Hello,
I recently qualified in Indian Head Massage and I have been asked to work at a Holistic Evening at a nearby Well Being Centre, to provide 15min taster treatments of IHM to people along with about 7 other therapists all offering different holistic tasters.
The problem is, I have never really practiced much massaging through clothes and feels clumsy and awkward. We certainly didn't cover this in college as all our models were wrapped on towels and now I'm a bit stuck.
I don't want my clients thinking the treatment is rubbish, because when I do it with oils & top off its fab!
Does anyone have any advice on using this technique over clothes? Also should I bother with the facial massage part or leave it out?
Any advice would be most helpful and gratefully received 🙂
Thanks in advance xxx
When I was working at a health fair a couple of years ago, there were two IHM therapists working close by. Everyone, due to the temperature of the building (church hall - say no more!) in the middle of March, had their clothes on - regardless of what taster they were having!!! The girls spent a few minutes treating the scalp, forehead and temples, then the back of the neck and finished by doing effleurage over the clothing over shoulders and down the arms and back. No oils were used. For a 15 minute taster, you won't have time to worry about 'treatments' - use it purely as a marketing opportunity and make sure you give out plenty of literature, and possibly future discounted treatments (although don't go overboard with the discount!).
As a VERY newly qualified but inexperienced therapist I think Jabba has given good advice. You could also always stick to the face and hair - but I agree efflurage can be done easily with or without clothes/oils.
Hello, thank you both for your advice.
It actually went really well and it turned out to be a load of worry over nothing! My first client saw a bottle of oil sticking out of my bag and promptly whipped her top off and demanded I use it, which spurred everyone else who came to me to do the same! 😀
There was just a couple of ladies and a gentleman who kept their tops on as they just wanted head and neck doing, but also requested oil on face and scalp.
There were loads of other therapists there who were really lovely and supportive and we all swapped contact details. Each client I saw took away a business card and an info sheet I made about the benefits of oils and details of the full treatment I offer, and they seemed to really appreciate that 😉
I have been asked back to take part in the next holistic evening next month too.
The worst thing about taking part in the event we agreed was watching all the other fab therapists at work and wanting to go to them for mini treatments and not being able too ha!
Thanks again xxx
coming from a sports massage background I'd VERY rarely work on someone through their clothes, although I did attempt light kneading on one gentleman. Luckily it all worked out for you though 🙂
The glide that oil/mediums give, along with the skin to skin benefits beat massaging through clothes hands down (no pun intended)
Rather than doing the standard "efflurage" try just doing frictional massage on their back/shoulders with the heel of your hand - short frictions - move your heel around to get to everywhere - just ensure the clothing they are wearing is smoothed out
hope that makes sense