Dogs love me, and I love dogs. Cats love me, and I love them too. When this massage therapist does house calls, I suddenly find myself surrounded by four-legged fans. I didn’t mean to, but I have managed to train all of my house clients’ domesticated beasties to expect a mini-massage when I get … Continue reading Massage Me, Massage My Dog
One of my massage therapist friends had a good bit of extra time on her hands when she first started her practice, so she picked up a Spanish book and taught herself to speak it.My therapist friend has not used her knowledge of Spanish much in her day spa, but it has come in handy … Continue reading Adding New Skills
At a recent continuing education class, I spoke with a recent massage graduate struggling with starting her massage career. A few months have passed since graduation, and she has had trouble with deciding on a venue for massage. Should she work on her own? Work for a doctor? A spa? Join an established massage practice? … Continue reading Taking the Last Step off the Diving Board
Sometimes during a massage a client will ask me how I got into the business of doing massages. I don’t really like to take that question seriously. I have a serious answer, but I don’t like to share it. I’d rather say that it just happened that I noticed one day that I had … Continue reading Just Lucky, I Guess
Sometimes clients love their massage so much they bring me gifts. I love a nice card or a bottle of olive oil. A box of cupcakes? Oh please, don’t feed me! I have to admit it is wonderful for the ego. One long day – a Saturday – my clients brought me lunch. How did … Continue reading Aw Shucks, Twern’t Nuthin’…
Massage therapists take a big risk every time they do a house call – it is the time they are most likely to be injured on the job. Not by doing a massage but from lifting and carrying massage tables. Anyone who has negotiated the front steps and the doorway only to find … Continue reading Scooter-nomics
A full-body massage is the best in my book. You get your aches and pains rubbed away, your brain has the opportunity to tune into every part in the massage sequence, and the relaxation response is brought from background to foreground. This massage therapist has always been a fan of the full massage, … Continue reading Pick Your Part
I had a very good feeling about the practitioner I was learning about online – the picture, the story, the information fit what I was looking for in a massage therapist. So I went to my first appointment – and I couldn’t believe my eyes – the person I expected to meet had aged … Continue reading Get Online with It: Face the Facts
Sometimes in the course of massage therapy practice, we will meet clients who want to have some delicate and sensitive areas relieved of trigger points and adhesions. My most recent experience was with a client who had gone into a full-body clench during a car accident, braced with both feet on the brake … Continue reading Through the Sheets
Have you caught yourself talking too much during a session? We massage therapists can all lead with our chins on this one, can we not? One of my therapist friends believes every session should be hushed – no talk of any kind, music only, and if the client tries to talk only answer with … Continue reading Table Talk