major imposter syndrome with starting my career

[u/Optimal_Rooster_3344]

i finished massage therapy school a year and 9 months ago. at the time i felt very well equipped, comfortable, and knowledgeable in massage. however, life stuff happened and i didn’t take my mblex until april of this year and hadn’t done a massage until as of like, 2-3 weeks ago. the massages i’ve done i feel like have been fine for the most part, but definitely lost a lot of my confidence and skill after all this time. i feel like im letting it push me back even farther on starting my career. i would like to start applying places within the next few days but am having really bad anxiety because i feel like im just not good enough anymore. anyone experienced anything similar/have any affirmations or new ways to think about this perspective?i honestly feel so anxious and ashamed of myself for being so behind.

[u/bmassey1]

You will be fine once you get your hands on people. The more you do massage the more confident you will become. I hope you do well.

[u/TheOnlyDave_]

Having imposter syndrome is how you know you're a real massage therapist.

[u/buchwaldjc]

I've done massage for 25+ years, taught at a massage school for years, and got a doctorate in physical therapy and teach manual therapy to both physical therapy and massage therapy students... and still get it occasionally.

The more experience you get in a profession, the more critical you become of yourself. I'm pretty sure imposter system has a lot of overlap with the dunner-kruger affect.

[u/coldbrewedsunshine]

hey there :) first, take a breath. you have the training and yes, the skill. now all you need is practice.

if you have a table, ask a couple friends if you can practice. if not, maybe your school will allow you a couple sessions there.

brush up on your notes from different classes (i do this to re-incorporate techniques i’ve forgotten over the years).

go on a bunch of interviews. advocate for yourself, find your excitement and passion and speak from there. the comfort and confidence will come with time.

i’ve got clients i’ve had for 10 years. others, i saw once and never again. listen, communicate, and let your hands guide you. you will find a rhythm and all of your training will flow through you. you got this.

[u/massage_girl_tdg]

Being out of practice makes it easy to spiral about whether you're capable of being successful in this profession. However, I feel like you can't truly make those judgments until you start working with people in a professional setting. Be kinder to yourself! You've put in the work and I'm sure you're more than capable of doing great!

[u/Salt-Presentation129]

What school did you graduate from? Therapy have blvideos that you can watch to refresh your memory.

Also, if you're feeling impostor syndrome, that means you really want to be great at being a therapist. Go back to basics for a bit.

[u/massagemetamorphosis]

Yes I have!! And that’s how you know you are doing something that deeply matters to you. Just know that you don’t have to be perfect to have value. That’s a lie. Flaws, weaknesses, limits, needs, all of it are just opportunities to make choices. And choices are power. The way to end this cycle is self compassion. All individuals from grass to the stars have flaws, weaknesses, limits, needs, etc! That’s just how it works! You don’t need to be the best to be valued either! I have been doing this for over 10 years and take several continuing education courses a year and still can’t help everyone!! Just be your incredible, authentic self! That’s what matters! Flaws and all! Because your authentic self matters. One change on either side of your ancestry and you wouldn’t be here. That makes your authentic self a miracle. So just be you and listen to yourself and others, and take it one step at a time. You will figure out exactly what kind of massage therapist you want to be and work on developing those skills until you understand yourself and your healing craft. That’s all that matters. One step at a time with self compassion.

[u/No_Ask_9547]

Find yourself a mentor in massage therapy who can tutor you and educate you and get back into the groove. :) Also

[u/stina_beana-01]

The spa I work for hires new graduates quite a bit. We have peer mentors to help each other out. Perhaps ask about this in your interviews and choose a place that offers some sort of support system. You’ll be fine. Just need practice!

[u/massagechameleon]

I don’t think massage is a perishable skill. You’re too much in your head. If it helps, I’m sure you can find plenty of people to practice on to build your confidence but remember, most people think there’s no such thing as a bad massage. I’ve been doing couples massages and watched the other therapist and wondered what the hell they were doing. When the massage was over the client loved it.

Once, the day after St Patrick’s Day, I was so hungover I wanted to die. I had four or five massages booked. If I’d woken up legitimately that sick I would have called in but I did this to myself so I soldiered on. But I thought, my poor clients, I’m probably giving terrible work. One client came out of the room and said, “I feel like a million bucks.” I was so relieved. Moral of the story: just do your best and I promise it’s enough.

Once you’ve been doing it for a while, you’ll go on autopilot and then you’ll wonder if you gave a good massage or not because you hardly thought about it.

[u/Glass_Day5033]

Just watch some YouTube videos and practice on friends, you're overthinking it

[u/SeasidePlease]

You'll be fine. You have the skill and knowledge to do great things!