you want to go to. I recently went to Siesta Key on vacation, and the area we stayed in had over 10 different massage therapists in a 5 mile radius! There are more and more of us these days (which makes me very happy!)—all with varying specialties. Massage Therapy isn’t just “one thing”, there are almost an infinite number of different techniques therapists use—ranging from very relaxing massages with essential oils to sports-style massages where the therapist stretches more than they actually apply hands-on techniques. In fact, I know a couple great massage therapists who don’t use their hands at all—opting instead to use their feet. If you have ever met me, you know that I am not a small lady. There’s no way I am walking on anybody. The best advice I can offer someone looking for the right massage therapist is to put some time in thinking about what kind of massage they really want.

Most massage therapists now have websites that lay out the types of work they offer. When looking for a new massage therapist, the more time you spend reading about the massage therapists in your area—the less money you will waste going from place to place. A search on Google will pull up the massage therapists closest to your current location. This search will also give you other valuable information including therapist websites and customer reviews. When I look for a massage therapist in a new place, I read over reviews first—and I am not necessarily only looking at therapists who have perfect 5-star scores. The star-scoring system can be misleading. You never know why a customer leaves a negative review, so I like to look at both the review AND the therapist’s response to get a more realistic view. If the reviews are positive—or the therapist handles any negative views honestly and with professionalism—the next place I spend time is the therapist’s website. On their website, I am looking for a few things—the most important being Education and Licensure.

Licensure requirements for massage therapists vary from state to state. Here in the state of Florida, all practicing massage therapists are required to be licensed by the Florida Board of Massage Therapy. Each Licensed Massage Therapist has a searchable license that begins with the letters “MA”. Mine is MA51792, for example. Each establishment offering massage therapy carries a separate searchable Establishment License (beginning with “MM”). So, if you are looking for a massage therapist within the state of Florida—you want to make sure the therapist is covered by both licenses. (Note: If a massage therapist is “mobile”, or willing to travel to you—they may not have an establishment license.) If you are looking for a massage therapist outside the state of Florida, a Google search of “_____(name of state)____ massage license requirements” should tell you the regulations of the state you are searching for. In addition to licensure, the massage therapist’s website should also tell you where they received their training—along with any further education received and modalities the therapist specializes in. Another helpful piece of info is whether or not the therapist is a member of any professional organizations. This information is what I am looking for when searching for a new massage therapist. I want to know that my new therapist is well-educated—but just as importantly, I want to know what his/her specialty is.

I personally like to find a massage therapist who is very “niche”—meaning that they are usually very good at one particular thing. If I am searching for a relaxation-massage specialist, I am most likely to try out a massage from a therapist operating in a very “spa-style” environment. I want to know what their massage space looks like, if they offer extra services (such as body scrubs or massages with essential oils), and if I am able to relax for a while before leaving their establishment. If I am in need of a medical massage therapist, I am really digging into the information about what classes and/or certifictations they have taken since their original massage school. I am looking for things like whether or not the therapist has taken training in Myofascial Release or Trigger Point Therapy. No matter what style of massage therapist I am looking for—I look through several websites before making a decision to see what kinds of massages are available in an area.

It must be said that in spite of my research, there have been times where I have not gotten the massage I wanted on my first attempt. As I told my former patient who moved—sometimes you just have to try out a few massage therapists until you find the best fit. Nothing teaches you what you want like not originally getting it. Hopefully, though, this advice will give you a way to narrow down your search to a few great therapists you can try out. Above all, I hope that this post was helpful. If you have any additional comments or questions—I welcome the new ideas! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog.

—Stephanie

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