I have taught business, communication, ethics and law to massage therapists for the last five years. I am not a massage therapist, but I work with them, I work for them, and I educate them.
I am not a massage therapist, but what
I have to say is important.
Every class I meet I always take the
opportunity to get up on my soapbox. What
do I talk about when I’m up there? Intention.
I start the soapbox talk by stating the
obvious. I am not a thin woman. I have been called fat, overweight, obese,
Rubenesque, voluptuous, plump, fluffy, and more. I know that this makes some
people uncomfortable to talk about, but that’s the point. If you, as a massage
therapist, are already thinking about it, then it should be okay to talk about
it. Further, any aspect of your business as a massage therapist should be open
for discussion – especially the way that you interact with your clients.
I know (because I’ve experienced it for
most of my life) that there is a prejudice against overweight people. People
judge. They have preconceived ideas about how an overweight person lives their
life, about their intelligence level, about their abilities, and, ultimately,
about their value in life. If this does not apply to you, I am glad.
Unfortunately, though, it does apply to many.
Let
me state here and now that there is no place for judgment in a massage treatment
room.
The moment we begin to judge a person,
our treatment of them changes. Whether in the way we speak to them, how we look
at them, or how we treat them physically. When we judge someone they may seem
“less worthy” to us…but in reality we cease to be worthy of them.
In massage we must practice
non-judgment. We must value each person for who they are. We cannot discount a
person because they are overweight. We cannot discount a person because they
are too thin. Or have back acne. Or sweat a lot. Or have stinky feet.
And guess what? If, when I am on your
massage table, you are judging me, I can sense it. Your hands speak louder than
you may think. I can tell if you are not focused on me and my muscles. I
can tell if you are making shopping lists in your head. Or if you are worrying
about your laundry. Or your kids. Or what you will have for lunch.
Every person who enters your treatment
room deserves your undivided attention. There is more to massage than affecting
muscles. The power of human touch transcends the treatment of muscles and
tissues. There are somatic responses to touch that heal more than the body –
that reach deeper than the deepest massage. And every client deserves to
experience them.
Your clients pay you real money to
experience therapy – not judgment, not disdain, not disgust. Clients pay money
to be administered to in a healing way and in a healing environment.
So check your judgment at the door.
Shake off your distractions. Enter your treatment room with intention. Intend
to heal. Intend to affect. Intend to reach. Intend to use the power of touch in
a truly powerful way.
Your client deserves no less.
(Permission granted for use in massage therapy schools, with credit given to the author, Michelle Ames, New York Massage Alliance. For additional information, contact Michelle at michelle@marketedbymichelle.com.)
