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Massage Therapy College Student Interview
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Student: Gabriella Coniglio
Attending: Cortiva Institute – Muscular Therapy Institute (Boston, MA)
Expected to Graduate: June 2007
| | Gabriella Coniglio always wanted to do something for the world. In her mid-30s, she started massage therapy school thinking that it would be a good foundation for the alternative healing path she intended to pursue. Early in her studies, however, she realized that massage would become her future. |
Coniglio attended the Cortiva Institute just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She completed her 1 ½ year program in June 2007, and graduated with a certificate in massage.
How She Chose a Massage School
Before enrolling in massage therapy college, Coniglio attended one of Cortiva's introductory workshops. "I liked the feel of it when I walked in the door," she says. "I chose Cortiva because I knew it was a good massage school. I had several friends who graduated from there and who spoke highly of its program." Read more about choosing the right massage school.
Financing a Massage Education
To finance her massage therapy college education, Coniglio worked through the first part of her schooling until taking a recent leave of absence from her job. She considered applying for financial aid but received federal grant money and some help from her family. "Between my job, the help I received, and my savings, it about covered all my massage school costs." Read more about massage school tuition and financial aid.
An Emotional Peek Inside a Massage Curriculum
Her favorite classes involve hands-on training, such as her Massage Technique course. Her other favorite is a class called Skills and Dynamics of Therapeutic Relationships. "This is where we talk about the emotions surrounding issues that might come up in a session for the client or the therapist." Issues may include abuse that a client has suffered or potential attraction between the client and the massage therapist.
She considers her Skills and Dynamics teacher, Sue Mapel, one of her mentors. "Sue is a social worker and counselor. She has a kind way about her and encourages us to have supervision. That means having peers, past teachers or other therapists to talk to about emotional issues that we may experience as therapists."
Not to mention, she's received some invaluable business training. "Here we take courses that teach how to start and operate a business, do our taxes and other practical information." And, Coniglio has also been impressed with the level of self-care training Cortiva offers. "I've learned a lot about how to save your hands and back and align yourself properly so that you don't get hurt."
Along with self-care, she has learned some self-awareness. "My biggest fear about doing this job was having to talk to people. I’m really more of a clown than anything else and never thought I could sound professional."
As part of her training, Coniglio is involved in a student clinic where she sees two clients back-to-back. During each session, she interviews the client and then provides treatment according to that person's specific situation. "I had more anxiety over having to interview the people than I did over anything else. I realized, though, that I was much better at it than I'd thought—or, at least I had learned how to do it as part of my training."
More People are Stressed Out and Seeking Alternative Therapies
Pleased with the legitimacy and prestige the massage industry has achieved in recent decades, Coniglio admits, "when I started, some of my classmates and I had a fear of how many massage schools seemed to be popping up on every corner. We were worried that they were offering sort of a 'McMassage' training."
Since then, she's found that much of the market saturation has to do with the growth of the industry. "More and more people are seeking alternative therapies," she says. "So many people out there feel really stressed out. They are hearing how disease is stress-related. They know massage is a great stress-reliever."
She adds, "I remember not long ago when the term 'massage' had a strong sexual overtone when people talked about it. Now, it's a therapeutic arena." On the verge of entering that arena, which stretches across the globe, Coniglio will soon have the world at her fingertips.
Spending the Winters in Mexico
After she graduates, Coniglio expects to focus on muscular therapy as her area of expertise. Depending on whether she works in a public setting or private practice, she anticipates earning between $35 and $75 per hour. "If I run my own business, I'll probably charge around $75 an hour, but there will be overhead costs associated with that like equipment, laundry and other expenses."
As a final step toward practicing on her own, Coniglio will take the National Certification Exam offered through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). Then she will have to decide where to practice. Read more about the importance of taking the NCETMB.
"I love to travel and hope to work seasonally, spending winters in Mexico or another warm climate. In the summers, I plan to practice in the States, but I'm also looking into working on cruise ships." Her eventual locale will determine what additional city, state or licensing requirements she will have to meet before she starts to practice. Read more about massage therapy law and licensure and states regulating massage.
Final Advice to Prospective Massage Students
To all prospective massage college students, Coniglio offers two pieces of advice.
First, do it. "Massage is a great career choice—everyone needs a healing touch, including you as the massage therapist. Plus, the process of going through massage therapy school is very enriching. There's a lot of self-learning that happens. I've grown a lot from the experience."
Second, she advises students to research massage colleges thoroughly. Prospective students can do this by requesting information from many different schools. "I love Cortiva schools because they offer a diverse curriculum,” Coniglio says. But keep in mind, what works for her may not work for someone else.
Related Reading
- Comprehensive List of Massage Schools
- Massage School Tuition & Financial Aid
- An Interview with a Massage Teacher & Professional
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