I have seen therapists argue over how to perform a certain style or technique many times and it is just getting too old. I admit that I fell into that syndrome a few years ago and it took me a while to get out of it. It is so easy to think that your style of massage is the best. You start to believe it when clients continually tell you that they feel so much better after receiving a massage from you. Is there any cure…I believe we all need a reality check and I just wish client’s would tell the truth. We can only make ourselves better when we here negative things or we have areas to improve in.
I have seen therapists argue over how to perform a certain style or technique many times and it is just getting too old. I admit that I fell into that syndrome a few years ago and it took me a while to get out of it. It is so easy to think that your style of massage is the best. You start to believe it when clients continually tell you that they feel so much better after receiving a massage from you. Is there any cure…I believe we all need a reality check and I just wish client’s would tell the truth. We can only make ourselves better when we here negative things or we have areas to improve in.

I teach massage therapy and my students start to get in the ‘I am the king’ syndrome, but when they start getting feedback forms that are not the best; they really start to evaluate themselves (We all need a reality check every now and then). I keep the feedback forms confidential and I even talk to the clients after their massage to get their real feelings. You would be surprised to hear the things that go on in a clients head during a massage.
Mostly it’s about:
•        The pressure was not deep enough
•        The therapist would not shut-up
•        The therapist seemed nervous
•        And so on…
I am not writing this to argue with people, I just want everyone to see through the clients eyes. Clients in general will not argue or complain about the massage they are receiving; they will not come back if they are not happy with the treatment (The clients are our bread and butter). Just think how much more busy we could become if we had open communication on both sides. The average therapist will ask a client now and then ‘How’s the pressure’ or ‘Are you comfortable’.

We forget to look at their body language and rely on what they say. Connecting to a client’s personality is a big key that is over looked and often forgotten. In order to keep the clients, we have to put ourselves in their shoes. We have to be aware of their needs and wants and to turn off our own thoughts and beliefs. They are paying us for a service and we need to give them what they want.

We need everyone to start working together, including the associations. We are giving the massage associations (AMTA, ABMP…) and NCBTMB money on a regular basis and I really don’t see where all the money is going. There is not one state that has the same regulations as another. We really need to start working together and not against each other (Wouldn’t that be the perfect world). But, the reality of it is: we are all different and we choose a certain style or a certain association depending on what we want or need. We get too stuck into the syndrome of
what we like and we forget about working with others. We are in the helping profession and we should act like it.

Have you ever heard of a massage therapist referring a client to another massage therapist (I’ve only heard of it a couple of times)? We need to give the clients what they truly need and sometimes our judgment is cloudy and we forget about them. Would you actually massage 20-30 hours a week if you did not have to work, most people would probably say that they would massage here and there. Massage is a profession and it is considered a job (A really good job).

In conclusion, I don’t mean to offend people and I want everyone to see what a client sees. Consider each client a full-time job. It is a lot easier to keep a current client, then to find a new client. Also look at the client as our boss and we need to please them to keep their respect and loyalty.

Sincerely,
Massage Nerd