massage and bodywork professionals
a community of practitioners
Fired Up About Professionalism!!!
Hello All...
As a somewhat seasoned massage professional, I have some concerns. I own my own business, and the process of hiring was something new to me. ( I apparently always have to learn the hard way! ) I was nervous at my first interview, and hired this girl. I don't want to name any names here, but this girl was seemingly nice, and had what I thought was a great personality, her massage was different, but I didn't think it was horrible (again I was nervous and didn't really analyse the massage as I should have). After a month of working with myself and a couple of other therapists, I realized that something was missing. After some time, she came out and said she was never taught how to work glutes. Then later, said she was never taught positional release, or any type of releases!!!! At first I really wanted to teach her these things and help her learn to become a better therapist, she was open to the idea. Then after some well needed advice, I decided to let her go, but told her that she should go back to the school and tell them to teach her the things she missed. I told her I would call the school on her behalf, and she didn't really want me to. I did it anyways, and while I was looking up the number I realized they didn't even have positional release as a part of their curriculum listed on their website. Now this girl I hired from there was upset that I called and felt that she had had clients that "never said anything about working glutes, or doing releases, and liked her massage techniques". She graduated back in 2005!! She had never even HEARD of doing releases until she started working at my office!! I find this discouraging!! I am constantly trying to advocate for the massage profession, and convince people that it is an effective treatment for many things. However, how can I do that when people are being taught that a semi-under-par massage is ok? How can I continue to advocate for this profession when people are coming out of this school on a regular basis without a proper education, then continuing to work under this profession thinking their techniques are great? I don't totally blame this girl, because she was taught that way, and felt confident in what she did. Although I wish she would have taken my advice, if I was the first person telling her anything other than what she was taught, she may have felt I was just being picky or something... after 7 years she was never told any different, until she met me! My fear is, how many other people have graduated from this school with a less-than-adequate education?? How many people are out there in my area doing massage therapy, who don't know what they are doing, and can't even do basic techniques??? What can I do about this??? Anything?? Any advice you can give me would be great! Thank You!!
Views: 356
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Abram Herman on
-
There are definitely some cases where MTs are graduating without an adequate education, but I'm optimistic about the future of this profession's educational standards. Right now there's a huge project going on called the ELAP (Entry Level Analysis Project) which is an attempt to identify the core curriculum that should be taught in every program so that quality therapists are coming out of school ready to work in the real world. It's a joint effort between ABMP, AFMTE, AMTA, COMTA, FSMTB, the Massage Therapy Foundation, and the NCBTMB, and it included a period surveying working professionals in the industry to determine necessary skills for the profession. I'm very excited to see what they come up with, and I think it will be huge step for our educational standards, and the profession as a whole!
-
Permalink Reply by Gael Wood on
-
I've done massage for 17 years. I love what I do and have been very successful. I don't "do" positional release. I went to a very good massage school. Not everybody does the same techniques, there are hundreds.
http://www.edgarcayce.org/massageschool/ This is where I went to school.
-
Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on
-
One of the main themes of almost all my threads, is exactly what you are talking about.. The problem is the educational system... and the problem with the educational system are all the exams required for licensing...The National Certifications and so fourth... The tests are so long and extensive that the schools are basically being set up so the student can pass those tests.. And the tests have nothing to do with the actually massaging anyone, let alone releasing anything. People seem not to understand that.... I can flunk any of those exams if I took them today...Id have to really study.. However, Ive made a living as a professional massage therapist for nearly 30 years... I use nothing thats on those exams to help my clients... and like I have said many times before.. Its those exams that cripple our profession... I have read in massage text books.. IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE CARPAL TUNNEL GO GET IT CHECKED OUT BY A PHYSICIAN. But massage is the best if not the only way to actually rid yourself of carpal tunnel... Thats only one example... I would teach massage completely different then its being taught now... However my students wouldnt be able to pass any of the current certification exams...Even though they would be able to release almost any muscle in the body 85% of the time. So if you want someone good, you will have to teach them what you know.. My opinion only...But I feel very confident with anything I say in here, at least for now.
-
-
I want to qualify myself... there are a lot of good massage therapists out there....Trust me...I find that out every time I get a massage...But at the same time, they do graduate students that are afraid to massage pregnant women..
Gordon J. Wallis said:One of the main themes of almost all my threads, is exactly what you are talking about.. The problem is the educational system... and the problem with the educational system are all the exams required for licensing...The National Certifications and so fourth... The tests are so long and extensive that the schools are basically being set up so the student can pass those tests.. And the tests have nothing to do with the actually massaging anyone, let alone releasing anything. People seem not to understand that.... I can flunk any of those exams if I took them today...Id have to really study.. However, Ive made a living as a professional massage therapist for nearly 30 years... I use nothing thats on those exams to help my clients... and like I have said many times before.. Its those exams that cripple our profession... I have read in massage text books.. IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE CARPAL TUNNEL GO GET IT CHECKED OUT BY A PHYSICIAN. But massage is the best if not the only way to actually rid yourself of carpal tunnel... Thats only one example... I would teach massage completely different then its being taught now... However my students wouldnt be able to pass any of the current certification exams...Even though they would be able to release almost any muscle in the body 85% of the time. So if you want someone good, you will have to teach them what you know.. My opinion only...But I feel very confident with anything I say in here, at least for now.
-
Permalink Reply by Cortney McLellan on
-
@Gael,
I am not saying she even had to DO it, I just think she should have been TAUGHT it! You DO work glutes though, right? She knew nothing about it, and made huge mistakes, such as not adjusting the bolster to be sure her client was comfortable, or adjusting the lighting, or draping properly. Basic stuff! I know not everyone does positional release, but they should be taught how, and it really is a valuable tool.
Gael Wood said:I've done massage for 17 years. I love what I do and have been very successful. I don't "do" positional release. I went to a very good massage school. Not everybody does the same techniques, there are hundreds.
http://www.edgarcayce.org/massageschool/ This is where I went to school.
-
-
Gordon,
I agree!!! I have known several therapists over my time as one who could spout off all the answers to all the questions on the exam, but couldn't do a massage to save their life!! I also get very irritated with common terms used by some less than educated therapists, like "luxury" or "spoil" etc... This particular employee said those words to clients on a regular basis, and it was very frustrating as I am trying to change the views of the general public away from these notions that massage therapy is some sort of luxury, or something people do to spoil themselves. A good teacher would have taught her that massage was for her health, not for just fun.
Thank you for your insight! Will you come work for me??? :)
Gordon J. Wallis said:One of the main themes of almost all my threads, is exactly what you are talking about.. The problem is the educational system... and the problem with the educational system are all the exams required for licensing...The National Certifications and so fourth... The tests are so long and extensive that the schools are basically being set up so the student can pass those tests.. And the tests have nothing to do with the actually massaging anyone, let alone releasing anything. People seem not to understand that.... I can flunk any of those exams if I took them today...Id have to really study.. However, Ive made a living as a professional massage therapist for nearly 30 years... I use nothing thats on those exams to help my clients... and like I have said many times before.. Its those exams that cripple our profession... I have read in massage text books.. IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE CARPAL TUNNEL GO GET IT CHECKED OUT BY A PHYSICIAN. But massage is the best if not the only way to actually rid yourself of carpal tunnel... Thats only one example... I would teach massage completely different then its being taught now... However my students wouldnt be able to pass any of the current certification exams...Even though they would be able to release almost any muscle in the body 85% of the time. So if you want someone good, you will have to teach them what you know.. My opinion only...But I feel very confident with anything I say in here, at least for now.
-
Permalink Reply by Carrie Patrick on
-
It sounds like her lack of knowledge is about a lot more than just a sub-par school if she graduated 7 years ago and still was not familiar with anything except what she was taught in school. That indicates to me that she wasn't getting massages herself, maybe never, or at least not regularly or from a variety of other therapists. Or if she was, it means she was completely ignoring it as a learning experience. And that she wasn't interacting with other therapists, or reading, or doing any kind of formal or informal continuing education, or ANYTHING AT ALL beyond "okay, I paid my money and did enough to graduate, now it's time to shut down my brain for the rest of my life."
There are people like this in every profession and it's a real tragedy and a waste of potential.
-
Permalink Reply by Lee Edelberg on
-
Hello Courtney,
This is based on your experience with one employee? There are a lot of fish in the sea.......just hire someone else and move on. Make your business the best it can be and you will be helping our profession.
I don't agree with some comments in this thread that many or most schools are spending all their time teaching how to pass exams. I've attended two different schools in the past ten years and in both the main focus was hands-on training.
-
-
Carrie,
I agree, and your probably right that it was a big majority of her own doing. However, I have heard other things about this particular school. For one, another one of my employees has a friend that started out attending that school, then went on to say that all she felt she was learning about was her teacher's sex life. Seriously??? I also worked with another girl who graduated from this school who did a less than sub-par massage. I wasn't taught EVERYTHING I need to know, and went on to educate myself in other areas, however, I was taught the basics, and was given the appropriate outlook for a massage therapist. I am just not sure this school is teaching their students to be all they can be...
Lee,
I understand where you are coming from as well, I got a great education. Not everything I needed to be great, but what I needed to get a great start, and to continue learning as I go. However, I think in places like Michigan (where I am from) there are schools that are lacking in what they need to produce QUALITY massage therapists, mostly due to our lack in licensure laws. However, this is changing... it just hasn't gone through yet. I would imagine that the thought of that just makes that school squirm. No, it is not based on just that one employee. My experience and the experience of those around me with therapists who "graduate" from this school have not been great. I have never heard one good thing about them. I would not post something like this based on one bad experience. This school has a reputation, which until now, I had ignored. It didn't dawn on me that it would effect me, or my profession to have people wandering around not knowing what they were doing, until I saw it from the perspective of a business owner, and of someone who is trying to change the image of massage therapists in my area. (We still have a place about 30 miles from here that does 'bad' massages, they get shut down like every year, then open right back up again... how I DO NOT KNOW!!) I want people to respect our profession, and respect us! I want people to realize that this is not some fru fru thing that people who are rich do because they just want to! I want people to see this profession for what it is! An ancient form of healing!!! Massage therapists should not be the butt of people's jokes! However, if people like her are out there educating people otherwise, than I feel I am fighting a losing battle. I don't want to feel that way!
© 2024 Created by ABMP.
Powered by
