A Different Way to Choose a Massage Therapist
Finding a Massage Therapist is Hard
I often get asked about how to find a good massage therapist. To be honest, I totally understand the question, but I kind of hate it at the same time, for two reasons. First, It’s a bit of a loaded question to start with because “good” is a subjective term. So, short of getting a referral from someone who you know loves exactly the same type of massage as you, it’s nearly impossible to answer. Second, it’s been answered about a bajillion times on a zillion different blogs, including this one.
If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time you know all about the professional directories, personal referrals, etc. so I’m not going to address those. Instead, I’m going to give you a different way to think about finding a therapist. One that will make it easier to know, like, and trust your therapist, because they’ll start out being part of your tribe.
Where to Look to Find a Massage Therapist
Your new awesome strategy: Find one that supports or belongs to groups that you support.
Here are a few examples of what I mean
- Green business associations – If you’re environmentally minded try looking for a massage business that’s a member, that way you know you won’t get bottled water or products with excess packaging, etc. Many of these organizations have online member listings that you can search by type of business.
- Children’s organizations or charities – If your child needs a massage therapist, or helping children is your passion, you might feel more comfortable with a therapist who feels the same way.
- Local business associations – If you’re a passionate supporter of local businesses don’t you want your local therapist to also support local businesses… other than their own, that is. Many of these organizations have online member listings that you can search by type of business.
- Health related charities – Do you or a loved one have a condition that also has a local, state, or national association or support group? If so, look for massage therapists who volunteer their time at local events or who are members at the national level.
- Religious organizations – If your faith is one of the most important things in your life, try looking for a massage therapist who attends your church or volunteers at local or regional church-related events. If there’s a [insert your faith here] business association in your area, that will be even easier.
Business organizations are the easiest way to find massage therapists because they all have online directories. There are all types of business organizations out there for all types of businesses – green businesses, christian businesses, hispanic owned, woman owned, etc. so do a web search for what you ‘re looking for. With any luck, there’ll be one in your town.
Other organizations and charities can be a great resource as well, but you may have to get involved in the charity, or at least be active on their social media.
So now it’s your turn. Have you ever found a massage therapist through any of these means? If so, how did it go? Let me know in the comments below.
