A new study released in August has found value in not only Massage Therapy but also in the culture of the Massage Therapy world.

The objective of the study,  “to explore the attributes of the therapy encounter valued by repeat users of health-related massage therapy”, found six valued elements of the massage therapy encounter.  These six elements valued by repeat users revealed that the benefit most are experiencing comes, not only from the practice, but also from the culture experience of  massage therapy itself.

The six elements found to be valued the most are:

• Time for Care
• Personal Attention
• Engaging and Competent Therapist
• Trust Partnership
• Holism and Empowerment
• Effective Touch and Enhanced Relaxation

These elements are important because each one reveals something unique about the success of massage therapy and the benefits it offers to those interested in its practice.  Time for care and personal attention is very important to anyone  searching for an alternative to mainstream medicine.  We all know, from experience, what it feels like to go to the doctor and find you didn’t have the time to communicate to them all of the information you felt would enhance any care you might receive.

Having an engaging, competent Therapist makes the experience of massage more beneficial.  Knowing the Therapist has the knowledge and skills from their education to perform an effective massage helps the client relax and rest assured in the therapy session, receiving all of the benefits offered making the encounter a partnership in trust.

The last set of elements carry benefits all their own.  Offering the benefit of Holism and empowerment is a gift.

Each client who leaves the Massage Therapy encounter with a sense holism and empowerment will always return to the Therapist who helped them experience the true benefits of massage therapy.

The conclusion of this study, directly from the research,  states the final conclusion best.

“The culture of massage therapy care incorporates a number of characteristics that are congruent with the complementary and alternative medicine approach to health. In addition, massage specific factors were identified. The humanistic aspects of the therapy encounter valued by clients offer insight into the growing use of massage therapy and the success of massage therapy outcomes”.

As Massage Therapists we know all of the benefits from massage therapy.  It is very encouraging to see more and more studies find their way through the research cycles giving us the information we need that reveals the benefits to everyone. We offer a vital alternative to mainstream medicine that is becoming recognized and recommended.

Author
Punkie Spelts is a Massage Therapist living in Southern California. She is also a Web Publisher and writes extensively for multiple web sites like HealthPositive!, cureyourbody.com and many other research sites including her own massage therapy site at www.punkiespelts.com.

Marketing such a business requires a different approach from the usual marketing techniques.

Marketing your practice means marketing yourself.

Know your strengths and weaknesses, building on you strengths and improving upon your weaknesses fosters self improvement which is a bonus for the Massage Therapist.
Learn to describe yourself in a brief, firm knowledgeable way. Time can be a prized commodity in marketing.
Let others market you as well.  Word of mouth is heard better with a business card.  Anything you can do to set yourself apart will only benefit you.

Your business name can make a big difference in the success of your practice.  It is the first impression most of your potential clients will have of you. Your business name should convey as much information as possible.  This should include information service type, which could be anything from  Massage Therapy Practice to Deep Tissue/ Sports Therapy Massage Center. In both cases the message of massage therapy is prominent.  Once you have conveyed what service you offer, you can then focus on the target market of this practice.

The Massage Therapy Practice will have a wider range of marketable clients whereas the Deep Tissue/Sports Therapy Massage Center is more specific but gives the Therapist a more defined target market.

Creating your own web site is more important than ever before.  There are choices ranging from applications for the DIYers of the group to Web developers who will design, create and manage your site for you.  What ever you choose, be sure you have your presence online.  How we, as consumers,  look for services has come a long way.  Ten years ago we would let our fingers do the walking through the yellow pages, which can aide in building clients, but now our fingers walk across the keyboard as we search for both goods and services online.

Marketing your practice with other businesses can be a benefit to you both, working with gym owners, Athletic Organizations, Chiropractors,  or nursing homes can open doors to your practice that would other wise be closed.  Offering your services to larger groups at  moderate discounts benefits everyone.

The larger groups benefit from the discounts and pass that benefit onto the group, members, team and patients.  Your practice benefits from the new volume of clients with the great potential for more. This applies to the individual out call therapist as well, only on a smaller scale. Maintaining a wide selection of massage modalities through continuing education and staying informed on the latest research in our field will also help set you apart as a Therapist who goes the extra mile for his/her clients.

Out of all of the marketing tips I could give you I believe this is the best tip of them all, always remember this is a business.  This is important for the Massage Therapist to remember because we are in a sympathetic field in a world full of people who need the healing power of touch.  You can volunteer your services to a worthy cause but it should remain there. What ever the cost of your services, you are worth it because you are a well trained, licensed individual with a gift of service to others. Maintain a thought process that allows you to remember to take care of yourself.  You are your most valuable tool and that deserves great care.

Author
Punkie Spelts is a Massage Therapist living in Southern California. She is also a Web Publisher and writes extensively for multiple web sites like HealthPositive!, cureyourbody.com and many other research sites including her own massage therapy site at www.punkiespelts.com.

The Alliance for Massage Therapy Education has just been launched.  This organization has been established “to serve as an independent voice and advocate for the entire education sector”.  This alliance will be structured as a non-profit organization governed by a board of directors elected from within the membership.

The organization will include 3 components to govern the education process:

• School Network - For Institutions
• Teachers Network - For Teachers within the institutions
• Continuing Education Network - For Providers of Post Graduate Training. HealthPositive! is a good example.

The Alliance will offer a range of services for its members,  including alliance advocacy when navigating the issues of state and federal regulatory requirements, accreditation, and teacher education requirements.

Before this alliance was established, all matters associated with massage therapy education were governed by an independent Council Of Schools created 25 years ago by a group of massage school owners.

In 1999, the COS made the decision to be governed by the AMTA. In January 2009 during the annual AMTA COS meeting, school members adopted a motion that would begin the separation process from the AMTA, re-establishing an independent education program that will represent the interest of its members in all areas of the education process.

A leadership team has been formed consisting of 5 veteran massage therapy educators who will be responsible for the initial start up phase of the Alliance For Massage Therapy Education.

Each leadership team member has multiple years of experience in the massage education field and each member has been involved with the COS.

The leadership team includes:

• Iris Burman, LMT
• Stan Dawson, DC
• Rick Rosen, MA, LMBT
• Demara Stamler, CMT
• Pete Whitridge, LMT

In the upcoming months the leadership team will be preparing the new home of this alliance in Washington, DC.

The first meeting in 2010 will include a membership recruitment campaign informing the massage therapy community about the new alliance that is no longer affiliated with the AMTA and the ABMP, alliance by-laws will be ratified and the very first board of directors will be elected.

Author
Punkie Spelts is a Massage Therapist living in Southern California. She is also a Web Publisher and writes extensively for multiple web sites like HealthPositive!, cureyourbody.com and many other research sites including her own massage therapy site at www.punkiespelts.com.

Most often one of the first places we start is education to advance in our career and see a raise in pay.

We have been told for quite some time now that education is a good investment.

‘April 2009′ the unemployment rate nation wide was estimated  to be  8.9% as reported by the ‘Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor’

In July 2008 the population nation wide totaled 304,059,724.  With these numbers we know that a little more than 24  million Americans are unemployed.

To bring this into perspective, in 2003 the unemployment rate was at 6.1% or about 9 million Americans unemployed, adjusting for population growth.

We have not seen these kinds of numbers since the depression.

Is continuing education a good idea for massage therapists?

Yes, if you can answer a few questions.

• Can I afford this?
• Will this further my advancement in my field?
• How long will I have to wait until I see a return on my investment?

Lets start with affordability.  There are the few diligent ones among us who set aside money for continuing education and they should be applauded.  That is the best way to approach this.  For the rest of us we are looking at loans.  Student and small education loans are good and offer a way to further yourself and not incur the expense up front.

Even credit cards will work if the cost and time investments of the continuing education are fairly small and if the course will give you a new marketable insight, tool or skill, be sure to watch the interest rate and not get caught off guard by a low introductory rate that triples after 3 months.

When choosing massage therapy continuing education, always pay close attention to the details and assess how the course content applies to you.

Home study CE courses can give you a way to check into a new skill area for a small investment of time and money and give you a clearer sense of whether attending a larger, live workshop in that topic would really serve you or not.

Will this further my career?  This is the big question.  If it doesn’t then it was a waste.  We are lucky to be in a field that while the economy suffers, it continues to grow and advance.

How long will I wait for a return on my investment?  In this field we can see a new modality become the hot new thing and during our training we learn it has fallen out of favor.  Most often it remains favorable and we can see a return on our investment in a matter of weeks.  Our field offers freedom to choose what modalities we wish to practice, or just what’s popular, and take only those.  That makes it much more affordable.

Let’s look at what is happening in this area.  at the University of Massachusetts there are above 20,000 full time students, grads and undergrads on the Amherst campus. There are nearly 15,000 students taking courses through the university’s continuing and professional educational program including those who are strictly online.

We see these kinds of numbers across the board in fields like ours.  We can advance ourselves in so many different areas.  The possibilities are endless.  This is a good time to further yourself as long as you can answer the questions.  Pretty simple in the abstract I know.

It is always a good time to improve ourselves.  Sometimes a nudge from the economy is all it takes.

“Choose each day to be blissful and complete,a whole person well cared for by you.” Punkie