Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/434495
Help Another Therapist Someone inspired you and encouraged you, right? Pass that along: inspire and encourage another. Be a mentor to somebody who's new to the field or struggling to find a niche. As you observe your mentee's growth, development, and passion, your own fire will grow. Think of other massage therapists as colleagues instead of competitors. There are enough customers out there, and no therapist is good at everything or has time to do everything— you can both gain something by cooperating. Connect with local therapists and join some online groups. Ask and answer questions, bounce ideas around, and support each other. Are you looking for something on a bigger scale? Think about the issues facing our industry and brainstorm some solutions. Or get involved in research to prove that what we do is effective. It is thrilling when you can watch your ideas make a difference. Help Yourself It's difficult to feel positive when you don't feel good. Do you follow the advice you give clients? In massage and bodywork, your body is your tool. Take care of your tools to prevent pain and extend your working career. Get regular massages, regular exercise, and participate in activities you enjoy. Develop a sensible diet and get proper rest. Give your mind a break, also. Turn off the phone and computer for a while. Get out in nature. Play, sing, laugh, and have fun, and you will notice the load you have been struggling with is lighter. You had a passion when you got into massage. Chances are, it's still there. Clean out the ashes, stir up the hot coals, and use one of these ideas to get the fire burning again. There are people who need you. Let your fire burn bright! Barry Hatfield is a licensed massage therapist with a practice in Hudson, Ohio. He writes a blog directed to massage clients at http://hudsonmassage. wordpress.com and he can be found on the major social media sites. HOW TO KEEP YOUR JOY FOR BODY WORK F r e e m u s i c d o w n l o a d s f o r C e r t i f i e d m e m b e r s : w w w. a b m p . c o m / g o / c e r t i f i e d c e n t r a l 55 Insider Tip! Each year, massage therapists and bodyworkers from across the country come together for ABMP's EveryBody Deserves a Massage Week to help spread the word of therapeutic touch and to offer it to those who need it most. This year's event will be held July 12–18, 2015. Find out more information at www.abmp.com/massage_week. Insider Tip! We asked author/educator Whitney Lowe how the mentor/mentee relationship he had with the "father of sports massage" Benny Vaughn was instrumental to his career. "I was in graduate school studying sports medicine when the opportunity came up to work directly with Benny. We were collaborating on a training program at the Atlanta School of Massage. I recognized that while a graduate degree would open certain doors for me, there was no way to pass up the unique opportunity to work directly with such an influential and outstanding educator and clinician who has paved the way for so many. I learned so much from Benny about clinical work because of his many years of working with top-level athletes within a sports medicine environment at the University of Florida. I also recognized when I first met him that he was an outstanding teacher and I watched and made an effort to model his excellent classroom presentation skills. There are clearly the obvious benefits in a mentor/mentee relationship like this, but there are also so many intangibles by simply watching and interacting with someone of his caliber. I learned a great deal about clinical massage and teaching, but I also learned a lot about life because we come from quite divergent backgrounds. The relationship I have had with him as my mentor and friend has had a huge impact on my professional career and personal life as well."