Men - Will they be successful in a massage therapy career?
I seem to get this question all of the time…
Men wanting to become massage therapists fear that they won’t be able to compete with the females and be successful.
My thoughts on this are that you can be as successful as you want no matter who you are. Being a male will have it’s challenges because some women won’t want to be worked on by a male or some men don’t want to be worked on by a male - It is all how you really handle the situation.
If you work in a clinic with other females - how is the phone answered? Asking the question do you want a male or female therapist sets up the idea that you may not want a male. If you start with saying when do you want to get in and our next available appointment is with Mark at xxxx then they have the choice.
I know there are some women who don’t feel safe with men. Working with a nurturing male can help in dealing with these issues. But you of course can’t force your opinion on them saying something like - it sounds like you have issues with men that could be worked out by working with a male…
What do you think guys???
How do you handle being male in a female profession?
April 14th, 2006 at 7:19 pm
As a male entering massage therapy training I’m very interested in hearing about the challenges experienced by male massage therapists in establishing their practice … the feedback could be very helpful.
April 20th, 2006 at 7:35 pm
My wife and I are both massage therapists, graduated from the same school at the same time. I got extremely discouraged when we started job seeking and my wife was offered many interviews while I was flat out told “No, we don’t want to hire a man”. I never thought I would be discriminated against as a man! I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I almost thought it was against the law the way they flat out refused to even meet with me. My wife was constantly sticking up for me and vouching for my technique but I kept getting denied. Finally we decided to go into business for ourselves. We did have a few clients who only wanted my wife (all men) because they thought being touched by a guy would be too weird. But now I have a lot of clients who request me. I think the difference was I aimed my massage more towards therapeutic and somehow that changed the way people interpreted the meaning of the touch. Also, I did alot of marketing in person. We would have open houses and give free chair massage to potential clients. Once they met me, they realized that I wasn’t at all threatening. I think the hard part for people to overcome is the image they have in their minds. I am glad that I went into this profession. It is so rewarding to rid people of their pain and make them feel better. I also know that I am helping to break the stereotypes associated with male massage therapists. Hopefully, the discrimination in this field will be ended some day. I believe that clients should have the right to choose but employers shouldn’t deny male therapists the right to interview and be employed b/c they have a notion that no clients would want a male therapist. To all the males thinking of entering the field: GO FOR IT!
April 24th, 2006 at 8:28 pm
I don’t happen to believe as a general rule male massage therapists are discriminated against in our profession. Why not also say straight male massage therapist are discriminated against more so than gay male mt’s.
I agree with Julie in that success is all about communicating who you are and what gifts you offer to potential clients and employers.
Sometimes you have look at situations from both an employers perspective as well as your own.
If I own a spa and I see my bottom line is massage rooms staffed by female mt’s have a higher booking rate than rooms staffed by male mt’s, how can one fault an employer for drawing an obvious conclusion? Ultimately mt’s must choose clients and employers wisely using common sense.
May 2nd, 2006 at 9:14 am
I happened to Job Shadow one of the most successful Male Massage Therapists in Ontario before I went to college for massage myself. I did not see much discrimination in the least. I did see the occasional patient that specifically requested a female therapist because that is what made them most comfortable but quite often if not every time such a patient received a massage from my and experienced the professionalism that is done by both males and females, they preferred to return to the services I provided.
I find that men in the industry are judged heavily by their skills and as long as you are up to the task you will do quite well.
http://www.grip.cc
May 5th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
Hello,
This is a great topic and one I’ve had personal experience with. In my opinion, men can and do succeed as a massage therapist. The key is to focus on finding the clients who want a male massage therapist or don’t care about the gender of their therapist.
If a client doesn’t want a male therapist, it’s important to remember that is a reflection of their (or their significant other) personal preferences, and not a reflection on your abilities as a therapist.
Here’s a link to a previous newsletter article of mine where I discuss in more detail some marketing strategies for male therapists.
http://www.helpyourpractice.com/hyp_newsletter_Sept19_2005.htm
Sincerely,
Michael Humphreys
May 15th, 2006 at 6:32 am
This is a very fascinating article. I have been in the massage industry for 15 years no and the only problem I have ever faced are my own beliefs. !5 year age I thought I would have problems. 6 months after I gave up the belief I had all the work I could find.
8 years ago I moved to Texas and was told I’d never make it in Texas as a male therapist. It’s a good thing I don’t listen well; it was the best move I ever made. I increased my income two fold. I now teach as well as direct a school program.
Watching Myself and, over the years student, I find that most if not all limitation tend to come from within ones own beliefs and how we act out those beliefs.
Pick up your massage magazine of choice and see how many of the articles are written by men.
I’ll give an example: In our internship program as students set up massages they would always ask, “Would you like a male or female therapist?†There was almost always a lag in response to the question. Two years into the program a very nice woman asked me after her massage, “Is there an dedicate to picking a male or female therapist?†When I was asked on the phone I didn’t know the right answer.†After the conversation I spoke with a few more clients and some of my own clients. The amazing part was many folks thought there was some sort of proper or improper choice as to male or female therapist.
We changed a few things in class and in the internship. Student now schedule the massage and then respond with, “XXXX will be your therapist and HE or SHE will call the day before your massage to remind you of you appointment give directions or answer any questions your may have.†Sometimes folks will ask to have a male or female therapist, but for the most part the problem was gone! By the way most of my male students finish internship a week faster then the female student (not sure why). We are also running about a 60% female to 40% male student rate.
July 10th, 2006 at 7:37 am
I have been a male massage therapist for 6 years and it happened only twice that a lady refuse to get a massage with me.
I think that the way we introduce the male therapist is very important. A Receptionist should never ask a client if they prefer a male or female but would rather explain the asets of the therapist. Many people, especialy those who really like massage and receive regularly wil tell you that they actually prefer men s hands, because of the controled power a man can deliver.Physically a man can really give more than a woman. I am not a machist, it is just obvious.
July 19th, 2006 at 1:04 pm
I’ve been a massage therapist for more than 18 years. During some of that time I didn’t work a lot, mostly because I was the stay at home parent for my daughters and we didn’t have a space that I could work from at home. It’s hard to get 3 girls, 3 dogs and a wife to stay quiet enough for a massage for hours at a time.
I’ve found many of the things mentioned here to be true. I now live in Cleveland, Ohio. My website http://nurturework.com has been #1 in Google for Cleveland Massage Therapy for more than 3 years now. However, it’s still hard to make a full time living as a massage therapist. I have started to design a few other sites too. I’ll list them at the bottom.
I’ve found that the main problems I encounter are:
1. I’m in the Mid-West. As progressive as Cleveland is becoming it’s not nearly as progressive as NYC, LA, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston or even Philly where I lived for many years.
2. Among people who have never had a massage before (90% of the population), the great majority would rather have a woman work on them because.
a. Women would often rather get a massage from a woman so they don’t have to worry about the male-female energy in the room.
Especially if it’s in their home. Imagine what percentage of women who have never had a massage before would invite a strange man to their home where they’re going to remove their clothes and let them put their hands on their naked bodies. Sounds different when I put it in that perspective but that’s what goes through peoples heads.
b. Men would rather have a woman work on them simply because they’re homophobic. They don’t want to be touched by a man -plain and simple. And, that’s wether or not they’re playing the tape in their brain that says, “MAYBE something sensual or sexual might happen if I get a massage from a woman.”
HOWEVER, among people who have had lots of massage from both men and women many of them would rather have a man give them a massage. Why? Generally men have more hand strength, more muscle, a longer reach for strokes, more stamina, etc.
That’s not to say that there are not women who have hand strenght and muscle to get the job done. And that’s not to say that men are more likely to beat up your muscles or tie you in knots.
There are plenty of strong AND nurturing men who do massage. I’m one of them. My work is very intuitive. And, I’m straight! I’m not homophobic, but I’m straight.
As has been said here, people have to be willing to try massage from a male. It may be better, it may be worse than the work they’ve had from women. And, most people don’t have the funds to try every therapist in town, so when they find someone nearby who is decent they’ll ususally stay with that person.
I’d love an magic wand to wave and be able to show people the difference between my work and others, but unfortunately they have to get on the table.
My new sites are http://clevelandohiomassage.com and http://misaj.com
Squeeze ya later,
Jay
jay@nurturework.com
July 19th, 2006 at 8:03 pm
I looked at your new websites and see you have an office now where you can do massage out of rather than going to peoples homes.
I think that will provide a much more professional image and hopefully get you more clients.
If you look at the overture search results for cleveland massage:
1630 massage cleveland ohio
274 cleveland massage
123 cleveland erotic massage
78 bodywork cleveland massage
72 cleveland institute of medical massage
55 massage licensed therapist cleveland
46 cleveland nude massage
46 sensual massage cleveland
42 cleveland in massage ohio
37 prostate massage cleveland
34 cleveland male massage
32 massage in cleveland
29 sensual massage in cleveland
28 cleveland massage parlor
27 massage school cleveland ohio
25 cleveland equipment massage
25 erotic massage in cleveland ohio
25 cleveland massage therapy
And that is just Yahoo…google has about 8x the number of searches. You should have a lot of clients. I would also write pages about sensual massage and erotic massage and nude massage and explain how massage is not about that anymore…
I also hate to say it but a man doing nurture work may also be a hinderence as some may not believe you are doing it without an agenda. If it were here in Seattle or in California I think it’d go over better but then in CA you may be getting the gay male massage interest.
I think your clevelandohiomassage.com will be a much better name for you.
I hope you don’t take this the wrong way (I’d get a massage from you if I ever pass through cleveland)
It is such a touchy thing!!
Julie
August 27th, 2006 at 4:36 pm
I’ve had a few people not interested in being touched by a man, both men and women. That’s okay by me. Part of my success now has come from dealing with my own issues with touching others, whether it’s a man or woman on the table. All I care about now (when I’m the client) is can this person be present with both themself and me and do they know what they’re doing (even when they say they don’t)? My biggest seller has been meeting people face to face or on the phone so they can see who I am and that I’m not some sort of creep or pervert. There are many out there who have issues with being touched by anyone and it’s usually more complicted when it comes to being touched by a man. It’s not my job to fix their issues, but I can do my part of educating people simply by doing the best work I can do. When clients really trust me, they are more apt to share their experience with their friends and family.
Julie, yes, I agree that for someone who has issues with being touched by either a man or woman, one of the best things they can do is work with someone on that. And yeah, you can’t force it on them…they have to be ready and do it willingly.
September 8th, 2006 at 11:52 am
I am a 55 yr old female massage therapy student. My “male massage therapist” is the one who got me interested in it. I started seeing him after an auto injury. I apologize to my female peers, but the best massages I have gotten have been by male therapists. When my back and shoulder are bothering me, it’s only been the male therapists who had have enough strength to give me the stretches that really give me relief. Granted, most of the massages I’ve had have been by other students. And I know women with the right body mechanics can get that same kind of pressure. Believe me, I’m trying to work on that myself. And here I am thinking, I’d have a harder time getting a job because I am a woman. LOL. Best of luck to all of you. And men, don’t give up. There are clients out there who prefer male therapists.
September 13th, 2006 at 8:49 am
i’ve been a massage therapist for 3 years now and a male all my life. the simplist way to handle any situation is is with theraputic intent. people who are truly seeking help with a medical problem will open up to anyone who shows genuine compassion and concern for their individual need. i speend a great deal of time explaning all of my techniques and why i do them. this seems to ease the mind of many. there will always be some who have a closed mind as to who their therapist should be. that is their problem and is best to just acknowledge their opinion and leave it alone. trying to convince someone to change their mind will just leave a negative opinion of the therapist. let your exceptional knowledge, skills and compassion shine thru and all will take care of its self. i now find that many people seek me out for my reputation and willingness to answer any and all questions.
October 7th, 2006 at 9:56 am
I AM A 24 YEAR OLD BLACK MALE. IS THIS A GOOD PROFESSION BEING BLACK AND BEING MALE? OR A DOUBLE DISCRIMINATION
October 20th, 2006 at 5:24 pm
Massage Nerds Ryan Hoyme responses to his initial article in
http://www.thebodyworker.com/malemassagetherapistsryanhoyme.htm
http://massagenerd.com/Male_Massage_Therapist.html
http://www.thebodyworker.com/malemassagetherapistissues.htm
December 5th, 2006 at 9:59 pm
Just discovered these websites and I think these are great discussion topics… Thought I’d share my experience as a male massage therapist…
I am happy to say that 6 years into practice I do consistently 22-25 hours per week of hands on and am absolutely loving the work… it took time though and practice building is still a major part of my focus.
Started off in a new chiropractors office… double whammy there : new therapist and new office… it didn’t work out so I moved on…
In order to have a steady workflow and variety in my work I have several different locations that I work from… Central Ontario has numerous resorts and have been fortunate enough to be hired on by two of them… This has allowed me to not only build some regular clients, but get a lot of new clients relaxing at the resorts… I also affiliated myself with a company that supplies massage therapists on site to corporations and trade shows… Contracts have come and gone with this company but the work has been steady and I currently provide massage therapy at an office close to home that has approx 300 employees all with $500-$1000 per year benefits coverage… I also have my own office that I work at in my spare time (what little of it there is)…
I do a lot of relaxation sessions but I also see quite a few muscle strains and tension headache cases (therapeutic stuff)… I quite like the mix…
I feel the main factors that have allowed me to have a career in this field were: being open to different possibilities, willingness to work, dedication to reputation building (cannot be done overnight…I’m getting clients now whom I first met 1-2 years ago), and building strategic contacts (for me a couple of spa managers and the owner of the corporate massage provider company), and not giving up (and of course having good technique).
There were numerous times during my first three years that I thought about switching careers, but I am glad I stuck with it… Yes it is frustrating when I encounter an occasional person who prefers female only… at the resorts though every effort is made to avoid any issues of that sort… I know there are plenty of people that prefer female and thats fine, I would just rather not have that thrown in my face every day…
I hope that my letter will give some insight to male therapists… I’ve been able to make a career of it… it hasn’t been easy but it has been worth it… and I can further say that 2007 is looking like a very promising year.
Take Care
Tim Adams, RMT
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
January 5th, 2007 at 7:19 am
Entering my second quarter in Massage Therapy School (Miller-Motte Technical College-Chattanooga, TN), I have found this topic being an exceptional insight. My wife has had many professional massages, and definitely prefers a male therapist. She was the one who suggested my going to school, and supports me. There are 3 male students in my class, and I’ve seen several more in other classes. After reading every-one’s response’s and checking out several of the websites, I feel I’ve made a great career choice. Thank you all for the knowledge and experience’s you have shared. I will continue researching this topic, so when I graduate, I will definitely be prepared for some of obstacles that are sure to arrise.
February 4th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
I operate a massage therapy practice in a small resort town 1 hour from Atlanta. I get requests from ladies groups and church couples groups occasionally who will requests female therapists only w/o first asking my credentials or explaining why. I politely and professionally state that I am nationally certified and most of my clients are female. I also try to find other therapists who will be available.
What is frustrating is when one person thinks they are representing each persons’ wishes and desires for their session and therapists choices. Like they know what is best for them! The two best examples are 1), I moved my vacation one week to accomodate a church couples (22) retreat the following week. I returned and called to verify the bookings and a lady said only 6 couples wanted sessions, and oh, all wanted females, because you know “we are a church group, ya know?” Well, after calming down and remembering all the rescheduling I did for them, I said sure, but can you tell me why the men need a female also, if you are a church group ya know? No answer yet.
The other female requests was from a church lady representing 30 women who didn’t want any sexual problems, of course. I gave them 4 names of good professional female therapists I knew. I told them to choose one and contact them. She set up all sessions with an excellent female therapist who is open about being lesbian if asked. I did not plan it but I wonder what women think sometimes when they encounter this situation. Do they have the same homophobia feelings that some men unfortunately do?
February 14th, 2007 at 11:22 am
I have worked at a spa for one year. In that time several female MT’s have cycled in and out. I was the only constant therapist. Three months ago a new female MT was hired in full-time. Prior to her arrival my customer base had grown to average ten appointments each week. Not bad for a guy with one year of experience. Customers would return exclaming that I had relieved them of shoulder or neck or low-back pain. I always mailed a thank you card to every customer for every session. I create and mail a newsletter every other month. Then things changed. The new full-time female has effectively taken everyone of my customers. I’m lucky to get three appointments in a twe week period. The staff who schedule our appointments always ask potential customers if they want a male or female MT. I’m not patient with this. I am not optimistic. I am disgusted and angry. I have begun a search for another opportunity, but in the last two months I have received not one interview. I have been bluntly turned down because they “don’t want to hire a male MT” twice. I am thinking seriously about consulting an attorney regarding the discrimination issue.
I love my work, when I get to do it.
April 4th, 2007 at 11:17 am
I think you male massage therapists in time will have no trouble working. It seems as far as sexuality is concerned we are rapidly headed towards the roman mantality where anything goes and unisex is the norm. Dont most all women want to go to male gyno’s what about males doing ekg on women, male technicians in the use of breast and vagina ultra sounds. I think its all going your way so just hang on the women and girls will be coming your way soon. My personal preference in a chaste society would be that my wife would only visit a woman if nudity and touching is required. If the opposite would happen I would divorce her. And for me I would never have another woman touching me and particularly where nudity is required and this is out of respect of my marriage covenant with her and in the sight of God. But, I am certain my views are not up to speed with this changing world.
Dar
April 21st, 2007 at 6:30 am
Wow! this is really an interesting discussion board!
I am a straight, married, Christian male massage therapist who has been practicing for a little over 3 years. My background is in somatic disciplines such as personal training focusing on postural distortion correction. I was introduced to the field when one of the nation’s top myofascial massage therapists (a male) assisted me with my personal longstanding problem with fibromyalgia and concurrent trigger poin myofascial pain syndrome.
My practice has been based almost exclusively on a referral basis. In short, people like the work that I do and they come back. The split is approximately 50/50 male and female clients. I am very pleased by this fact as it indicates that both men and women feel comfortable with me as their therapist. There is nothing magical about this, but I will give some insight into a tip or two that I believe has been helpgul to my practice and to my clients/patients.
I “introduce” every client (whether they have had massage before or not) to the massage room and to my massage technique by talking to them about draping procedures, therapeutic intent, what to expect and offering them the opportunity to ask questions. When my client/patient feels that I am there for the same reasons that they are there (therapeutic massage), they are relaxed and comfortable. When the patient/client gets the results that they were seeking and I provide them with a plan of care that is going to help them to make the most of their massage and teach them how to avoid some of the ways of living (posture, muscle imbalances, etc.) that brought on the pain in the first place, then I have a happy, referring client.
In short, massage therapy gives you a real chance to make a real difference. I STRONGLY believe that your gender need not be an impediment to a fantastic practice. If you want it badly enough, keep working, praying and believing for it.
April 26th, 2007 at 3:00 am
As a male who has just started in the massage business full time. So far I have worked with both male and female. Personally I would not want to go to the home of a female unless there was someone else present. I have the use of two centres and am happy to massage females there. I do find that men are also happy to be massaged by me. Ss the last person said that gender should not be an impediment to a fantastic practice. I wish everyone all the best in their massage work.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:58 am
Wow, this is a great topic of discussion!
I am a male massage therapist who has been practicing massage for 10 years. I currently own and run two companies. One is a sports and medical massage clinic http://www.cassidysclinic.com and the other is mobile day spa http://www.sandiegospa2go.com
I am from palm beach, Florida originally and live in san diego, ca now. We have 25 M.T’s on our staff for our companies. In my experience it is more challenging when you work at a spa, day spa, or any facility that asks if you prefer a male or female massage therapist. When I was starting my practice in Palm Beach(a very affluent area of Florida with older more conservitive clientle) it was very important for me to do as one of the previous contributors wrote, and clearly explain in detail the therapeutic applications of each and every one of my massage treatments. I immediatly gravitated towards specific bodywork like trigger point release, deep tissue, myofascial release, sports massage, active issolated stretching and acctive release technique. I found that by positioning myself as an expert in these modalities, my clients were significantly less likley to be concerned with whether I was a male or female. I even was able to get some of the most conservative ladies to allow me to work on them. I did this by truley caring for their outcome(as we should do with each patient) and by teaching them the benefits of the therapy.
It still is an issue here in San Diego with our mobile spa business. We have clients that specifically request and say they only feel comfortable with female massage therapist. Our staff does our best to attempt to educate these clients on the fact that gender has nothing to do with quality, but ultimately we end up providing the customer with what they request, so they feel most comfortable.
I think the bottom line is that if you think that you may experience prejudice, then you will. Position yourself as an expert and do not let anyone stop you from having whatever it is that you want. Do you want 20 clients a week? Do you want to run your own facility? Do you prefer to stay home with the kids and do 1-2 massage treatments a day?
Whatver it is you can have it! But, if you feed into the idea that it is more difficult for a male massage therapist to build a clientle, then I can guarentee that you will have a difficult time. I would wonder why you would not feel comfortable giving a female a massage in her home? Professional is as professional does.
I would suggest that you keep an open heart and ensure that your skills are sharp and sensitive.
Great Success For All!
Chris Cassidy, President CEO
Active Wellness, Inc
DBA http://www.cassidysclinic.com
DBA http://www.sandiegospa2go.com
June 3rd, 2007 at 2:41 am
I’ve been a Massage Therapist for 8 years and a massage instructor for the past 2, this month, I start as Director of Education for an established massage school in Miami.
Yes, I’ve experienced discrimination. Invariably, it comes from spa owners who project their own preferences onto their clients. Clients do sometimes have preferences, but in the absence of any, are easily led. Asking if you want a male or a female therapist sets up in the client’s mind that they should have a preference. Guys are unlikely to state that they prefer a male, but guys account for a small segment in the massage market. Women, in my experience, if they have a gender preference, are at least as likely to prefer a male as a female- BUT if the question is direct as to gender, will often respond that they prefer a female so as not to BE JUDGED by their preference. I agree with the various posters who suggest that there are alternate ways of offering the client a choice without making it about gender. For exmple, “We’ve got a 1:00 with Michael and a 1:30 with Michelle, which would you prefer?” In this case, the client can make their choice without declaring a gender preference(even if that was the basis of their choice.)
As for discrimination, as I said, it’s all about owners projecting their prejudice. I worked for one person for 3 years and frankly, it seemed she was jealous of my success, she tried several times to get the front desk to start asking “Male or Female” and when my wife interviewed with her, she offered her MY JOB, right in front of me, and stated that the reason was that she was a woman. Still the entire time I was there, I only had one client who ever had a problem with my being a male- it was a 60+ year old indian woman whose daughter had bought her first massage for a birthday gift. But she declined to be massaged altogether, even when we offered a female as an alternative. Most of my practice there -95%, was women, and I always had lots of referrals and excellent client surveys.
An openly gay male spa owner in Rehoboth actually told me that it was illegal for a male to massage a female, or a female to massage a male. I called him on it- I have a law degree, but naturally did not get(or at that point want) the courtesy of an interview.
And the owner of another Spa where my wife worked consistently refused to hire a male for any reason whatsoever, though finally, after several years, asked me to come to work for her- but balked when I asked for a larger percentage(I didn’t need the job and knew she had started people after my wife on a larger % than my wife was getting).
Each of these was an instance of a spa owner assuming that their client shared their own biases. Stupid thing to do in business, unless you live in a community full of clones. Unfortunately, I have found that many small spa owners are good practitioners, but very poor businesspeople.
As to legality, if they have more than 15 employees, they are probably subject to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and while I doubt it has been tested in the case of massage- advertising, hiring or offering a preference based on gender(as an employer, not as a client) even based onyour client’s preferences, would clearly be illegal. No law firm, for example, would ever answer the phone, “would you prefer a male, or female attorney?” regardless of their client’s preferences. And before you talk about the personal nature of massage- neither would a Gynecology practice answer the phone in that manner!
MIchael Brechtel, BS, MEd, JD, LMT, NCTMB, Mensan
April 25th, 2008 at 10:50 am
As a male massage therapist, my suggestion would be to treat clients with there clothes on frist,ie Aaron Mattes Active Isolated stretching.