Ed thoughts

[kimberkit]

I have been thinking a lot, since I graduate soon, about continuing ed. There are a bazillion different avenues to go down, from here, and for purposes of talking to myself and hoping to get some wise input from y'all as to how this all sounds, I'm posting my thoughts here.

Longterm, I am not certain how my body will last, being a massage therapist, no matter how careful I am about body mechanics and adjusting my body to changing needs. So, here are my longterm options...

Option A:
I could pursue a Master's in Social Work and become a psychologist.

Pros: Massage therapy is a great pairing with that path, because trauma survivors store their not-discharged fight-or-flight reaction in their bodies, and with some specialized work, you can actually help people discharge that very quickly. I'm told that sort of work is more intense, with more noises and more effectiveness than several months' work of therapy. (Of course, then you need to be there to support afterwards, since while catharsis is a nice idea, you generally need something to fill a big gaping emotional hole with, whether or not the emotions were positive). I would get to serve people in a very real way, something that appeals to me.

Cons: The schooling would almost certainly be BS-ish at points, and afterwards, I'd need to recruit a whole new set of patients. Building your own practice is at least a year or two's worth of work on top of school, and it is NOT flexible to changing life demands, like, say, wanting to have a baby (I vehemently don't want one now, but I figure if I'm looking at the longterm, I have to factor planning for that, just in case).

Option B:
I could pursue a Master's or Ph.D. in Physical Therapy.
Pros: I suspect I'd like the learning, even if right now, I am a little burnt out on school. It would probably pay more than being an LMT would (although I am less than certain about that due to insurance issues). My parents would be happy. Physical therapy is a somewhat more known and respected field than massage therapy is. I would be employable in a hospital, which would offer more flexibility/ maternity leave than running my own practice would, since running your own practice means having to figure out how to work around client schedules. This might be nice if I ever do want to be pregnant to term.

Cons: I'd almost certainly get less client interaction than I would as a massage therapist. Because PTs are so highly trained, they end up in the same situation doctors do: hospitals like hiring one person to oversee eight bazillion cases, and having the underlings (PT assistants) do all of the actual working with PEOPLE. Not talking to people would almost certainly make me very unhappy in the long run, and less successful. Plus I would have to deal with insurance and getting paid by insurance companies, and the briefing we got in our business class for how to fill out insurance forms and how slowly you get paid in the end made me want to shudder.

Option C:
I go back to school and figure out how to practice more light, energetic modalities for massage.
Pros: I like massage in all forms, energetic work included.
Cons: I don't think I'm patient enough to have that be all I do, exclusively.

Comments

[drlynch.livejournal.com]

i wonder why you didn´t choose physical therapy in the first place?

[osirusbrisbane.livejournal.com]

I feel that while something that's not just doing massage probably presents a more balanced longterm solution, learning a bit of C (regardless of whether that learning requires going back to school or just reading/practicing) might serve you well in the immediate future.

[sir-graeme.livejournal.com]

What have other massage therapists done? What is a "typical" retirement age for a full-time massage therapist?

[kimberkit.livejournal.com]

Okay, well, fine, so I suppose it's in that list at least partly because I am ruled by wanting to please my parents :P But you're right, that makes little sense.

[kimberkit.livejournal.com]

Fair enough :) I've been meaning to pick up a bit of craniosacral; after I graduate, then.

[kimberkit.livejournal.com]

Not enough data around for there to be a "typical" retirement age, because massage therapy as a field didn't start to boom until less than fifteen years ago. However, it is the fact that within 5 years, half of massage therapists become less than full time; partially, it is because schools other than my school are less good about training people to be body-mechanics efficient, and partially, it is a fairly flexible field where women can work part time while they stay home for their children.

[g-me.livejournal.com]

oh man.

I don't think I have any concrete advice for you at this point, except to say that I am beginning to feel somewhat of another grad school itch myself, and that I know I never seem to be satisfied with what I already know.

Which one of your options do you feel most excited about? Which one is most lucrative, and related to that, what kind of income do you want to have later on? Oh, and don't do something just to please your parents. :-)

keep us all posted! you seem passionate about massage, and committed to it, and you're smart. you'll do well.

[entropicangel.livejournal.com]

*hugs* all of these options, and more, could work, and luckily you don't have to definitively choose yet ... and whichever way (or ways) you go, we will get through it, and you'll be AWESOME, because you're really good at this and I have no doubt you'd be able to do quite well in any "additional training" or grad school or whatev's.

sorry, I babble sillily with few specifics ... must think more and be more helpful, but for now, *BIG HUGS* for the love of my life.

[kimberkit.livejournal.com]

Erm, probably option A, but I think I'm going to concentrate on the year or so of building my own practice before I get too thinkative. Thanks for the cheerup, G :)