C h e c k o u t A B M P 's l a t e s t n e w s a n d b l o g p o s t s . Av a i l a b l e a t w w w. a b m p . c o m . 39
PATHOLOGY PERSPECTIVES
bad—is to irritate the client's skin or create
a risk of infection if a lesion has cracked
and bled. Both of these are easy to avoid
with a little sensitivity. And if you're brave
enough, you can enlist your client on your
team: "I've never worked with someone
who has psoriasis on their back before.
Let's figure out a way to give you the
best massage ever." You become the local
psoriasis authority, and people will go out
of their way to see you because you really
understand what they're going through.
Does your client have a thick layer of
fat and fascia between you and her neck—
where she really needs some great massage?
Enlist her help in exploring new ways to
work with her, maybe from a different
angle, or with a different kind of traction.
You aren't limited to the strokes you
learned in massage school; you can use your
imagination and compassion to create an
experience that is customized to each client.
Consider Forming a Peer
Supervision Group
New massage therapists may not face
the reality of people's physical flaws
and challenges until they're well into
student exchanges or school clinics. If
they're lucky during this time, they have
some safe, private outlets for processing
surprises or discomforts. But without
this option, these feelings can interfere
with their ability to do great work.
I am always pleased to hear about schools
that build in time for debriefing in relation
to clinic sessions; it provides a model for
appropriate peer supervision that students
can use for the rest of their careers. This can
easily be carried into professional practice;
Want to Know More?
This article was not written in a
vacuum. It was informed by experience,
observation, and the input of
several deeply compassionate and
articulate professionals who have also
addressed this challenge. I especially
recommend the following resources:
Kelli Wise. Massage Therapy World.
"Body Shaming—Not a Good Marketing
Technique."
www.massagetherapyworld.
com/2013/09/client-shaming-not-a-
good-marketing-technique.
Tracy Bradley. The Comfort Zone
Massage. "An Open Letter to My
Massage Clients." www.thecomfort
zonemassage.com/?p=721.
Barry Hatfield. Hudson Massage.
"Massage and Attractiveness."
https://hudsonmassage.
wordpress.com/2014/06/11/
massage-and-attractiveness.
Dale Favier. "What People Really Look
Like." http://dalefavier.blogspot.
com/2013/09/what-people-really-look-
like.html.
Allissa Haines. The Young Thumbs.
"Things That are Funny and
Things That are Not." www.the
youngthumbs.com/things-that-are-
funny-and-things-that-are-not.
We ordinarily work in isolation;
a place to appropriately share
our struggles and triumphs
adds enormous richness to
our professional lives.
peer supervision groups are considered a
best practice in many helping professions.
For massage therapists, they can be an
appropriate place to express discomfort or
embarrassment—as long as this has the
intention of seeking a solution instead of
simply complaining. And if a group gets
stuck, they can combine resources to bring
in an outside consultant to help process
difficult situations. We ordinarily work
in isolation; a place to appropriately share
our struggles and triumphs adds enormous
richness to our professional lives.
GO BACK AND TRY AGAIN
We all make mistakes. To paraphrase
Salvador Dali, we needn't fear perfection,
because we will certainly never achieve
it. Bad days will happen, and poor
communication will muddy relationships.
But we always have the chance to try
again. We can build our compassion
and unconditional positive regard again.
The world needs our best; let's give it.
And then, let's give it again.
Ruth Werner, BCTMB, is a former massage
therapist, a writer, and an NCTMB-approved
provider of continuing education. She wrote A
Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology (Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins, 2016), now in its sixth edition,
which is used in massage schools worldwide.
Werner is available at www.ruthwerner.com.