Building a foundation of care now will prepare you for success during the busiest months of the year

Anticipating what your clients want before they know it themselves provides an exceptional customer experience that helps your massage studio stand out as something truly special. You’re probably not a mindreader, so your best bet is to be aware of the latest trends so that when your clients learn about the new hotness, you’re ready. Here are some key 2025 massage therapy trends you should prepare for now, so you’re set for the busy months to come.

Improving mental health throughout the client journey

2025 has been a lot so far. Throw in the stressors of everyday life, a busy holiday season, and seasonal affective disorder on top of that, and it’s easy to see why 59% of massage clients report mental health and wellness as a major reason behind scheduling an appointment in the past 12 months.

Your clients are seeking an oasis, a brief respite from the noise of the world around them. Take steps to create a soothing and stress-free environment to give them the calm that they need, whether they’re waiting in the lobby or lying on the massage table. Environmental elements such as a quiet space, soothing music, aromatherapy candles, and nearby plants all contribute to the healing power of human touch.

For greater impact, this sense of calm should extend beyond the walls of your massage studio. Even parts of the client experience that aren’t directly related to the massage table — like booking or checkout — can inadvertently introduce stress if you’re not aware of the friction they can cause. Using integrated and streamlined online booking platforms, along with offering contactless payment options, can help make these processes feel invisible and remove one potential headache from your clients’ lives. 

Taking your skills on the road

While the COVID-19 pandemic may be firmly in the rear-view mirror, spending on home delivery for food and other goods continues to grow. This growth even extends to home massage therapy services, which saw a massive boom during the pandemic and continues to show strong demand even now.

Not every studio will experience the same influx of requests for in-home massage. However, if you’ve been hearing rumblings or you’ve noticed an uptick in comments on your client surveys asking for more convenient services, it may be time to invest in a mobile studio set up that will allow you to take care of your clients at the office and on the road.

Start by investing in the proper hardware. You’ll need a sturdy yet comfortable portable massage table, sheets, supplies, some go-to tunes, and reliable transportation capable of lugging everything with you. 

Make sure you’re setting appropriate rates so you can cover hidden costs like gas, vehicle maintenance, and any potentially lost revenue from not being available for bookings at the studio. Also, don’t forget to use your booking software to set aside extra time in the schedule to account for travel. 

And don’t forget to advertise! Let clients know you’re available for in-home massage therapy sessions via email and text. If you’re looking to test the waters, consider running a pilot program with VIPs and loyalty program members first, then widen availability to the general public once you’ve worked out the bugs.

Responding to the growth of holistic medicine

Once considered the fringe, acceptance of holistic and alternative medicine is on the rise. A recent study found that over one-third of all U.S. adults have used complementary health approaches to relieve pain and reduce stress — a 17.5 point increase over the last two decades.

While this growth represents an increase in conventional massage therapy, it also means more people are finding relief in alternative treatments such as cupping, Reiki, and reflexology. Consider taking steps to train you and your staff to anticipate the demand for these and other therapeutic services. Even if you have no plans to offer them, you should aim to stay on top of the latest trends by keeping an eye on what social media influencers and your clients are talking about. That way, you’ll be able to direct them to a trusted specialist who can meet their specific needs.

Lymphatic drainage is still in demand

Requests for lymphatic drainage services have also been surging in recent years, thanks to endorsements from celebrities like Selena Gomez. Athletes have also started requesting this treatment to increase post-exercise muscle regeneration.

Lymphatic drainage services have roots in Chinese and Egyptian medicine and gained popularity in Western medicine during both World Wars as a treatment for lymphedema caused by injuries on the frontlines. Now, it’s being used by massage therapists and medspa practitioners to promote general wellness and reduce pain in post-op and cancer patients.

Performing this helpful treatment doesn’t require any special equipment — just knowledge and proper technique to maximize its effectiveness. Consider taking some time to learn how to perform this service and add it to your menu if it isn’t already there. And if you’re already an expert, hype it up on your social media feeds and other advertising channels to increase your upsell rates with minimal lift.

Making every massage personal

Personalization has long been a concern for self-care businesses looking to reach and grow their client base, and it’s only going to be more important in the coming years. 

This is especially true for reaching Gen Z: A generation raised on highly-curated feeds and individualized experiences. In fact, one study found that nearly half of all Gen Z shoppers will bounce from a website if it doesn’t anticipate their needs. 

Creating personalized massage therapy sessions at scale can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. The American Massage Therapy Association offers a few tips to help you get started, like using your intake forms to gather client preferences on lighting, scents, room temperature, and more. You can then allow clients to change these up before each session starts, so they can dial in their exact preferences depending on their mood. 

Your client management platform can take your ability to personalize each experience to the next level. Self-booking hands full control of the scheduling process over to the client, giving them a chance to pick the date, time, session length, and services that they want at their convenience. Maintaining client profiles within this system will then allow you to track changes in preferences and pain levels between sessions, giving everyone the information they need to provide a consistent level of care.

And that consistency is key, especially as client appointments start to pile up by the end of the year. Staying on top of these trends and skilling up where necessary before the rush will give you the foundation you need to successfully anticipate and deliver on client demands.