So, you've made the decision to go to Massage Therapy School, but you have no idea where to start. It's a good thing you're just a click away from some of the most valuable tools for determining the path your future will take!If you're at the point of actually choosing your education provider, you should have already assessed that you're:

1. Ready for schooling ~ financially, emotionally & mentally

2. Confident in your potential to work as a Professional Caregiver

3. Willing and determined to succeed at your new venture

If you're anything like me, you like to be prepared when entering into a new situation, and find comfort in knowing you can avoid unnecessary mistakes by learning from those who graciously share their valuable experiences.

To preface, I am a true believer that no one method works for everyone. Your formula for success will be to do what your inclination advises, guided by the wisdom and personal accounts from seasoned professionals. My first, and most frequent, suggestion is to listen to that intuition. Be attuned to your heart, but ~ don't take everything she has to say...to heart.

Remember that you're going to school to learn, and the skills you will need to become a skilled and successful Massage Therapist can indeed be taught and learned! You first have to ascertain, from past experience and self-assessment, what type of environment will most effectively meet your particular needs as a student.

Finding the opening of the path to your future is an exhilarating occasion, but it is not one to be wholly consumed by emotion and inspirational whimsy. The manner in which you select a school will, in itself, prepare you for your educational endeavor.

Massage Therapy school will require you to utilize your creative, nurturing heart, while demanding that your discerning and logical inner-scientist always be present. Your approach to these attributes within yourself can be a valuable gauge in choosing your institution. No one knows you better than you know yourself, and all the accreditation in the world is not going to make you comfortable in a prestigious and clinical school setting if your tendencies are to be a free-spirited and improvisational healer.

So...you're going to listen to that "little voice" inside your heart, fill up on brain juice, and plan your future, right? Easier said than done! Before you turn to the sage advice of your "elders," take some time to appraise yourself.

"What?" you say, "I know myself pretty darn well, thank you very much."

But do you really?

Do you know how you'd react to being required to learn an ancient Japanese energy therapy called Reiki?

Will you be able to comply with state licensing conditions by participating in up to 12 hours of Continuing Education per year?

Would you find it difficult to refrain from pursuing a private practice while working in establishments that enforce non-compete agreements?

You won't need to answer these specific questions now, but you will need to know yourself well enough to know if you will be able to answer them when the time comes.

If you haven't already guessed, I am a huge fan of lists. Lists for grocery shopping, to-do lists, things I've already done, lists for things I'd like to accomplish tomorrow, this year, in the next decade...oh, the list goes on! Those of you who fear lists should probably either try it out, or develop a record-keeping technique that works best for you. All of your actions, decisions, needs ~ and even most of your thoughts! ~ will require your strict attention, and your stress levels will thank you for it in the end.

So, here is a list of some self-reflective inquiries for you ponder...

• Have you ever had a professional massage before?

• If yes, what did you remember about it?

• enjoy?

• dislike?

• have questions about?

• If no, go get one! *and then answer the above questions

• What interests you most about becoming a Massage Therapist, and why?

• What intimidates or concerns you about becoming a Massage Therapist?

• What method of learning is easiest for you?

• reading, lecturing, or hands-on ~ and in what order?

• What type of environment do you prefer to work in?

• with a large team?

• with a small group?

• as an individual?

• Why do you feel massage therapy is a beneficial service?

• What do you want to accomplish by becoming a Professional Massage Therapist?

• personally?

• professionally?

It may seem to some that these questions have little to nothing to do with choosing which school to attend, but they are likely more relevant than any other you may be asked to consider.

The answers to introspective questions like the ones above can equip you with the information you need to make other critical choices as they arise, give you the confidence of knowing yourself, and provide you with the ability to instinctively make future decisions that will optimize your success and fulfillment.

Many who do not answer these questions before pursuing education options struggle to find those answers as they try to focus simultaneously on their schoolwork, or they find themselves in difficult and frustrating circumstances as a result of misguided judgment.

Being uncomfortable answering such intimate questions about yourself is in no way unusual or concerning. A profession in the healthcare field is destined to conjure up unpleasant feelings at some point along the way, and your inclination and aptitude for processing those experiences are what will determine the course of your career.

However, being unwilling to answer or approach them should give you pause to reconsider your occupational direction and evaluation.

Maybe you need more time to consider your choices?

Maybe you should consider resolving some of your own personal challenges before committing to resolving others'?

Maybe you've never had to consider how well you know yourself, and the concept is a bit overwhelming?

Remember that life is not a contest, but if you try to cheat some of the answers you will only hinder your development, both personally and professionally. Take the time to get to know yourself, becoming a proficient interpreter of your inner language, in order to be able to answer any question of self-reflection.

Whatever your results are, take those answers to heart...and the rest of you will follow.