WHAT MAKES ONE STAND OUT AS A THERAPIST…IN ADDITION TO HAVING THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE?
Ever since being a Massage Therapy student years ago, I have often wondered on my own and had multiple discussions with people on the subject of : What makes us stand out as therapist?
The first answers that often come into ones mind when hearing that question are usually “the one who has the most knowledge of the body and its structures and massage modalities, the most experience in treating people, have most training under his belt, etc”. And yes, I agree to all of those arguments… to a point that is. To be a good and successful bodyworker, one that can aid the clients into a better health, tension free existence and balance within, we certainly must have a great deal of knowledge of all aspects in being a therapist. If we don’t , we might be doing more harm than good to who ever ends up on our table.
But after the encounters with clients I had while training and after starting to work in the real world, I have realized being a good therapist means so much more than knowing all the theory in the world. There are deeper layers to being a good bodyworker than simply knowing your facts and having years of experience.
I got the first glimpses of this when I was just a student starting to deal with actual clients in our student clinic, not knowing a whole lot about muscles, bones, conditions or the correct strokes yet. Feeling totally insecure on what I was doing, not trusting my intuition as a therapist or my newly learned skills. To be totally honest, feeling a bit like an impostor at times. Regardless of all that, time after time the feedback was overwhelmingly positive and I didn't really know how to deal with it. Some commented they`d never had a massage like that before, even though they had travelled all over the world and had a lot treatments in their lives. I am not saying that every comment was a like that, not at all, but most of them, yes. I thought people were just being nice and did not want to make me feel insecure or hurt my feelings. But the feedback stayed the same and I got curious. I had an idea about why this was happening, but wanted to confirm it to reassure myself of what I intuitively felt. I would never have a massage from myself to know what I was doing different than some of the other therapists, so started by asking from clients to explain in more detail what they felt was different in the treatment they had from me.
After the comments I have gotten from people ever since, I have come to a conclusion. There are multiple things that, in addition to having the required skill set that makes us stand out in our clients minds. It is the entire experience, the encounter with the therapist from the first moment to the last.
In my opinion the one major thing that separates us from the rest out there is the way we “ARE” with the person coming to our table. Here are a few simple examples of what I mean:
It is the way we speak to a person, the level of overall professionalism we have, the tone of our voice, the way we shake their hand in the first meeting, the advice we are able to give to them, the comfort and security our touch brings by being confident and firm, yet soft depending on what that exact client needs, the way we are able to make them feel accepted and comfortable just as they are, without judgement, the way we actually SEE the person and HEAR what they are saying to us. And with this I don`t just mean hearing and seeing with our eyes and ears. We need to be in tuned with the person and use our hearts to see and hear. We might get the basic info of their lifestyles and current muscular issues when taking the brief history, but not all are willing to say all we need to know for one reason or another. We need to be able to see what is not being said, not jump to a conclusion by what is presented in front of our eyes.
There are a lot of things people tell us by just the way they are and how their body reacts to the treatment. Body’s reactions can`t lie like words can, so pay attention what is happening when you lay your hands on the person, flow on the skin, feel the texture, the energy. Stop yourself when your mind escapes to the night ahead or simply stops being in that moment. Take a deep breath and bring your attention to where you are, into what you are doing. Your client deserves your full attention and being present allows you to give your best as a therapist. Each and every client deserves nothing less than that. Try not to bring your personal issues to the treatment room, your prejudices or assumptions of the person you may have created in your mind before hand. Sometimes we all do that, but when you catch yourself, try to snap out of it. We are all made of energy and we might without realising it put out those feelings to the person on the table. Us being fully present makes the person on the table feel connected and appreciated. Changes the whole experience for them.
To be able to give what the whole person, BODY, MIND and SPIRIT needs, I think we need to let our intuition guide us through out to be able to feel the subtle changes in the body, in the layers of the tissues. As therapists, we know more than we realise, so focus your mind on the person and simply “listen” with your hands when you are doing a treatment. Pay attention what is happening even when no words are being said. Set an intention and make sure it matches with the intention of the person you are treating. Remember that every “body” is different with its individual history. And as I see it, a lot of those memories, emotions and even trauma are stored in the muscles and tissues. Some people simply are not ready to let go of the tension, emotions and memories yet, so no matter how much we want to help, we can`t force that process. I think trying to do that is abusive in a way, so let your client be the guide of how much they are willing to let go at any given time. And when ever release happens, I like to thank the person for helping me out. We are not “doing” a treatment to the person, it is a joined effort with them. Keep in mind that no matter how skilled of a therapist you are, your client is the best expert on their body, and we need to respect that. Be there to aid them on their journey and make them more aware of what is going on. Do your best to make clients feel empowered by helping them understand how much they can do for their own well-being by making changes in their lives and habits, not just being a bystander in their own life.
There is a lot more to be said about this subject, but am sure this gave you an inclination on what I`ve learned in my short career as a bodyworker. No matter if you believe in energy, intuition and things of that nature, I hope after this you will be more aware of how you are in the space with people you encounter. Believe me, it makes a huge difference.
So what all this boils down to in my view, is that when treating a client, be fully present in that situation and aware of the energy you bring. What we put out there we often get back. All this makes you stand out and makes the difference to your clients. To put this into a bigger picture, be present in your life and you will get more out of every moment.
WHERE EVER YOU ARE, BE ALL THERE.