The Dark Side of Helping
The massage profession is part of the helping professions. Many massage therapists work in the field because of following their calling to help (see article online at www.massagetherapycareers.com). When we help others it fills our needs to feel needed. When we can give to others what we never got for ourselves, it can help heal our wounds.
We build a practice around the need to be needed but the thing is that when you are busy feeling needed by your massage clients and practice (or job), you are ignoring what you really need and that is too feel more vibrant and alive. Being a Massage Therapist is also a personal business. We touch complete strangers in hopes that that will take away their pain or help them feel better. It is difficult to not start thinking that it is us that is doing that for someone as it allows us to feel powerful. Well no one is that powerful. The person is feeling better, yes because they were given a massage but they were ready to be touched.
Getting your need for acknowledgment and being needed from your massage practice can influence the outcome of your sessions and effect the success of your business.
One of the biggest things you can do for yourself is to begin to understand - How do you help? I have written a series of questions to start looking into some of the reasons why we are drawn to helping. It is on my website www.massagepracticebuilder.com
Other resources on helping:
 Enabling: The dark side of helping - Massage Therapy Journal
Caretaking : the Hidden addiction in bodywork at presencingsource.com
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