Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/494122
F r e e S O A P n o t e s w i t h M a s s a g e B o o k f o r A B M P m e m b e r s : a b m p . u s / M a s s a g e b o o k 61 EMPOWER THE CLIENT In his chronic-pain journey, Simon-Jones empowered himself when he fi red his doctors and got new ones. He also paid out-of-pocket when insurance would not cover his initial consultation with his choice of doctor. He handpicked his postsurgery rehab team, which included a physical therapist and yoga and Pilates instructors. All were experts in their respective fi elds—and all listened to his concerns. As in the biocultural model, Simon- Jones surrounded himself with a support system. You can't fi re your client's doctors (though sometimes you may want to). So how do you empower your client? One way is to put yourself in a position to be fi red if the client's goals are not met. If you establish a therapeutic relationship that is outcome-based and honestly evaluate to see if objectives are being met or need to be redefi ned, you are saying to the client, "If it's not working, it's OK to move on." In fact, as massage therapists, it's our ethical obligation to do so. "Moving on" is an opportunity to continue with your goal to help the client. Do you think he needs to go back to his primary or pain-management doctor for a recheck? Is a referral to a practitioner of a different massage modality or different health modality, such as physical therapy or Pilates, warranted? During the treatment session, you can also empower the client by establishing the appropriate pain- relief pressure through a dialogue where the client has the last word on the pressure. One way to do this is to ask: "Using this as a starting point, would you like more or less pressure?" If the client never had a pain-relief massage before and has no reference point for pressure, then a scale from 1 to 10 can be used, where 1 indicates no pain and 10 means a great deal of pain. Working conservatively between 4 and 6, the client can be instructed to let you know if the pain ever gets above 6, thus providing the client with control over the amount of pressure you are applying in the massage session. Using these techniques, you've empowered your client and, hopefully, you've shown him how he can and should expect to be treated in other therapeutic relationships. Lesson Lesson 3