I would definitely recommend receiving a massage therapy education. It's great that you already have anatomy/physiology experience, but MT training will go a little further into how those relate specifically to massage. Kinesiology is also very important to massage. As has been previously indicated, contraindications are very important to know and understand. You will also learn all the nuances of body mechanics and technique. You will learn assessment skills and palpation skills. There are usually business courses, as well as ethics, draping, and much more that are learned in MT school. If you just want to massage a spouse and some family members now and again, then some videos might do the trick. However, if you truly want to be a professional, then structured training is the way to go. The paying public deserves a professional. I think you will be more successful if you are professionally trained. Many of my clients will ask during the course of their session how long I went to school, etc. I can't imagine that I'd get many repeat clients if I told them that I learned from some videos. California is not regulated.........right now. What if that changes? Or, as has been brought up before, what if you move to a state that is regulated? In the long run, not spending the $$ now, could be much more costly in the future.There are lots of ways to get financial help for school. Look into and see how it goes. I believe it will pay off in the long run.