Massage Therapy School in Portland, ME
In Portland Maine, massage is about wellness in its many forms. It’s about people who seek out massage and energy modalities to support general wellness and those who use results-oriented bodywork to help them regain function.
One will find massage practiced in diverse settings, whether as a routine service or special event. At the University of Southern Maine, massage is part of the biennial pre-finals stress-buster event. At the Cedars, a nursing and rehabilitation facility, elderly and convalescent seniors can enjoy massage at an onsite salon and day spa. At the Dempsey Center, massage is provided free to cancer patients to help them cope with side effects like nausea, pain, and anxiety.
There are many local businesses in this area. The area is not heavy on franchises. Businesses may incorporate multiple services and go by different names. The term “wellness center” is common. Wellness is conceptualized in many ways. The line between spa and wellness center can blur. A wellness center may even have aestheticians onboard.
Professionals who are interested in the spa industry sometimes pursue dual credentials in massage therapy and aesthetics. Some individuals with healthcare backgrounds pursue LMT credentialing to complement other credentials or take their careers in a new direction.
Massage Schools Near Portland, ME
Students at the Spa Tech Institute-Westbrook can select a 6oo-hour therapeutic program or holistic program. The bulk of the curriculum is the same with either option. The therapeutic program includes a 120-hour module in deep tissue massage and trigger point while the holistic program includes a 120-hour module in polarity therapy and RYSE. The therapeutic program is more applicable for those who want to work with people who are active physically or who are at risk for repetitive stress injuries. The holistic program is appropriate for spa work and for particular populations like the elderly. The Spa Tech Institute has massage therapy and polarity therapy student clinics.
Massage Training Options
Massage therapists develop expertise in advanced techniques and approaches. Areas of expertise often reflect offerings of local schools but some massage therapists go out of their way to add to their skill sets. The following are among the specialty trainings and certifications touted by massage therapists in the Portland area: Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy, Mana Lomi, Cherokee Bodywork, Myofascial Release, and craniosacral therapy. Dempsey Center massage therapists are oncology-certified.
Portland, Maine Massage Practices
The following are among Portland’s massage practices:
The Southern Maine Massage and Wellness Co-op currently has eight LMTs on the team; it also has a team of aestheticians. Clients can schedule with their preferred therapist. The co-op seeks a test massage from potential massage therapy members; this is in additional to multiple personal and professional references.
Sage Wellness Therapeutic Bodywork has nine LMTs on its team. Prenatal massage, visceral massage, and Thai massage are among the offerings.
SOMA Massage and Bodywork in South Portland is a small enterprise with just a couple LMT onboard. The practice offers a number of therapeutic services, including a focus massage that targets different body parts and a massage that incorporates Reiki and Polarity Therapy.
Nine Stones Spa, a high-end spa, incorporates heat, scents, and natural blends that may have healing properties. Clients can opt for Aromatic Hot Towel or Arnica Muscle Relief massages, among others. Here, a classic massage doesn’t signify just basic Swedish. It may incorporate a number of styles, including Lomi Lomi. Nine Stones Spa has a relatively large team.
Athlete’s Touch Sports Rehabilitation and Wellness Center also has a fairly large team – but a very different focus. Clients come for sports massage, orthopedic massage, medical massage, or a massage/ active stretching combo. Basic massage is also available. Athlete’s Touch characterizes medical massage and injury management as provision of results-oriented therapy to people with auto or work-related injuries, with the LMT often working under physician prescription and insurance approval. Athlete’s Touch has expanded beyond its original location with services now also performed at a chiropractic office in a nearby town. A note on the website in late 2019 states that the business is seeking new LMTs.
Rosemont Wellness Center has a lot of yoga and a little of many things, including massage therapy and midwifery.
The area is not entirely without franchises. There is a Massage Envy in South Portland.
Massage Therapists as Entrepreneurs
LMTs enact their visions by going into business solo or with people with similar goals. In some cases, their business partners are their own family members. Some businesses grow to include many. Maine Bodyworks is a husband and wife team. They have quite a few professionals now on their team.
Jade Integrated Health is owned by a married couple: the wife, a dually credentialed physical therapist and massage therapist; the husband an acupuncturist. Their team includes other professionals with similar credentials. It also includes yoga and fitness instructors.
The Spa on Munjoy Hill is yet another husband-wife team. Both are LMTs. One is dually credentialed in aesthetics.
Apple Core Therapy lists an LMT as founder. Team members offer a diverse blend of massage styles, complemented by Reiki and yoga.
Massage Therapist Salary in Portland, ME
Massage therapists in the Portland-South Portland area received an average wage of $22.09 an hour in 2018. Those at the 10th percentile made $13.17 while those at the 90th percentile made $34.37. Job concentration is a little above the national average.