Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/398416
90 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 4 Discuss the answers, and decide if you wish to add, "Are you finding the massage relaxing? It's not necessary that you feel mellow when you leave here, but I want to be sure you're getting the results you want." The way you phrase these questions may be different, but this script can serve as a starting point. Bottom line: if the client is not interested in relaxation and is otherwise happy with the massage, there is no issue here. Stop harping on it and move along. If the client does want to experience a little more of the relaxation aspect, there are a variety of techniques and suggestions you can offer to get her there. GUIDE THE CLIENT TOWARD RELAXATION What if the client isn't there to relax, but you feel it would be beneficial to her progress? First, let's be sure that's not your ego talking. Take a moment to be certain you are not imposing your idea of a massage or your idea of relaxation onto the client. Sure, it's fair to say that physiological relaxation is generally good for the body. But that's a big-picture concept. In reality, 30 minutes of semiconsciousness once a month isn't going to make that WHAT KIND OF MASSAGE DOES YOUR CLIENT WANT (OR NEED)? Oftentimes, we make the incorrect assumption that a massage must be relaxing. This is not the truth. We wouldn't want an athlete to fall into a droopy stupor 10 minutes before the big game. We don't want to send a desk jockey back to a cubicle unable to function after a 15-minute chair massage. But not all standard, on-the-table massage needs to be relaxing, either. Yes, some clients just want an hour to themselves, and a massage appointment provides an excuse to shut off the phone and ignore the world. But a client coming in for regular plantar fasciitis treatment or a nasty quadratus lumborum spasm has no interest in a nap. She wants the pain gone, and that trumps any other potential benefit of massage. To answer the question—"Is the client there to relax?"—you'll need to ask the client. This may seem a little awkward, especially if you've been treating her for a while and aren't sure how to broach the topic. Here's one of my favorite scripts to start that conversation, typically during the intake process before the treatment: "I want to check in about the results you want from massage, and if we need to make some changes to your treatments. Do you feel like we're making a difference with that plantar fasciitis? Is there anything else nagging you that we should address?"