Meet a Massage Therapist

We caught up with Matt Durston who is a remedial massage therapist with ten years of experience. He currently runs his own clinic where he treats clients incorporating deep tissue, relaxation, and therapeutic massage techniques. He is also the leading massage therapist for the Australian Netball Diamonds.

I studied a Certificate IV in Massage and Diploma of Remedial Massage at the Southern School of Natural Therapies

I work in private practice as a remedial massage therapist treating a range of clients from professional athletes to everyday office workers.

Generally it involves either an early start and or a late finish. Most clients want before or after work. A typical day for me is a 7:30am start with clients up until 12pm, then I have a 1-2 hour break then recommence from around 1:30/2 and work until 7.

The most important skill is a great sense of touch. You need to be able to feel what is going on under your hands. Second you have to have great interpersonal skills. Not one patient is the same and they all need to be communicated and treated in a manner that best suits them.

If you see it as a career path then look at doing a longer and comprehensive course. Get your hands on as many bodies as you can when starting-out. The more practice and exposure to different body types and injuries the better your knowledge base and skill set becomes. Finally, go and get plenty of massages from other practitioners. See what feels good and what doesn’t, when you have it done to you

I hopefully plan to team up with another health practitioner and open another clinic. I would also like to look into the possibility of teaching at one of the Massage schools.

Thank You, Matt, for sharing your story with training.com.au