www.thebodyworker.com

I received an anonymous email today from someone complaining that my website portrayed employers of massage therapists inappropriately.

I am not sure exactly what page they were referring to but here are a few of them

Jobs in Massage

Jobs in Massage Therapy

Here is the email…

a visit to your website
As a potential employer looking for qualified massage therapists, your website came up on a search.

 I’m so disappointed to see such a negative attitude toward employers.
I certainly don’t overwork my therapists nor am i “just in it for the money.”

While I am glad to know that there is at least one person out there who isn't in it for the money or that is trying to take advantage of massage therapists, I am disappointed that the person wouldn't engage in a dialogs and share  how they are doing things differently.For the most part, massage therapists are being taken advantage of as an employee.  They are usually asked to work long hours, with low pay and often are not even paid as an employee (with benefits and taxes paid).   I believe a massage therapist that is hired as an employee should be able to get a salary of at least $30.00 per hour, get paid whether or not there is a client or not, be given incentives and bonuses when they create repeat business (because it really is them bringing the client back), full vacation pay and a retirement fund.  Is that too much to ask for?  The massage business basically depends on the skills and personality of the massage therapist and their ability to work with clients.  Sure the owner may do all of the marketing and have to take the risks involved, but the way I see it the massage therapist is the one who really makes or breaks the business and should be paid accordingly.Granted most people who are really good don't work for an employer but will create their own business which leaves massage therapists just out of school or those who are not really good left to work for employers.  While I know this is a generalization and there are probably some good therapists who work for places, I think for the most part places that hire massage therapists for less than $30.00 per hour get what you pay for.

Share your experiences as an employee or employer...
Are you getting paid what you are worth?
Are you getting paid fairly?
As an employer what challenges are you faced with in paying a massage therapist what they are worth?
As an employer, what do you do for your massage therapists to provide fair employment?



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We are all challenged by our need to be right. It is one of those needs that is really driven by our wounds. When we didn’t receive the listening we needed and were always criticized what results is the need to be right.

How much one obsesses over the need to be right may have something to do with how deeply one was hurt.

The need to be right keeps us from listening to others points of view. It challenges our core of self-esteem. It challenges our very survival.

Letting go of the need to be right is very difficult and will only happen when you wanting to become more aware of yourself to improve your relationships and quality of life. Most resistance to giving up the need to be right has to do with how much one needs to hang onto the pain and grief about what happened to us early in life.

Becoming more aware of oneself is painful in itself. Finally seeing how much of a defensive life we have been living and it is all because no one really told us that we were good, we were important, we were of value…

The need to be right shows up in our massage practices when we think we know what a client needs to get better - some technique, more stretching, some specific exercise. I was once told by an instructor “If you think you know what is wrong with someone, you are wrong.”

We can never know what is best for another. We can only share of our experiences, but the main reason people get a massage is not to hear our story….it is to share theirs. We are more open to listening when our need to be validated is met outside of our practice.

In Peer Supervision Groups, I often refer to the quote from Parker Palmer that he uses in his circle of trust groups ” No fixing, No advising, No setting each other straight”. I just had the insight that this should be used as the code of ethics for all massage therapists! I can see it now! What would massage therapist do if we couldn’t fix, advise or set anyone straight??

Are you challenged by the need to be right?

How does it come into play in your practice or job?

How can you become more aware of the needs behind the need to be right and work to get those met outside of your practice?

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CA is one of the hot spots regarding licensing and legislation in the massage profession.

Currently, massage professionals are required to obtain permits in each city or town that they work in.

There are over 230 massage schools teaching a various number of hours of education - from 100 -1000.

What is really needed here?

What will allow everyone a fair chance to practice?

The CA Alliance of Massage and Bodywork is working to get proper legislation in place that will allow massage therapists to practice without all of the problems they are faced with now…

While I am not really up with what is going on there, because I will never move there, we could all learn from the situation as someday it might happen here!

How did it get so out of control?

Is it the schools who want to make money who keep lobbying for legislation?

Is it the small time practitioner who has a basic 100 hours of education, which in my opinion is enough to start a business and be very successful and even bill insurance companies for your services.

It is all so discouraging and confusing.

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