Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1276187
66 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k s e p t e m b e r / o c t o b e r 2 0 2 0 Daryl Appleton, EdD, a New York-based psychotherapist and Fortune 500 consultant who specializes in unproductive behaviors, reminds us that "Fear will generally keep the mind closed. When we invest deeply in a feeling, we feel it with our whole body and mind, and to admit that we may be wrong or have to change can be an incredibly scary thing." That goes for the folks enforcing mask-wearing and for those who resist. Digging in will prevent you from being creative in solving the problem. You may find that with firm, empathic communication, many clients who show up maskless will be willing to consider it even if "just this once." If a client is simply unwilling to wear a mask, have a plan for how you will handle that. Maybe your plan is simply to have a well-fitted N95 mask for yourself, but you should think about how that might make you feel about working with this client in terms of trust and your own emotional comfort. Maybe your plan is to be clear and prepared to "disappoint" them by informing them that this session can't happen without a mask. Don't let your plan be to allow yourself to be bullied into doing something that you know is unsafe. We are in this together! (And remember to thank and compliment every single client who just shows up wearing a mask and who keeps it on. One of our most powerful tools is normalization. It will be normalizing when they see you in your mask and it will feel good to them to be acknowledged for doing it, too.) "But I Don't Want to Wear a Mask!" "It would really make me feel better if you had your mask on." "It's like a seatbelt. We wear them every time we get in the car, even though we don't expect to be in a crash. Even if we don't believe that we or the people we encounter have the virus, the mask keeps us safe." "I really want to work with you and I can't do that unless we're both wearing masks." "I absolutely understand that this feels hard. Are you willing to work with me to find a mask (from my wee collection of mask varieties) that will work for you today?" "I know they're hot and uncomfortable, but I need you to wear a mask for my protection, just like I'm wearing this one for yours." "You're right. The messaging has been all over the map, but I have to follow the guidance of my regulatory agency (insert agency name here) that states that we both need to wear a mask." Some helpful phrases 66 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k s e p t e m b e r / o c t o b e r 2 0 2 0