How do You Pick a Massage Therapist? (1/4)

(Part 1 of 4)

This is for all of you folks who have not had a massage before. Maybe you have had one, but it wasn't everything that you expected, and you were left wondering why everyone says massage is so unbelievably wonderful. How do you pick a massage therapist?

Look for a Massage Therapist with “the touch”. This is not to be confused with therapists that may actually offer a specific type of massage called Touch Therapy.

What is Touch Therapy? Supporters of touch therapy claim it can treat and cure a wide variety of illnesses, including heart failure, diabetes and infections. The theory is that people who are ill have disturbed energy fields, and that by moving trained hands over the patient's body (without contact), a touch therapist can detect malalignments and re-pattern energy fields to create "energy balance."

I do not provide Touch Therapy. The actual touch that I refer to is the sense by which objects or stimuli are perceived, through physical contact. Unpretentious, experienced TOUCH is the single most important aspect that I bring to massage. This allows me to instinctively locate areas that need specific attention. Through this physical "touch" I can often feel, sense or observe areas of concern. There are, of course, other areas that are discovered through experience alone.

Finding the best massage therapist for you can only be done in person. I have often heard that finding a Massage Therapist is like finding a Hairdresser, a Dentist, a Doctor, or an Auto Mechanic. No amount of advertising or social connections or even a personal referral will absolutely guarantee your satisfaction. If you are not absolutely satisfied with your massage experience, you will not truly benefit from it. You need to dive in and take a chance! However, you can narrow the search for a Massage Therapist if you simply consider the best fit for you. I have explained some ideas below that may save you some trial and error.

Massage (noun) is: The rubbing and kneading of muscles and joints of the body with the hands, esp. to relieve tension or pain.

IF ALL MASSAGE WAS EQUAL, YOU COULD RANDOMLY PICK A THERAPIST AND HAVE THE EXACT SAME RESULT.

Massage is not equal. Therapists practice different types of massage. There are folks in the massage business who are unhappy with being called simply a "massage therapist" and who long to be more clinical in their approach. They attend additional training to achieve more knowledge of physical ailments.

The actual definition of massage is the act of kneading and rubbing. However, there are therapists who practice massage, PLUS something else; such as, maybe, Reiki, Chakra work or working with your Aura. There are numerous practices that therapists or workers employ to “balance” the body; returning it to what, we in the business call homeostasis.

In energy work… there is nothing measurable.  It requires a theoretical explanation of the procedures, a client who is willing to accept the energy work and a worker with the claim that they can provide the work.

I’m not saying that Reiki or other forms of energy work are not effective. They are subjective. The therapist/worker assigning themselves a label of “Best” or “Master” or “Unsurpassed” or whatever only prepares the client for disappointment, when the services don’t live up to the advertised hype. And, it is a fact that they will not always live up to the expectations of every client.

On the internet, I see many massage therapy business descriptions that, in effect, say…”Me, Me, Me; Pick Me! Because, I’m the best!”. And, while describing massage services requires a bit of “You should pick me because…”, elevating your abilities to a level of the “be all / end all” status is really disingenuous for everyone. Many of my clients have said that mine is the best massage they've ever had. While I don't claim that my massage is the best, I do claim that my "style" of massage is one of the best.

The bottom line... I believe that most people institutionally know that for each client, there is a specific type of massage therapist (also visa versa). My friend Jules Hamland has written an ebook on niche marketing for Massage Therapists. It is just NOT possible to rock every client’s world in the exact same way, nor would you want to.