Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68165
'ROUND THE TABLE After genuinely congratulating the student and welcoming them to a wonderful field, I would advise this: always treat your clients with professionalism and confidence. Communicate with them, look them in the eyes when you talk, and make them feel warm, comfortable, and safe. Be consistent in your treatments each and every time you see your clients and do what you do best. JOYCE A. HOUCK NEW CASTLE, PENNSYLVANIA Be ethical. Be courageous. Be persistent. Massage and the various forms of bodywork are crafts. Liken yourself to a conduit. You are simply the vessel to facilitate healing. If a single piece of advice is required, it is this: have faith in yourself, and surround yourself with others who have faith in you. You shall not fail. Welcome! KIM GRIFFIN DETROIT, MICHIGAN As a massage therapist for more than two decades, the one caution I would give newbies into the arena: you do not have to do it if you do not like to do it. Yes, you studied all those 600 odd hours. Yes, you paid money to acquire this coveted license. Yes, you have three added alphabetical letters next to your name now. Unless your heart is into this, do not go any further. I am not repeating how "exciting" or "humane" or "service-oriented" this profession is. That has been repeated a bazillion times, in your class and all the seminars that you have attended. I get a massage on a regular basis, and I can feel the times when the therapist is not "into" it—body, heart, and soul. Be aware that you need to give more than 100 percent to the client to be able to reach a level of contentment that the client, as well as you, needs. SUBBANNA VARANASI DES MOINES, IOWA UPCOMING TOPICS DEADLINE PUBLICATION DATE How have you used social networking to boost your practice? How have you benefited from participating in volunteer or outreach work? What can the profession do to attract male clients? February 15 May/June 2010 April 15 June 15 July/Aug 2010 Sept/Oct 2010 Please email your 'Round the Table submissions (200 words or less) to darren@abmp.com. Submission does not guarantee inclusion. Also, due to space constraints, your material may be edited. Massage school, for many, is a magical time of personal growth, fond connections, and intense learning. While you're going through it, the experience can often feel like being in a cozy, protective bubble alongside your fellow students. Later, it can be a bit of a rude awakening once you receive certification and catapult back into the "real world." My best advice for new practitioners is to do whatever it takes to keep the momentum going! Schedule ongoing trades with other therapists, join a professional massage association, read related books and magazines, and stay in regular touch with your colleagues. Even if you don't have paying clients right way, get your hands on people right away and on a regular basis. Have your friends and family book sessions with you, or volunteer your services to nonprofits, hospitals, and charitable organizations in your community. Keep your skill level, confidence, and enthusiasm for massage running high by jumping right in and staying connected! KAYSE GEHRET SAUSALITO, CALIFORNIA Advice to students ready to graduate and enter the field? Shut the heck up! I can't begin to say how many of my regular clients have commented to me that massages they've received in the past have been ruined by chatty therapists … especially those who spend the entire session talking about themselves! They are all grateful and appreciative that I rarely speak during a session (other than to check in on appropriate pressure or ask them to roll over when necessary) and just let them drift off into a cloud of euphoria. I firmly believe that any massage that I deliver (Swedish, deep tissue, pregnancy, or medical) is going to be enhanced by the client being allowed to relax. LEE SANTA ANA PORTLAND, OREGON connect with your colleagues on massageprofessionals.com 31