Massage Fort Wayne's Blog

Integrity. Ethics. Education. The underbelly of touch/massage therapy.

September 4th, 2013 • Posted by Bonnie May Barlow • Permalink

Receiving a session of therapeutic touch/massage for the first time can be a little scary.

Finding a competent touch practitioner may seem like a daunting task. Trust me. It is REALLY worth the effort!

How do YOU as a potential client know if you will be in safe and competent hands? The embarrassing truth is that not all massage therapists are equal in integrity, ethics, education or skills.

This is a profession that is poorly regulated, with little to no standardization of education. Much is left up to the integrity and ethics of the individual therapist post basic education of 500 hours (less in some states, more in others).

There are practitioners who have actually no formal education and have been grandfathered in by the state for certification. This is one reason why interviewing practitioners is so very important for the clients safety and well being.

There are several questions you can ask of a potential practitioner in the initial phone interview. Listen carefully to the responses, possibly jotting them down so you can compare interviewed therapists later.

How long have they been practicing? How often do they give sessions and how many in a day? (You do not want to be the last session in a 4-5 session day!) In what industry have they been practicing? Spa? Medical field? Does this match your needs?
Does the therapist boast or make claims on their website or in conversation that can not be substantiated?

What touch modalities do they specialize in?

How about their education?

Was the basic 500 hours of training received years ago? Have they expanded upon their basic education with advanced/specialized trainings to keep up with the evolution of the profession over the years?

Thru their career have they engaged in continuing education on a regular basis? Ongoing education is so very important and cannot be stressed enough.

Do they belong to one of the professional organizations for touch/massage therapists?

Most weekend trainings are only intro/remedial and while a certificate of completion for attending may be handed out usually no testing is done to measure skill/ability.

Are credentials (often letters after their name)truly legitimate and actually mean anything?

Yes, sounds like walking a mine field but the walk is worth it.

Once you have interviewed verbally, gotten all your questions answered and are feeling comfortable, you will settle in.
You might even utilize the skills of several massage therapists (no two are alike, this is an art form) to address your body issues secure that you are truly in educated, professional and safe hands.

Touch Therapies. The oldest form of health & wellness support on the planet.

Stress Reduction.
Pain Relief.
Peaceful Relaxation.

Until next time ... may your day be blessed.

Bonnie