Top 12 Licensed Massage Therapist Skills to Put on Your Resume

Crafting a strong resume as a licensed massage therapist means blending hands-on technique with calm, clear client care. Show the skills that make sessions effective, safe, and memorable. The more precisely you communicate your methods and results, the easier it is for hiring managers—and clients—to trust you.

Licensed Massage Therapist Skills

1. Deep Tissue
2. Swedish Massage
3. Reflexology
4. Sports Massage
5. Myofascial Release
6. Trigger Point
7. Prenatal Massage
8. Hot Stone
9. Aromatherapy
10. Shiatsu
11. Lymphatic Drainage
12. Thai Massage

1. Deep Tissue

Deep tissue massage targets deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to ease stubborn tension, improve mobility, and reduce pain that lingers beneath the surface.

Why It's Important

It helps resolve chronic tightness, supports circulation, and addresses musculoskeletal issues that lighter techniques can miss—without burning out the therapist when proper mechanics are used.

How to Improve Deep Tissue Skills

Refine pressure, timing, and precision through focused practice and smarter body use.

1. Advance your anatomy: Study layers, attachments, and referral patterns until you can “see” them with your hands.

2. Sharpen palpation: Practice on varied bodies to recognize texture changes, temperature shifts, and tissue tone.

3. Blend modalities: Add myofascial work and trigger point methods to reach depth without force.

4. Protect your body: Stack joints, drop weight, use forearms and elbows wisely, and adjust table height.

5. Calibrate with feedback: Check in often, adjust pressure incrementally, and pace your depth.

6. Keep learning: Hands-on workshops and peer practice sharpen technique faster than theory alone.

7. Care for yourself: Mobility work, strength training, and mindful breathing keep your delivery steady and safe.

How to Display Deep Tissue Skills on Your Resume

2. Swedish Massage

Swedish massage uses long, flowing strokes, kneading, friction, vibration, and tapotement to relax the nervous system, reduce muscle tension, and nudge circulation along.

Why It's Important

It’s the versatile foundation. Great for first-time clients, recovery days, and sessions where comfort and relaxation unlock the rest of the work.

How to Improve Swedish Massage Skills

1. Master the five strokes: Effleurage, petrissage, friction, tapotement, and vibration—smooth transitions are everything.

2. Customize in real time: Vary tempo, pressure, and stroke length based on feedback and tissue response.

3. Build rhythmic flow: Keep consistent pacing so the nervous system stays settled while you address problem areas.

4. Add stretch and joint play: Gentle mobilizations deepen relaxation and improve outcomes.

5. Mind your ergonomics: Gliding stance, soft knees, and strong core reduce fatigue and protect wrists.

6. Reflect and refine: Short notes after sessions help you track what worked—and what to tweak.

How to Display Swedish Massage Skills on Your Resume

3. Reflexology

Reflexology applies focused pressure to mapped points on the feet, hands, or ears that correspond—within this modality’s model—to body systems, aiming to ease stress and encourage balance.

Why It's Important

It offers a gentle, non-invasive option that complements massage, supports deep relaxation, and broadens your toolkit for clients seeking a holistic approach.

How to Improve Reflexology Skills

1. Get specific: Learn point maps thoroughly and practice clean, consistent pressure.

2. Structure sessions: Create clear sequences for stress relief, digestion support, or general balance.

3. Refine touch: Distinguish “tender” from “productive” discomfort and modulate quickly.

4. Blend wisely: Pair with Swedish or lymphatic techniques for an unhurried, tranquil session.

5. Seek feedback: Track client responses over multiple visits to adjust your approach.

6. Stay curious: Continuing education and peer exchanges keep your technique sharp.

How to Display Reflexology Skills on Your Resume

4. Sports Massage

Sports massage targets soft tissue performance and recovery with focused work, assisted stretching, and problem-solving for training stress, overuse, and competition demands.

Why It's Important

It helps athletes move well, recover faster, and avoid avoidable injuries. You become a strategic partner in their training cycle.

How to Improve Sports Massage Skills

1. Learn the sport: Each discipline has common strain patterns. Know them cold.

2. Get advanced training: Pursue courses and, if relevant, Board Certification in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (BCTMB).

3. Periodize your sessions: Pre-event, inter-event, post-event, and maintenance work each have distinct goals and tempos.

4. Use assessment: Test range of motion, strength asymmetries, and tissue quality before and after.

5. Integrate techniques: Myofascial release, trigger point therapy, PNF stretching—choose what the moment calls for.

6. Collaborate: Communicate with coaches or PTs when appropriate to align care.

7. Protect your own body: Strong mechanics and recovery habits keep you in the game, too.

How to Display Sports Massage Skills on Your Resume

5. Myofascial Release

Myofascial Release applies gentle, sustained pressure to fascial restrictions to reduce pain, ease tension, and restore mobility without forcing tissue.

Why It's Important

Fascia links everything. Freeing restrictions can improve movement quality, circulation, and comfort across distant regions.

How to Improve Myofascial Release Skills

1. Study fascial lines: Understand regional interdependence so your work lands where it matters.

2. Slow down: Wait for melt and creep. Time under tension often beats brute force.

3. Refine directionality: Vary angle and vector to follow the tissue, not your plan.

4. Use tools judiciously: Forearms, knuckles, and simple props can save your hands while staying precise.

5. Breathe with the client: Pairing releases with exhalation helps the nervous system let go.

6. Keep practicing: Subtle work gets better with thousands of mindful repetitions.

How to Display Myofascial Release Skills on Your Resume

6. Trigger Point

Trigger points are hyperirritable spots in taut muscle bands that can refer pain, limit motion, and mimic other issues. Clients often call them “knots.”

Why It's Important

Spotting and treating them can unlock stubborn pain, improve function, and shorten recovery windows.

How to Improve Trigger Point Skills

1. Dial in anatomy: Know origin, insertion, action, and common referral patterns.

2. Perfect your palpation: Seek the tender nodule within the band; confirm by referral and client feedback.

3. Use varied techniques: Ischemic compression, short holds, gradual release, then lengthening or movement.

4. Teach self-care: Simple tools like balls or rollers extend results between sessions.

5. Read and review: The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies is a practical reference.

6. Track outcomes: Note which points and strategies consistently resolve patterns for your clientele.

How to Display Trigger Point Skills on Your Resume

7. Prenatal Massage

Prenatal massage tailors techniques to the physiological changes of pregnancy, easing strain safely while supporting comfort and rest.

Why It's Important

It can reduce back and pelvic discomfort, help with swelling, and encourage better sleep—while honoring safety considerations specific to each trimester.

How to Improve Prenatal Massage Skills

1. Train specifically: Complete prenatal-focused education covering positioning, contraindications, and red flags.

2. Position for safety: Use side-lying setups with supportive bolsters or pregnancy-specific tables and cushions.

3. Adjust pressure: Avoid deep abdominal work and be cautious with areas known for contraindicated points during pregnancy.

4. Communicate often: Check temperature, pressure, and positioning frequently; comfort shifts quickly.

5. Support circulation: Gentle work toward the heart and mindful pacing can help with swelling and heaviness.

6. Keep your space calm: Soft lighting, quiet soundscapes, and stable room temperature matter more than usual.

How to Display Prenatal Massage Skills on Your Resume

8. Hot Stone

Hot stone massage layers smooth, heated stones into a session to soften tissue, ease the nervous system, and allow deeper work with less effort.

Why It's Important

Heat changes everything—muscles yield, circulation rises, and stress slides off more quickly.

How to Improve Hot Stone Skills

1. Choose the right stones: Basalt stones with good heat retention feel consistent and glide well.

2. Control temperature: Keep stones roughly between 110°F and 130°F; test on your forearm first, every time.

3. Sanitize thoroughly: Clean stones and equipment between clients following current hygiene standards.

4. Sequence with intention: Alternate passive placement with slow glides to pre-warm target areas.

5. Check comfort constantly: Heat tolerance varies—small adjustments prevent surprises.

6. Blend with other work: Use heat to prepare tissue, then switch to deep or myofascial techniques sparingly.

How to Display Hot Stone Skills on Your Resume

9. Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy pairs essential oils with massage to support relaxation, mood, and comfort through inhalation and properly diluted topical use.

Why It's Important

Used thoughtfully, it deepens the session experience, helping clients settle faster and leave feeling grounded.

How to Improve Aromatherapy Skills

1. Know your oils: Study properties, contraindications, and interactions—safety first.

2. Commit to quality: Choose pure, well-documented oils and carrier oils; store them carefully.

3. Blend with purpose: Create simple, client-specific blends rather than kitchen-sink mixtures.

4. Respect dilution: Typical massage dilutions range around 1–3% for healthy adults; lower for sensitive clients or pregnancy.

5. Patch test when needed: Especially with sensitive skin histories.

6. Gather feedback: Track client preferences and outcomes to refine your menu.

How to Display Aromatherapy Skills on Your Resume

10. Shiatsu

Shiatsu is a Japanese modality using finger, thumb, and palm pressure along pathways known as meridians, combined with gentle mobilizations to encourage overall balance and ease.

Why It's Important

It offers a structured, holistic approach that can calm the nervous system, reduce tension, and support well-being for clients who prefer clothed, oil-free work.

How to Improve Shiatsu Skills

1. Study meridian maps: Learn point locations and pathway flows until your sequence feels intuitive.

2. Build sensitivity: Train a steady, listening pressure—no rushing, no forcing.

3. Integrate breath and posture: Let your bodyweight—not your thumbs—do the work.

4. Layer in stretches: Gentle range-of-motion work amplifies effects.

5. Practice regularly: Consistency and client feedback refine pacing and pressure choices.

6. Maintain self-care: Tai chi, qi gong, or mindful movement keeps your delivery smooth and sustainable.

How to Display Shiatsu Skills on Your Resume

11. Lymphatic Drainage

Lymphatic drainage uses light, rhythmic techniques to support the body’s natural movement of lymph, helping reduce swelling and maintain healthy fluid balance.

Why It's Important

Gentle work here can ease edema, support comfort after certain procedures (when cleared by a provider), and soothe the nervous system.

How to Improve Lymphatic Drainage Skills

1. Learn MLD protocols: Precision matters—pressure, direction, and sequence should be spot on.

2. Be feather-light: Lymph vessels sit close to the surface; too much pressure slows the goal.

3. Use diaphragmatic breathing: Encourage slow, deep breaths to assist lymph flow.

4. Suggest simple home care: Gentle movement, comfortable compression when appropriate, and hydration can help between sessions.

5. Know the cautions: Understand when to refer out or avoid treatment based on medical history.

How to Display Lymphatic Drainage Skills on Your Resume

12. Thai Massage

Thai massage blends acupressure with assisted stretches and mindful movement on a floor mat, typically with the client fully clothed. It’s interactive, energizing, and mobility-focused.

Why It's Important

It boosts flexibility, eases stiffness, and supports posture and body awareness, offering a distinctive option beyond table work.

How to Improve Thai Massage Skills

1. Deepen anatomy and mechanics: Understand leverage, lines of pull, and joint safety to stretch without strain.

2. Train progressively: Add advanced sequences and transitions as your comfort and coordination grow.

3. Develop mindful pacing: Sync breath, pressure, and stretch intensity with the client’s capacity.

4. Cross-train: Yoga, mobility, and core strength work translate directly to smoother sessions.

5. Refine communication: Clear cues and consent are essential during dynamic techniques.

6. Network and workshop: Practice with peers to polish flow, balance, and ergonomics.

How to Display Thai Massage Skills on Your Resume