Dolce Vita

I am currently a licensed massage therapist in the state of Florida but am planning to move to Montreal, Quebec (Canada). I would like to know how to apply for a Canadian massage therapist license via reciprocity. If you can also give me the link to the Canadian Board of Massage Therapy, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Please go to the faq section. There may be different rules for Quebec; this is the way Canada operates. One set of rules for Quebec, one set of rules for the rest of the country.

http://www.cmta.ca/

I think most of your questions should be answered here.
If not, contact the CMTA.

I looked at a degree for my college that I am planning to attend for arts. I have decided to do massage therapy then go back for arts. But the classes required for the degree do not seem like they would teach any hands on massage maneuvers (it is a community college). I think I might have to look for a different school. I live in Minnesota I can not find the regulations for class hours or if it even is regulated in this state but I am going to look for them again.

Check out ABMP.com and AMTA.org for information on massage and massage schools. These are the two trade associations in the US. A good program will usually be at least 500 hours and most states that do license require at least 500 hours of training (good to think about if you ever want to move). Some schools offer a certificate others an associates degree, if you are planning to continue your studies and pursue a degree in art it might be nice to get an associates and get some of your core classes out of the way at a community college.

Any Massage school should include hands on training, you will usually trade with your classmates, have a required number of outside massages you give to your friends and family and a clinic where you work on the public. You should also ask if you will be trained to give a whole body massage. Some schools (particularly those part of the state system) may not train in massage for the gluteals (buttocks), chest, breasts or muscle attachment sites near the genitals.

You should also find out what modalities you can be trained in and whether you will be able to get certified in them. Reflexology, hot stone, and prenatal are some very popular spa services and training can be expensive if you have to pick it up outside of school.

I would suggest scheduling a couple of massages and asking the therapists what school they went to and what they thought of their training. Ask at spa’s which schools they respect and schedule an interview with the program coordinator to get your questions answered. A little work and dilgence now will help you get a better idea of where to go and what to do.

Also MN is not regulated at this time:http://www.massagetherapy.com/careers/stateboards.php

I currently live in LA and am wanting to go to massage therapy school, but plan on moving to canada, but the schools i’ve looked at only give you a certification to work in california or just in the states.

That’s because what you are looking for does not exist, as massage is regulated by individual states and provinces. The requirements in most of the Canadian provinces are more demanding than they are in the states, so if you are planning to move to Canada you would be better off waiting until you move to go to massage school.

Any small business help is much appreciated. Also, where should I look to settle in Vancouver (moving from Toronto). Should I get a 2 bedroom apartment? Can I even rent a studio/living space in one unit? Help!

I live in Vancouver, so I can help. Yes you can rent studio/living space units. trouble is most of them are located in areas that would not provide the clients that you need. They are mostly used by musicians, artists, etc. And foot traffic is nearly non-existent. I don’t know what your financial situation is as to where I could suggest to look for accommodations, and our transit system is pretty good. If you have a car you have even more choice in location. Vancouver already has an abundance of business’s like yours, and the people who live in a couple of particular areas would not even consider using your services. I can help you to find what you need, please email me and I will help. Have you thought of providing your services as an in home business??? I don’t think you would have as much competition and it could be very lucrative, If you are wanting a 2 bedroom apt with the idea of using 1 room as your studio, BAD IDEA.

I just wanted to know if it would be a good idea to get in massage therapy school before getting into Physical therapy and what would be a better option physical therapy aide or massage therapy just wondering?

Other than the fact that you could earn money in your spare time, there is no advantage to becoming a massage therapist prior to becoming a PT. The level of anatomy offered at most MT schools is substandard to the gross human anatomy required by PT programs. PTs are hardly using massage anymore, and any techniques you really need to know as a PT take only a few hours to learn. Most employers would not consider having your MT and PT to be of any further asset.

Becoming an assistant isn’t worth the effort either. It would take you two years to get the degree and then you would find out that you have to start all over again to become a PT.

Becoming an aide is possible, as it requires no formal experience. But it is not necessary to become an aide prior to becoming a PT. It’s a good experience, but it pays very little.

If you are serious about becoming a PT, I would start completing your prerequisites first.

If you are in need of cash while you go to school, I would actually consider being a personal trainer. You’ll learn more about exercise physiology and the time required to become a personal trainer is relatively little as compared to the MT (ie, you can start earning cash sooner). The start up costs for becoming a personal trainer can be significantly less than that of an MT.

My two cents

Yes, but the key word there is qualified. They need to be trained and have a certain amout of hours in any other modality. For example, I’ve been trained in Swedish, Hot stone (hydrotherapy), Shiatsu, Thai, Myo fascial release, and Cranial sacral therapy just to name a few. I would never do something I have not been trained in. Hope that helps, and good luck!