Help me choose a new career - wellness/complementary therapies (retraining)

[Startingagainandagain]

I want to retrain in the wellness sector and I need to make a decent part-time income from it. I am already self-employed but in another sector.

Would really appreciate if you could let me know what you would be more likely to use as a service/or any experience of retraining.

I have shortlisted the following but not sure yet what to go for:

• Pilates teacher (I have taken classes for quite a while and I am at an advanced level) including reformers and working with people with specific health issues
• Nutrition coach to help people lose weight, could specialise in helping women with middle age weight gain and new mums
• Massage therapist
• Reflexology
• Doing additional courses to compliment the above like mindfulness, meditation or Reiki.

I found that Pilates was life changing as it has helped me deal with chronic pain and get fit again.

Same with dietary advice: it helped me when I had a big operation and a long recovery and put on weight because of it.

So I am quite passionate about this and would love to support other people.

I would suggest you research locally to see what the competition in each field is before deciding.
you need to think about your business model- will you have your own premises, work out of a gym etc? Overheads?
do you mean you have led Pilates classes? V popular atm- what’s the market like near you?

I prefer going for people who are specially trained in Pilates or a dietician rather than a nutritionist. If you were hoping to do this part time then I think you would struggle to get paid well for less.

So I would go for something less medical so you don’t need to fight at the lower end of costs. I agree re finding what’s missing in your area.

One thing that’s blooming at the minute is scalp massages/therapies. Hair spa/head spa. Have a look on Instagram reels/tiktok for examples. Don’t know what qualifications you would need but suggest Indian head massage plus some beautician work on hair and scalp treatments.

Also what is growing is teaming up with other professionals for a well being day - so I would be looking for a treatment space that could accommodate that, or what therapies that are unusual that aren’t offered - eg sound bathing/aromatherapy/reflexology.

like all things - you need to consider what YOU offer and what will work best for you. Are you going to be good at business, advertising etc, do you need good consistent money coming in, or are you quiet and prefer to work flexibly etc.

being realistic if you’re not a good sales woman/entrepreneur something more well known like reflexology will help keep your books full.

Massage therapy is less woo than reiki etc. it's very very physically challenging though. You need to be very fit and strong. And not mind listening to Enya and seeing and touching naked folks. You need to do anatomy and physiology which is learning all these parts of the body in Latin! So the course is quite intense. I couldn't handle it in the end. But I think that would be quite a good one to go for if you have the strength and temperament.

If you’re advanced in pilates already, have genuine passion for it (not just doing but also idea of teaching others) AND, bonus, have a great ‘story’ for you brand (that Pilates freed you from chronic pain and got you fit again, changed your life etc), I’d go Pilates instructor. Xx

Thank you everyone for the replies so far!

I would of course do all the proper training. The owner of the pilates studio where I take my classes has given me a list of good training providers to get the right qualifications.

That's really interesting that someone commented on massage therapy being very physically challenging and that was one of my concerns so I think I might cross this one out of my short list.

'One thing that’s blooming at the minute is scalp massages/therapies. Hair spa/head spa.'

That's really interesting and I will look this up too!

I've got the two course books for massage therapy level 3. I don't know where they are but I'll try and find them, if I do I'll let you know?! I obviously don't need them anymore...

Friend is Pilates instructor and sports massage therapist. She makes a
Loss on the Pilates even tbough she is very experienced and a very good instructor:
Research your market very very carefully.

Osteopath, although the course is a degree, but you can earn good money once qualified.