Massage & Bodywork

January/February 2011

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reader forum WHAT YOU ARE SAYING "I have always taken issue with the title massage therapist. I don't really like having the word therapist attached to my title." Brie Burbank Kruszewski Other Name I always enjoy reading Robert Chute's insights. He has a way of communicating that conveys both intelligence and humor. It is coincidental that his recent addition to Massage & Bodywork was in regard to the name by which you refer to yourself professionally ["Massage By Any Other Name," November/December 2010, page 127]. I have also been contemplating this, and no matter what answer I arrive at, the journey is always a slippery slope. I have always taken issue with the title massage therapist. On one hand, I don't really like having the word therapist attached to my title; on the other hand, I (like many) do not want to be lumped into the massage that is often a veil for sex work. In my mind's eye, the simple alternative of bodyworker conjures images of tow trucks and wrenches. I toy with the title somatic therapist occasionally, but then that leaves the need to constantly explain or defi ne somatics. Additionally, from a marketing standpoint, I do not want to separate myself so much that people don't think of me when they're considering a gift. In many ways, defi ning my title is a lot like explaining what type of massage I do (a question that I have had a progressively harder time answering as my experience and education grow). For me, it becomes a little more complicated, given that I also teach Rasamaya Yoga and am a licensed esthetician. As a result, I often fi nd myself answering the "What do you do?" question with something like: "I own a business where I offer therapeutic massage and organic skin care. I also teach yoga, and I'm presently training to become a Rasamaya Structural Therapist." I'm not sure that anyone really gets a clear Massage By Any picture of my work when I offer this answer, but to omit one element seems (in my perspective) to minimize the scope of the various modalities that I integrate into my work. BRIE BURBANK KRUSZEWSKI WOLFEBORO, NEW HAMPSHIRE $100,000 MT I enjoyed the article "How to Make $100,000 Per Year" in Massage & Bodywork magazine [November/ December 2010, page 32]. Congratulations to Meagan's success from all of her hard work. I loved how she explained things so simply; I have no doubt her information will be life-changing for many therapists. Continue the great work! VINCENT BENNETT LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA 14 massage & bodywork january/february 2011

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