Is this you? You’ve settled into your first massage job or you’re working to grow your private practice. You have enough clients, but you’re interested in attracting more and in challenging yourself to meet the needs of distinct client populations. Part of you misses the camaraderie and lively exchange of the massage classroom, and when you get right down to it, you’re feeling just a little bored. If any of this sounds familiar, it might be time to specialize.

What is Specialization?
In general, the term specialization refers to the process of becoming specialized through a particular pursuit, occupation, or product. For our discussion, specialization means to focus your efforts in one area to develop expertise: meeting the needs of a unique client group or focusing on a set of techniques or modalities to gain a greater degree of treatment proficiency.

Specialize by Client Type
When you specialize by client type, you are drawn to focus your career on the particular needs and wants of a specific population and become highly knowledgeable about their health concerns and wellness goals.
For example, you might become a specialist in massage for older adults and work in private practice. You might also work with the terminally ill at a hospice or a hospital. Massage for robust older adults supports healthy aging and may provide relief from some symptoms of age-related health problems. Massage in a hospice setting will require you to carefully research the side effects of medications and how massage and different medications might interact; you would need specialized understanding of conditions like orthostatic hypotension and how to determine session adaptations based on the client’s level of health. If you provide massage for end-of-life care, you will want to know the signs and symptoms of approaching death and how to work effectively with a health-care team in a medical setting.
A therapist might also specialize in prenatal and postnatal massage to work with pregnant women and infants. Massage can provide relief from the aches and pains of a pregnant body, so long as the therapist understands how to position the client properly and deliver appropriate techniques.    
Athletes and people focused on fitness recognize that massage increases flexibility, supports the recovery process from events or intense training sessions, and improves performance. Therapists who want to move into this area will need to have a thorough understanding of muscles and their functions. They will also need to understand which muscles are stressed in a particular sport; for example, runners will likely benefit from a different approach to massage than swimmers.
Other areas of specialization include animal massage, working with the physically challenged, and working with clients living with mental-health issues.

Specialize by Massage System
When you specialize by massage system, you are drawn to focus your career on the practice of a particular form or style of massage that appeals to you, and you become highly knowledgeable and proficient in the delivery of that specific modality.
For example, reflexology is based on the belief that specific points on the feet, hands, and ears correspond to all areas of the body, including the glands and organs. Therapists use reflexology to stimulate these points to balance the body and promote wellness. You may decide you love working on the feet and develop a menu of reflexology services that appeals to clients who specifically seek out foot massage. You might enhance your services with a foot soak or the addition of spa products to the feet to increase client options for wellness.
In another example, you might choose to focus your practice on neuromuscular therapy. This method uses the interaction between the nervous system and muscles to facilitate changes in muscular holding patterns and to reduce myofascial trigger points. This type of massage often works well for clients wishing to address and change chronic muscular conditions.
Another option is to specialize in Eastern approaches to wellness and focus your practice on promoting harmony in the flow of qi as a means to prevent disease and improve overall health. Well-known Eastern forms of bodywork include acupressure based on Chinese meridian theory, amma (traditional Japanese massage), shiatsu (combining “finger pressure” with acupressure, stretching, joint movements, and massage strokes), or Thai massage performed on a flat mat on the floor with the client fully clothed.

The Pros of Specialization
Specialization has some notable benefits. First, you set yourself apart from other therapists in the marketplace. This can be particularly useful when you use social media marketing and create advertising and promotions just for your segment of consumers. It helps you focus your efforts and your dollars. By being able to focus on just one or two areas of specialization, you can establish more solid relationships with a group of people who are more likely to refer their like-minded friends in your direction.

The Cons of Specialization
Specialization also has some drawbacks; namely, you eliminate the majority of the population as potential clients. If I’m not pregnant, I’m probably not going to a center for pregnancy massage. If my feet don’t hurt, but my shoulders do, I’m not going to an office focused on reflexology.

Finding a Middle Ground
Obviously, you can find a middle ground. It might be that you offer full-body massage but specialize in reflexology. Maybe you work at a hospice on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, you work at a spa. As your career evolves, you have to think about what you want and need. The great thing about a career in massage therapy is you can mix and match the type of work you do and the environments you practice in. Even better, you can constantly evolve and find new inspiration for your practice by exploring different ways to specialize.         
As you contemplate your options, review ABMP’s rich library of webinars in the ABMP Online Education Center available at www.abmpeducationcenter.com. Many explore special client populations and specific methods for growing your treatment toolbox.

Anne Williams is the director of education for Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals and author of Massage Mastery: from Student to Professional (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2012) and Spa Bodywork: A Guide for Massage Therapists (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006). She can be reached at anne@abmp.com.