Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1451559
with a sheet and a blanket. I tell them I use lightweight microfi ber sheets and if that is too much, I can drape them with a bath towel. Draping is a professional boundary. We use it to set conscious and unconscious boundaries between ourselves and our clients. Always drape your clients, and take a draping course every few years just to keep your draping fresh. If the Client Asks if You Offer Extras or Special Services Not on the Menu or Uses the Words Sensual, Sexual, Tantric, or Nuru These are code words used in the sex industry to refer to illicit services. Using code words like these makes it more diffi cult to prosecute the offenders. If They Specifi cally Ask for Groin, Inner Thigh, or Lower Abdomen Work If someone is in legitimate need of work in these areas, they will usually specify why. They may say they were injured playing sports or slipped and fell; even then, it is best to proceed with caution. If a New Client is Calling or Texting After Hours From my experience, calls after 9:00 p.m. are usually up to no good. Do not answer the phone or reply to any messages until the morning. You should state that you do not work after 9:00 p.m. (or whatever time you choose) and that you provide professional therapeutic massage between these specifi c hours. My husband, in his brick-and-mortar clinic days, used online booking and he was surprised at how many appointments were booked later at night. Booking an appointment online is a different matter than calling for an appointment. If they are calling, they may be calling everyone in their area, one after the other. In online booking, they cannot be as anonymous, which makes it safer for the therapist. Not all late-night bookers are looking for sex work; they could be shift workers who are calling to arrange a treatment in the future. They should not expect you to answer the phone after your stated hours, however. TRUST YOUR GUT Remember, what makes you uncomfortable may not make someone else uncomfortable. You do not need to accept every client. No one knows your experiences, and no one can make the decision to accept a client for you. Ask as many questions as you need to obtain all the information that satisfi es you. Above all, trust your gut. Michelle Roos is a board-certifi ed and licensed massage therapist, a fascial specialist, an author, an educator, and a business owner in South Florida. Roos co-owns Cupping Canada and Cupping USA with her husband Paul Kohlmeier, BPE, RMT, R.Ac. In 2020, Roos created Mobile Massage Mastery, which is an online NCBTMB-approved course for massage therapists who want to start their career as a mobile therapist, transition from brick and mortar to mobile, or gain extra tips to elevate their current practice. L i s te n to T h e A B M P Po d c a s t a t a b m p.co m /p o d c a s t s o r w h e reve r yo u a cce s s yo u r favo r i te p o d c a s t s 49 It is the therapist's job to make sure the potential client understands the service they provide and actions that will not be tolerated. ADRIENN/PEXELS