I would wager that our profession offers their work in trade more than any other profession. We trade our work for other services such as health care, car repairs, and for massage itself.

When we trade away our services, I think we are actually in a way devaluing ourselves. It becomes an easy way out of not taking responsibility for ourselves and doing what work we need to do to get the money to pay for what ever services we need.
If you need a massage, why don’t you go and pay someone for a massage. After all that is what you want others to do with you - pay you that is. When we don’t pay for services they in a way seem to have less value. What we value we pay for and while we do pay for it in our time, isn’t our time worth alot more than that???

Also when we start trading it is a dual relationship which is always the cause of trouble. One person values the time more and may take advantage of the other - not showing up on time, calling to cancel at the last minute thinking they will understand or whatever- that’s a whole other issue - the dual relationships we create for ourselves.

Dual relationships are sticky - if you know what I mean. There is always a hidden agenda of some sort or something that comes up to create stress within that relationship.

I am sure this will get alot of reactions from people. I have traded for many services in the past and know how it feels. I am sometimes tired when I work on the other person and may not give my best session. I wonder how many times that has happened with the person who was working on me.

How do you feel when trading your work for other services especially for massage?

This entry was posted on Monday, August 28th, 2006 at 7:42 pm and is filed under Peer Supervision, The Wealthy Massage Therapist. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.