a community of practitioners

Vehicles and Destinations

It seems replies to blog posts are limited to a certain amount of words, I'll ramble on over here ;)

This post is in reply to: The Future of our Profession

Well, now that I'm on a tear, let me further this. Perhaps it's off topic, but seems relevant to me.

IMHO, there are two issues here: Vehicles and Destinations.

What is your vehicle and what is your destination? As an example, let me provide an example off-topic, and then I'll bring massage into this.

I work with a lot of people in regards to religion, spirituality, enlightenment, etc., etc. For many, religion or spirituality is the vehicle, enlightenment is the destination. Many get this confused. Many think the destination IS the vehicle, or more importantly, they think the vehicle is the destination.

Same applies to massage. Massage therapy is your tool. What is your destination? What do you want? How do you define yourself as a successful massage therapist? How do your clients define you, or define their success or their success with you?

For me, success is loving what I do, being happy, solving my client’s issues and making a living. A great living. I'm a businessman first and foremost. Massage therapy is my current vehicle. I've worked hard to point my vehicle in the right direction so that it leads me to what I define as success.

Many perform massage part time, for minimal money, make their clients happy and that is success to them. Many want income along with previously mentioned; this, to them, is success.

If you include income into the formula and are not generating the income you want, what do you do? You find the vehicle that gets you there (to your destination.) Perhaps the vehicle is medical massage. Perhaps it's becoming a Lomi Lomi expert. Perhaps it's moving on to becoming a PT or a DC.

To tie this back around to what I see is the theme of the original post is this: "Judgment of those who are not doing what I do." An example would be, "I have 1,000 hours of medical massage training and you perform Swedish part time, so I'm better than you are." They not only think this they express it! ....and what's worse, they are forming these little sub-cults and promoting it! Yes, I will call this a cult. Blindly following someone or some teaching or some belief assuming it's the only 'way.'

Back to my previous post about many I work with that have much more training that I do. They still hold this attitude even though I point out to them that Mary down the street, performing Swedish only, makes much more money than they do. "But I'm so much more educated and have more experience!" Sorry, doesn't work that way. Again, how do you define yourself? What's 'being a successful massage therapist' to you? If adding 2,000 more hours to your resume floats your boat, great! If working part-time pulls your trigger, good!

Sorry folks, I just don't understand this, 'big fish in a small pond' attitude.

Kris

Comment

You need to be a member of massage and bodywork professionals to add comments!

Join massage and bodywork professionals

Comment by Mike Hinkle on February 17, 2011 at 3:29pm: This is the first time you have been this open. You have tried to say to forget hours. Recheck our conversations. I know what you have been saying. Now you are trying to change it to instructors. I think everyone should check the many conversations that you have pushed not talking about hours. It was not about instructors at all.

Everyone is saying that our problem is our schools. A school is a building. Our problem is the instructors being allowed to teach in these facilities. If those are the ones and you say they are, that you are talking about... Then contact The Alliance For Massage Therapy Education and tell them what to do, instead of us please.

Comment by Las Vegas Massage In Summerlin on February 17, 2011 at 2:59pm: ~

No worries, Bodhi. I'm an arrogant bastard that likes to be right as well. It's our awareness of when we are being arrogant bastards that always helps ;)

You mention the word substance, so allow me to touch on that.

I'll assume you see evidence based massage therapy as having substance. Seems to make sense, right? My point is, does this substance provide success for you?

I'll use an example that I know nothing about, let's say Reiki. Let me assume that Reiki has no evidence or substance in any medical studies. Yet, in my perception, and the perception of my clients, it works like a charm! Ok, am I the Reiki believer just as successful as the evidence based massage therapist?

The real point, as mentioned several times is the attitude....and I have one just like everyone else ;)

K

Comment by Mike Hinkle on February 17, 2011 at 2:56pm: You see Kris how much he even pays attention as he can"t even spell your name right. He is going to keep interfering. He has expressed his opinion and that's the law to him. He will find out differently. He feels his "substance" is all that counts. The more he opens his mouth, the more people see... His intent to raise our hours as he is his. If you ask him how many hous Canada has ha says they speak as one voice and have 2200 hours but then quickly adds but we have 3,000... That's one voice?

Then you ask him how many hours we should have and it's, " oh no, don't talk about hours in the US talk about competencies and KSA!"

Control. I see a growing resentment towards the North and Bodhi is growing it!

Comment by Las Vegas Massage In Summerlin on February 17, 2011 at 2:29pm: Part II

For the record, Bodhi, your name was not mentioned above in my post. Perhaps in the heat of the moment you felt singled out or lumped me in with that troublemaker Mike! ;) That, in and of itself, tells me something.

Kris

Comment by Las Vegas Massage In Summerlin on February 17, 2011 at 2:28pm: Part I since this site is acting up again...

Hey Bodhi!

A couple of comments. First, I'm all for evidence based massage therapy. It's not the point of my comments.

Let's see what you have to say...

Bodhi: "Evidence based massage therapy resources here you will find information on what the EBMT movement is about. You will notice that there is no secret handshake need to access it."

Kris: Never said there was a secret handshake nor anything else about evidence based MT. Further comments below.

Bodhi: "Kris, there is no EBP cult here nor have I ever suggested that an oath should be taken. That is just plain bull."

Kris: Again, EBP was never mentioned, but the word cult was used.

Kris: Please look up the word 'cult' and read the definition. If the shoe fits, that's fine. If it doesn't fit, that's fine also.

Point being, it's the attitude. My impression of your attitude, since you've chosen to comment, is, "I'm better/smarter/more successful" than you are, or anyone else. My experience with you comes directly from your comments on Facebook. Yet, you know what?

My impression of your attitude really doesn't matter. It's not my issue, it's yours. Perhaps you are a legend in your own mind, who knows? Not my responsibility.

The question is, are you using your vehicle to reach your destination? Are ya' happy? If I tell you that I make six figures performing 90% Swedish massage does it matter to you? For many 'medical massage' and 'evidence based massage therapists', it does. As mentioned above there's still this attitude that regardless of how they define success for themselves, they still have the attitude of, "I'm better/smarter/more successful" than you are. ....and no, I'll not reveal any other names here. You've chosen to take this personally, so I'll just address you.

Comment by Stephen Jeffrey on February 16, 2011 at 8:50am: Excellent points Kris,

I love the way you are calling this bunch a cult.

When I visited a EBP site they wanted massage therapists to take some kinda oath to EBP. ??????? ................ I did not stay there long so cant say wether they also have a secret handshake and headdress ceromony. LOL

Comment by Mike Hinkle on February 15, 2011 at 9:24am: I agree with Laura. We are all trying to make the world a better place. This "MD without the MD beihnd our name" mentality is why I am rebuffing Bodhi and his persistant efforts to have us conform to his standards. This will only divide us more.

We should set our own standards. There is an effort afoot to separate the title for massage. It started when the AMTA added the word "Therapy" to what was being done. Now "therapy" is being used to push "medical". Because anything else is "just fluff and buff", right?

This is really funny in light of the MT Foundation showing no difference between light and deep tissue work, huh? There is a lot more to Swedish than was expected by many and they still can't explain it.

Since NCB is wanting an advanced test. And about 1/10th of massage therapists seem to want more education towards this. Let's improve teachers and create a program for these folks and leave the rest alone. 90% of the industry should not be shaken because 10% want everything to change.

Comment by Mike Hinkle on February 15, 2011 at 9:10am: Hi Lee.

There must be a reason the entire of Canada is not regulated under the CMTA system. Why only 3 provinces? 31%? America has 81% regulated. We regulate more than you and we are all called massage therapists.

Clearly, if we can feel the divide between Spa and MT in Canada here, there must be a divide there. I think I will search out some spa therapists in Canada and ask about this and how they feel about the MT's in Canada, that as Bodhi says are MD's without the MD behind their name.

Is your practice MT or Spa?

Comment by Laura Allen on February 15, 2011 at 8:37am: Well said, Kris. People do tend to forget that success is RELATIVE...it's whatever it is to you. Some people want 40 appointments a week and a big income. Some people want 10 appointments a week and plenty of time off to spend with the kids or go fishing.

I don't like anyone who acts as if they are superior to another therapist because they do "medical" massage. If you touch someone with the intent to do the best you can for them, whether it's to help an injury or just help someone to relax with a good Swedish massage, then you've done a good thing.

We are all a part of the family of hands, no better or no worse than anyone else.

Comment by Alexei Levine on February 15, 2011 at 8:29am: Well said Kris, why try to change massage therapy into physical therapy, when the profession of physical therapy is doing great, and ready to welcome anybody who successfully pursues it. There's no need to alter your "vehicle" for a different purpose, if there is another vehicle more suited to your purpose, at hand.