I have spent the last year now I think doing some form of teaching massage. It is rewarding and interesting and challenging. There are good days and bad, good classes and bad. Though I don't have much contact with the students that have hands on classes. I can and do fill in when needed.

With that in mind an interesting thing happened last week. I was in a class with students teaching them options of how to drape and or work specific areas and not expose the client. I came across a group of students that really are not interested in getting work on themselves. I began to think about this topic and I have said a number of times that it really is a good idea to get massage as a way to feel other forms of work and to take care of yourself.

I am now wondering how many therapists actually get massage or think "I don't really need massage". Then answer this question. Why did you get into the massage therapy field? Was it to assist others in feeling better. Then what do you do to feel better? After a long week of work to the tune of sometimes 20 clients. I need time to decompress, recharge and get rid of the tension that builds up in me from my clients. No matter how good my boundaries are sometimes it still gets through. If I am over tired, my boundaries are not that clear or strong and things get past me. Plus I stand on my feet all day.

If you get massage work please tell me why you do and how it helps you get through your work? If you don't get massage, tell me why and why it is not important to you? Also if you would be so kind as to tell me how you can convince your clients that it is a good idea to get a massage when you don't.

The State of the Industry of Massage Therapy

Hi there-

I have been watching a group on yahoo discuss the state of the massage industry. Here is my reaction to what is going on.

Just because someone graduates from a massage program does not mean that they are going to be awesome. Nor does taking lots and lots of classes make one a good massage therapist.

We have to remember that massage schools are in business for one thing. Profit! Now there are good teachers that are trying to help people become good therapists. It still doesn't matter because at the end of the day the schools have to evaluate the bottom line. If they need more money they go out and market the program to bring in more students. Some students that they bring in are good and others are not. It is that way in every industry.

In my area massage schools are cropping up all over the place because they see a need to fill up the spas. Do they do anything to make sure that the former students get trained so they don't get injured? Not here. They get them through the program in 500 hours. Only have to do about 100 hours of hands on work and then they are off to work in spas all up and down the coast. Some first year therapists even end up in high end spas. How would you like to be paying around $150 for a deep tissue massage when the person has only just done about four massages before they touched you. Or if they did those four massages, right before you walked in the door and are now so exhausted that they can't even see straight to give another massage.

Such is the state of our industry.