People often ask me how I became a therapist and what I did to get there. Well firstly my route to the industry was purely out of interest in the subject matter and I set myself goals and career objectives.
Following a traumatic year in 2013, I took the decision to contact my doctor with regards to intense cognitive behavioural therapy and referral was sought after a battle. During the sessions, we began to talk through various things and came to the conclusion that my then line of career was detrimental to me wellbeing. After some deliberation, I took the brave step of leaving my job to pursue some personal goals and get well.
With my therapist, I wrote down my career objective and found ways to make it obtainable. I decided to retrain as a massage therapist with clear career goals and milestones. In preparation for financial outcomes, I decided to look beyond friends and family as case studies and instead, did everything in my power to build up a database of student case studies from many different marketing drives. Upon qualifying, I had over 50 clients who were were paying full price. Through checking with my insurers about student fees whilst training, they gave me express permission to charge from the onset at a student rate as long as I declared I was a student.
During this period, I readied my offering by building a website, social media links and rented a suitable space for clients to come. I thought by doing this. It would give me motivation to make it all work.. Lets just say that it did work and all my efforts paid off.
My message to any therapist who chooses this pathway is work out what you want from it as the wellbeing industry can be very lucrative. There will be people in your training environment who say that earning is limited and that you can't make a living from it without a supplementary income. Well my belligerence blew their notions out of the water as I refused to take heed of a single word they said. Whilst setting up a massage table in your back bedroom can work for you, it really isn't conducive to making a living and I doubt even yourself would see it as a serious proposition. Instead, focus on motivation, be true to your convictions and never stop learning. This way, you can make it work and tap into earning potential that people would suggest isn't possible. Well I'm telling you that it is possible.
So if you decide that this industry is for you, talk to some successful therapists who make this their living full time. The industry is fantastic.