Deep, Caring & Therapeutic Massage

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. I encourage people to experience different therapies and therapists, and then decide what is most effective for them. Your body will tell you what is effective and what is not. Professional afflliations, # of years practicing, and advanced certifications are no guarantee of skill, effectiveness or compatibility with you or your personality and needs. Anybody with money can buy a professional membership. And, while an advanced certification could mean enhanced skill, unless that modality is frequently used and becomes a part of you (commonly, they are not used), it means very little.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Look for a skilled, independent therapist willing to spend time with you to get to know you, your issues, your pain tolerances, and your needs. Don't go to a big clinic or spa, thinking that this will get you some sort of quality control. Frankly, the policies in these places commonly DISCOURAGE quality care. And, don't just try to get the lowest price.

As massage therapy is very labor-intensive, no one ever gets rich doing massage therapy. In fact, most therapists barely survive. If they get into the middle class at all, they typically have other sources of income. Some work 2-4 jobs just to survive.

This has always been the case. Now, with more corporations trying to make money off this very low-profit business, it has become even harder for therapists.

The last statistic I heard was that 75 percent of massage school graduates leave the profession within a year's time to do something else. And, this figure came out before the recession--the numbers are probably worse now.

And sadly, the therapists are being squeezed on both ends--spending some $11,000 on tuition and 2 years of heavy-duty study with anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, psychology--what to most, is a very strenuous program. Then, they find that they can make more money as secretaries or file clerks. The ones that stay commonly get trapped in low-paying hourly slave factories such as the car accident rehabilitation places or chiropractic clinics. In places where commission-only is paid, employers frequently hire more therapists than they need, "just in case" somebody get sick or they get a very rare walk-in. So, with a flooded floor, no one can then make a decent living.

What incentive, then, does anyone have to stay in it, hone their skills, and get continuing education? Sadly, I believe most therapists don't stay in it long enough to get good at it.

Therapists frequently come and go like ants at a picnic in most commercial massage establishments. But, because the schools are graduating so many therapists, employers don't care, as they know they can hire new people very easily.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I have always tried to do my best for people. If you do your best, you get better at what you do. I believe the most important thing I was taught in school is intention. People feel your intention. If you are trying your best to help, they feel that. If you are just trying to get through with one session to get paid and go on to the next session, they feel that, too. Too many massage establishments these days base their policies on how they can make as much money for themselves. They pay as little as humanly possible to the therapists doing the work, while providing as little service as possible to the client. We need to go back to a client-centered work ethic, where both the client and the therapist are held in high regard, not just the business owners. If your therapist is being paid and treated like a slave, chances are you will not get the quality of work that you or your insurance company is paying for.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I love working with people and helping them. I have been very successful with helping people. And, I have loved the rapport and friendship I have received from regular clients and patients.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. "Who gives YOU a massage?" is a common question customers ask. My husband is very sweet and loving, and a natural therapist.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. Unfortunately, I think a lot of people still think of massage therapists as being either unskilled little girls who just spread oil on people, or prostitutes who are really just making their living with "happy endings." Employers have really taken advantage of this poor image in recent years, (and poor self-esteem on the part of therapists) preferring to hire inexperienced therapists right out of school to work in high-end situations like medical clinics and high-end spas, in a effort to pay as little as possible. Now, the "cheapo" massage places are springing up all over the place. They're trying to tell clients that one massage is the same as another, and that the providers are all the same (and not really worth much). The places can survive because they have multiple service providers. But, the therapists live at the poverty level.

To be a good massage therapist requires a tremendous amount of skill on several levels. One must have physical stamina, as this can be very strenuous work. One must also understand body mechanics, muscular kinesiology, and psychology. One must have compassion, patience, strength, and knowledge. And, one must have skill. This comes with practice, just like anything else.

I have had tremendous success with clients and patients from all walks of life. I have ennervated toes and fingers that had been numb for years. I have enabled neck and hip range-of-motion far beyond what the client thought possible. What is that worth? Am I still just a "little girl" without skills, not deserving of income? Even though all my employers in the past 18 years have acknowledged that I did excellent work, they wouldn't entertain a raise. This is because they knew that they could hire someone right out of school for the same or less.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I believe that this was a calling for me, as I have always attracted to it. When I was a kid, I got massage books and practiced on my friends. As a young person, I wanted to go to a massage school, but thought that I would have to live in California to make a living with it. I ended up getting a journalism degree. Four years into that, the newspaper I was working for went sour, and I decided to quit and go to massage school. I was called "gifted" before I went to massage school.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. I am constantly reading and trying to improve. Although my focus has been deep tissue work, I am fascinated with energy work. I am confident that over time, the marriage of the two will enable true miracles. Last year, I got certification in hypnosis, which has shown to provide breakthroughs in eliminating the "cell memory" or "muscle memory," so that the body can let go of its pain patterns.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. I waive the "trip fee" for regular customers getting frequent massages. Also, if you get 90 minutes of service, the price goes down to $100 (rather than $80 for an hour-long service.) Likewise, if two people get a massage at the same time, the trip fee can be waived.