Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/259468
76 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k m a r c h / a p r i l 2 0 1 4 CULTURAL INSENSITIVITY While working in a hospital as the lead medical massage therapist, I was often overworked, stressed, and moving way too quickly. Once I was called to the room of a young Middle Eastern boy who had abdominal pain. The physician asked me to do something to help the boy, as narcotics weren't working. When I arrived at the patient's room, I nodded to the mother, sat on the bed, soothingly talked to the boy, lifted his hospital gown, and began massaging his abdomen. Suddenly, I heard and felt the rush of someone coming at me, shouting something. I looked up to see the boy's mother physically restraining a man who must have been the father. His eyes were wild and he clearly wanted me to get away from his son. The mother ushered him out of the room while signaling to me to continue my work. I did so. It took about 20 minutes, but I did manage to ease the boy's pain and put him to sleep. Lesson Learned Although my intentions were good, my myopia caused me to trample all over cultural norms. Non- family, cross-gender touch without permission was a big no-no in this family's culture—and beyond that, not asking parental permission before touching a child is a mistake in any culture. I was fortunate a loving mother intercepted what could have been a physical confrontation. SHE'S A WITCH One evening in the same hospital, I was working on the hospice floor. Usually, hospice patients are so frail that a foot, hand, or head rub is enough to settle them into sleep. One patient, however, was very visibly agitated and the nurses hadn't been able to calm him all day. I thought that since everything else had failed, I'd try reiki (energy work) to calm him. I lowered the lights and began the reiki session, closing my eyes and running "Someone is in my father's room doing witchcraft!" PROFESSIONAL L AND MINES