Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/72121
breath and areas of tension. This way he will feel empowered and useful. During the Massage To calm the areas that usually hold the most tension for chronic thinkers, start the session supine with a gentle face, jaw, scalp, and shoulder massage. Next, walk your client through a few minutes of visualization. A positive image will replace stressful "To Do" lists and allow your client to begin focusing on healing rather than pain. Continue your regular routine with progressively slower strokes so you can slow the body down in stages. Again, choose music that is slow and nonverbal. After the Massage Give honest, positive feedback, since most thinkers will analyze their "relaxation performance." Provide self-care instructions or suggest meditation tapes. Dynamic stretching and exercises such as tai chi and qigong are excellent for type A thinkers, so I refer clients to local teachers. Keeping a great referral list of classes, health website links, and practitioners will empower your clients and help type A personalities manage their own health in a way that makes sense to them. The great advantage to working with type A personalities is that they are engaged and active in their healing process and happy to learn more. When you recognize and praise these qualities, you get an amazing client who turns from negatively stressed to positively relaxed. THE HIGH MAINTENANCE The high-maintenance personality includes clients who ask for special treatment, request off-the-schedule appointment times, continue to ask for more work even after the treatment time has ended, and arrive with a bevy of requests or issues that cannot possibly be treated in one session. Every client wants to be heard, but certain clients feel entitled to demand more of you. Unfortunately, this can be exhausting to a bodyworker who is already in a giving profession. Protecting your boundaries is vital when working with these clients. AROMATHERAPY FOR THE CHALLENGING CLIENT Overly Talkative. Place a heated lavender pack on the neck and shoulders, or add neroli to your oil blend, to calm a frenzied mind and energetic vocal center. Type A. Add a small drop of vanilla to the face cradle cover to help a client relax right away. High Maintenance. Incorporate lemon for energizing a depleted system. Before the Massage Ask your client what she would like to focus on so you both create a custom session she agrees upon beforehand. High-maintenance clients benefit from knowing the time constraints of a therapist's schedule, and then being gently reminded of it at the end of a session. Skeptic. Apply lavender eye pillows. During the Massage Check in with your client several times on pressure, face cradle comfort, and temperature of the room and table. Mention what you can change during the session versus the things you can't—if you work in a spa, you may not be able to change the temperature, but you will be able to add a blanket. For these clients, it's best to end the massage in a few steps. Let the client know the session is almost over and ask her to take three long breaths while you cover her eyes with an eye pillow. Then suggest she take a minute to get up before meeting you in the waiting area. Concluding the session this way is polite and professional without rushing the client. After the Massage Keep several self-care sheets on various topics such as stretching, nutrition, or pain relief so clients can manage their own care and feel supported long after their session is over. Ideally, send a weekly email to remind clients of your availability, hours, and cancellation policy. Celebrate ABMP's 25th anniversary and you may win a refund on your membership. ABMP.com. 77