13 May 2009

Why Your First Massage With Someone May Be Less Than Magical

I recently had a treatment with a massage therapist I hadn't worked with before. It was...ok. I had asked her to focus on a recurring shoulder complaint, which she did. I had specified to her that I love deep work, but that bodyworkers need to be slow and patient when applying deep tissue techniques, otherwise my muscles start guarding.

So I lay there on the table for an hour, waiting and waiting for her to go deeper. I didn't say anything, figuring she was perhaps just on the cusp of really going for it. Nope. As I got off the table, I certainly felt more relaxed and a bit looser, but she hadn't gone anywhere near my tolerance point for pressure and my shoulder still felt fairly bound up.

So I re-booked.

I recognize this isn't a choice that a lot of people would make. If you've spent money on a session and walk away from it feeling like you didn't get what you came in for, it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to return to that therapist. Having been on the giving and receiving end of bodywork, there are many reasons why your first session with anyone might be less-than-fabulous and why you may want to consider a second chance:

  • you are naked under a sheet or towel
  • someone you don't know is touching you
  • neither of you has a baseline for basic massage preferences such as style, pressure, pace, etc.
  • a client may be less likely to speak up (as I was) because they are waiting to see what will happen
  • there may be more miscommunication and misunderstanding because you don't know each other
  • you may be comparing their work to your previous beloved (or behated) bodyworker
  • you may be in so much pain or discomfort that precious little will make you happy at the moment
  • you may be unhappy about your appearance and feeling self-conscious
  • you don't know what to expect, or you have questions but are afraid to ask them and possibly appear "stupid" to the MT
  • the receptionist may have been rude to you, and you're just livid (or intimidated, etc)
  • so on and so forth
I've found as a bodyworker that the more I work with someone, the better and more effective the sessions. I always begin and end sessions with an interview to assess client goals and expectations, likes and dislikes, what worked and what didn't. With time, we develop a relationship of trust. I know my client's preferences and what works really well for their specific complaint. They know what to expect from me and so they let go more quickly. They speak up more quickly and confidently when something is or isn't to their liking because they know I welcome their feedback and won't be offended, and as a result the session is more satisfying to them.

As someone who receives regular bodywork, this is the guideline I've made for myself: I have 2-3 folks who are my go-to therapists; I know and like their work and regularly re-book with them. Every few months I pay a visit to a new therapist and see how it is they work. It's a system that has worked out really well for me.

Next time: either When to Not Re-Book Ever Ever or possibly How to Find a New MT.

Til then....

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