I think there is a danger that as a therapist gets established with their own clientele, over a period of time the therapist may become isolated and not realise that their level of service has dropped. I've had massage in an uncluttered room that within weeks became a store for building materials, lengths of timber along the wall but no chair to put your clothes on, and no fresh air supply making it close hot and stuffy.
:D:D:D Thats really bad
Even the bad times were not without merit apart from the time I had a so called massage from a very opinionated and strong willed therapist who didn't do any flowing strokes and seemed to be pressing as hard as she could on various body sections; it was like being in a vice and that was a one time experience!
:(:(
You must have had alot of treatments!
Is there any chance that we could add the therapy that is being given when making these comments, as it could shed some light on the given situation.
Dear Luke, have you tried many therapists in Stroud?
INDO
Well, again, different clients have different preferences for the type of massage they receive.
I do adapt my massage to suit the individual client, but there are always the odd ones (and I mean that in the nicest possible way) for whom the pressure is too deep, even though I feel that I am using a very light touch and those who ask me to use more pressure, when I think I am working very deeply.
We try to be all things to all clients, but one person's idea of heaven is another's idea of hell, so without the clients' feedback we have no idea if the massage we are giving you is what you expect.
AMEN SISTER!
I make a point of explaining the treatment before i book people in. This can be hard in commercial establishments, and some practitioners are at times more concerned with getting you 'through the door' hoping you will like the service, because lets face it this business is hard enough without turning clients away
INDO
I always bespoke my treatments anyhow as common practise.
If a client says they can't decide what treatments they want, I make a treatment up with their preferences in mind.
If a client asks for a massage I ask if they have any specific areas that need attention, do they like a light/med/firm pressure, etc.
How do they want to feel after the treatment? relaxed or revitalised.
Surely as part of your consulation, you ask what the client's expectations are?
:D:D:D Thats really bad
:(:(
You must have had alot of treatments!
Is there any chance that we could add the therapy that is being given when making these comments, as it could shed some light on the given situation.
Dear Luke, have you tried many therapists in Stroud?
INDO
Any massage situation I have recalled in this thread has been non-medical non-patient, recreational, for aches and pains, pleasure, well being, sleep better, Swedish, aromatherapy, Indian head, Thai, all as a paying fickle/discerning client.
Should I need a medical massage treatment, come to think of it I have from a physiotherapist, I do exactly what I'm told as it's to achieve a result and then I'm in the hands of an expert (I hope) I may have choices put to me but ultimately it's the medically trained practitioner who decides the best course of treatment with the results speaking for themselves. I don't think any example by anyone in this thread relates to a medical massage as a patient where the whole dynamic of engagement is different and the outcome predicated by the skill of the practitioner, correct diagnosis and treatment and the will and ability of the patient to engage to promote the best outcome possible. In that case I could care less about the surroundings as long as they are functional and safe.
This always a difficult situation when i am conversating with other therapists regarding 'massage' as my 'trade' is dubbed massage therapist, but is more like medical practitioner using massage therapy.
As all massage therapy has its roots in health care, i do feel that many modern massage therapies do not account for the holistic side of therapy when consulting. This would always be due to the lack of training on whatever 'Curly thumbs massage' course they have attended. True therapist will seek out the best in training and not always accreditation.
Also as with say.....Acupuncture,tattoo artists, their home / shop based business has rigorous health and safety standards to keep up in order to maintain the license.
I would hope that now complimentary and alternative therapies are undergoing strict regulations, we will see a certain standards evolve in the practice of massage. This will 'weed' out the therapists who do not take their chosen method seriously.
At the end of the day health , safety and cleanliness is paramount, which in turn provides the client with a suitable level of expectation.
INDO
In answer to Indo, I suppose that is why the professional bodies are introducing CPD, although self regulating at the moment.
Unfortunately their are ways to get around this. I worked one evening a week at a FE college, and the main staff had been their for years and years and imo become institutionalised. They knew how to teach the subject from when they qualified (in the year dot) and hadn't evolved and moved with the times.
I asked the head honcho how she did her CPD's, thinking that surely she would learn new techniques and keep up to date, but she said that she attends lectures given by another institutionalised lecturer and attended the odd conference and yearly beauty expo.
What I am trying to say is, that these institutionalised lecturers are churning out students that are doing slightly out-dated routines.
IMO the massage courses available nowadays are very watered down versions of the original systems from aryuvedic and chinese systems.
My teacher actually wrote and devised many of the courses for ITEC for the first 5 years, until they wanted to compact them and remove some of the main body of the systems which again supplies inferior training and ultimately inferior therapists.
Again those that wish to train properly will seek the roots of their proffesion.
'money is the root of all evil' springs to mind......and alot are exploiting CPD's to fill courses.
I find it very exciting seeing what will emerge over the next 10-20 years 😉 it is still very early for the UK in this journey and i still feel we are way behind the rest of the world when it comes to alternative therapies.
Bring back knitting! that will give some of the 'hobbyists' something to do....... there's definately a lack of cardigans in this day and age 😀
INDO
Talking about CPD: I'm always quite surprised when I attend a course, and when asked to introduce ourselves and share what brings us to the course, then invariably there will be 1 or 2 therapists that say "well, you know, you HAVE to do so many hours of CPD each year..." so clearly they aren't really interested in learning/developing more or anything at all and wouldn't do any training if they didn't have to. Personally I love training courses and learning and if I had the time and money I would probably do a lot more than I am now!
It seems to be being suggested that a lot of massage therapists are not serious in their work but I think there are good and bad in every sphere, medical massage or other disciplines.
The proof is in the pudding, as it's not usually available on the NHS in the UK it is a self regulating industry; by the clients that choose whether to return or not!
Medical massage therapists (if they exist? not being a protected title unlike Physiotherapist) are not on a pedestal above other therapists who carry out 'feel good, feel better' massages to an equally high standard. Hobbyists don't work for long, which is why many 'disappear' after a while. Those that do prosper may or may not improve their practice in time; those that get lazy go to the wall inevitably.
Some medical massage therapists trained as physiotherapist's and in the private sector tend to work in sport. Most massage therapists don't need this depth of human anatomy because they aren't treating physical injuries beyond a moderate 'home medicine' level. There's nothing wrong with that. A good massage therapist is just that however many diplomas they have or haven't got. The only injury I have ever sustained during a bad massage is to my wallet.
It's wrong to assume that the many colleges offering training are turning out inferior or hobbyist massage therapists as long as they are fit for purpose.
Hi Luke
That's an interesting point about whether medical massage has some superiority over relaxation massage. There is room for both and often clients will be attracted to the therapist and the form of massage which is suitable to them.
As for physiotherapy, a modern physio has to do 3 years of full time degree education. In that time very little massage techniques is covered. A lot of physio's have to do post-grad training in sports and remedial massage. You could say that physiotherapists were the original medical masseurs. But since a lot of physio's don't or don't wish to practice massage, this has opened the market to sports, remedial & oriental massage therapists who all generally use deep tissue, some kind of point work & stretching techniques.
It is up to the therapist how they wish to develop they vocation, and you are right the lazy ones soon drift away.
Best Wishes
RP
Whilst those of us who perform 'non medical' massage (for want of a better description) are not in the business of treating physical injuries as such, many of the clients who come to us have other medical issues.
The great majority of clients who I see have some form of cancer. Some are terminal and others are undergoing or have had some form of treatment, so we do have to be aware of how such illnesses and treatments can affect our clients, and side effects, etc.
Again this is about CPD as I have taken quite a few courses in cancer and palliative care as well as attending many lectures by hospital consultants on their particular specialisations.
Other clients may have heart conditions, diabetes, etc. and we have to be aware of how these and the various medications affect the clients and how best to treat.
What I am trying to say is, that these institutionalised lecturers are churning out students that are doing slightly out-dated routines.
I have noticed exactly the same when students from colleges attend my training courses, I cannot believe some of the things they tell me they have learned!
Hi Luke, this is by far the most interesting thread i have encountered on Hp 🙂
The proof is in the pudding.
I think that sums it all up!
Medical massage therapists (if they exist? not being a protected title unlike Physiotherapist) are not on a pedestal above other therapists who carry out 'feel good, feel better' massages .
By 'medical' i am refering to Traditional Chinese Medicine, based on bio-energetics as apposed to western bio-mechanics, and to suggest a therapy is superior over another would be nieve.
I believe that there is a therapy to suit each individual as we are each are own body.
I use 'medical' and 'Therapeutic' massage in order to provide my patients/clients with a greater range of treatment.
It's wrong to assume that the many colleges offering training are turning out inferior or hobbyist massage therapists as long as they are fit for purpose.
I have learned this from other therapists who have attended private courses only to discover that they had only be taught 'half' the requirements of the system they wish to use. Especially some of the A&P needed to gain insurance in the UK.
In order to get this thread back on subject 😀
Whats everyones No.1 hate when visiting a massage therapist that has made you not return.
Mine is:
Answering the phone during a treatment....TWICE!!:mad:
INDO
Twice: wow that's bad!
Happened to me once: a holistic massage therapist answered his mobile (once) during the treatment.
And at the end he told me he had been treating the problem area with some Reiki as well (which I didn't ask for: I had booked a massage!) and strongly recommended me booking in a few more Reiki sessions with him! Never went back...
As a therapist it sometimes happens that a client's mobile rings during the session. Even though it startles them more then me (and they are usually very embarassed about it), it does still annoy me too: i usually have to go and find the phone and hand it to the client (with oil on my hands) for them to switch it off.
I should probably ask them during the consultation to switch their phone off if they haven't already done so.
Maybe as clients we should ask therapists the same thing! 😀 😀 😀