On June 2nd, the Governor of Colorado signed into law the legislation (SB08-219) that will register massage therapists at the state level, eliminating our current system that licenses city-by-city, if they license at all.
The law takes effect on July 1st and registration is expected to begin in April, 2009.
For several reasons, the bill was changed from “licensing” to “registration”, with almost all of the same provisions:
1. Definition of scope of practice.
2. Title protection.
3. Grandfathering for a period of one year (April 2009-March 2010).
4. A mechanism for consumer complaints
If you’d like to read the full text of the act, here’s a link to the Colorado General Assembly website page that lists all versions of the bill as it passed through the House and Senate. From this page, you can download a pdf file of the Final act.:
http://tinyurl.com/3nxknv
Although some massage practitioners feel there should be no regulation of our field, I personally think that, in the long run, it’s better for us to work collectively, as we did here in CO, to define and regulate ourselves proactively, than to have outside interests define our scope of practice and impose onerous regulation. After reading over several drafts of the bill, I think we got it right. We had the advantage of learning from the mistakes made in other states, we had excellent lobbyists/advisers, and we had coalition members with a wealth of experience to draw upon.
A special thank you to Jean Robinson, ABMP Government Relations and primary author of the bill; Kathryn Stewart, AMTA-Colorado Chapter Government Relations Chair, and Susan Grubb, AMTA-Colorado member, Coordinator of Massage Therapy Legislative Awareness Day, and Manager of the Legislative Alert Network. These three powerful women worked ceaselessly to shepherd us through this process.
Social Networking is the latest craze as many of you are well aware of. Figuring out what is the best use of your time is important when considering participating in these networks. How will you find the best opportunities to get new and repeat clients?
Twitter is one of the easiest to use and get results with. If you don’t know what twitter is yet, it is an online network that you sign up with for free. Create a twitter account to just be used with your business. Twitter is unique in that it only allows you a few sentences of space to use to communicate with people. But who are you communicating with? People can sign up to ‘follow’ your postings. But where do you get people? The best place is to put a twitter feed on your website. You can get the code to put a twitter badge on your website by going to the Settings page. In about the middle of that section there is a place for you to put your website address but right under that is a link that says:
Click on that and click on the other tab (or one of the others if you are using one of those systems for your website.) Click to create a badge. You can add what you want it to say on the top or whether or not you want to create a flash badge or a html badge. The flash badge will be interactive and show people’s reply ( I think!) So just copy and paste the code into your webpage where you want it. I have mine on my homepage above the fold (near the top) where it is the highest profile and also on my services pages. I also just created a twitter page that people can go to directly. You can see how I am using it at www.massageseattle.net I actually just started using it last week and have already gotten 3 new clients. I also have quite a few visitors to my website and it already gets me a lot of calls but I think it will help even more by making this info of my schedule availability more public. I am also sending a series of posts based using “you know you need a massage when you ….” and then will do a top ten reasons for getting a massage or something like that and see how that goes.
Facebook – Facebook is fairly time consuming. It is really important to set up a business only listing. What facebook is better for is finding your old high school buddies and long lost loves. You are supposedly not allowed to set up more than one facebook profile. They do have a way to make a business page and have it connected to your personal page but to me it is not private enough. I personally don’t mix clients and friends. You can use facebook to create more messages and even use it like a mini website if you don’t already have your own. You can search facebook members to find businesses and doctors or other people who you want in your referral network and ask them to be your friend. You can write a small newsletter like posts. People can post on your wall or you can opt to not allow people to do that. The thing I don’t like about Facebook is that people who become your friends will also have access to see each others profiles which may not be a good thing for your clients who want their privacy. I did find a facebook group for my office building when they were having an open house that I could become a fan of and post my message about being the massage therapist in the building.
Linkedin in works sort of the same way as facebook but it doesn’t connect you with all of your old friends. Linkedin is more of a professional networking site. They also have a section where people ask questions like yahooanswers but it is much more professional than answers is. You may possibly find someone looking for a massage but it is more like looking for a needle in the haystack.
I am not a big fan of social networking because of the time it takes to put into it all. I would rather be writing a new article for my website to educate people who are already interested in getting a massage. My website is found for the keywords that I have chosen – downtown seattle massage and it comes up first on Google and most of the other major search engines so writing there is more targeted advertising. Also writing more content and educating people about massage and muscles and how the body and massage work together is a way of building trust with people. When they read a website full of information and research they will get the feeling that you know what you are doing and trust you enough to make the call.
So if you are using one of these or other social networking sites successfully I would love to know what you are doing!
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the Summer Olympics in Beijing. If you’ve been paying attention at all, you know there has been a lot of press, mostly negative, about China’s record on human rights, especially in connection with Darfur, and the annexation of Tibet.
Many groups are calling for a boycott of the Games this year. Some are suggesting that Heads of State decline to attend the Opening Ceremonies as a way to send a message to China.
I have the pleasure of working with a number of athletes who have been training for years for their shot at the Olympics and I believe we would do every Olympian a disservice if we boycott the Games. Ideally the Olympics is about sport and competition and fair-play and should be outside the realm of politics. In reality, politics has played a role in every Olympics. I think that all of the attention being focused on China will have a positive effect on the behavior of the Chinese government.
Active senior citizens today know that anti aging is not just about eating more natural foods. While many baby boomers search for products that provide real anti aging benefits, some mature consumers are now smart enough to know that it?s not sufficient to just buy natural foods from the store. They realize that there are nutrient dense, natural foods superior to organic foods or even juicing that produce anti aging results they can really see and feel.
At 87, Olga is enjoying the anti aging benefits of nutrient dense natural foods
Let?s look at an older person suffering from arthritis for years. They decide to change their diet to include more natural foods, but don?t see or feel results. Then, they try nutrient dense concentrated natural foods that provide the most nutritious parts of the plants without the bulk or expense of organic produce. Instead of the body degenerating from typical store-bought foods, they begin to feel relief right away through the power of ?regeneration?. What?s happening is that damaged, old, dying cells are being replaced more rapidly by healthy, new cells that now are stronger because they are built with more powerful nutrients.
For anti aging benefits, nutrient dense natural foods provide far more nutrition in fewer calories. This is key because scientific studies have shown that those who consume fewer calories enjoy a longer, healthier life. Instead of constantly loading the body up with unhealthy foods, sugary drinks, or empty calories, consumers of concentrated, nutrient dense, natural foods are loading up on real nutrition that provides amazing results. They are taking their health to a new level and winning the anti aging battle.
Many anti aging enthusiasts in their 50?s 60?s and 70?s are now feeling ten to twenty years younger, and believe they can actually live a healthy, energetic, disease free life until the day they pass away peacefully in their sleep. This is far different from how most people wind down their golden years. Far too many senior citizens end up in hospitals or nursing homes, unable to care for themselves. The sad part is that it doesn?t have to be this way. The philosophy of regeneration is real. It?s simply a matter of shopping differently for nutrient dense, natural foods that aren?t usually sold in typical stores. Look for concentrated natural foods and health drinks that are made with whole food ingredients, as close to nature as possible.
I’ve found many workshop participants are uncomfortable performing hands-on abdominal work, i.e., pelvic and respiratory diaphragm releases and sometimes even superficial belly techniques. This seems particularly true when working with pregnant clients/patients.
Do you feel belly-work is under-emphasized in massage trainings? Does the area hold too much emotion or possibly too intimate for some? I’ve written a short e-newsletter & posted a video showing some basic useful structural integration techniques @ http://erikdalton.com/NewslettersOnline/Sept_09_Newsletter.htm
With the holidays over, and as I settle into 2009, I can’t help but reflect on the past year, and all that I am grateful for including my business. When it comes to owning a business how much does karma and the law of attraction effect it? Well my belief is more than we will ever know. When I first started Bee Well Massage, time management was a big struggle and still is. I work 32hrs. at a health food store, I also write for a publication as well as other random projects I like to get involved with along with taking time for my boyfriend of 3 years and 10 year old dog, as well as run BWM. All of these things in my life bring me great joy, but it is a lot of energy to distribute. There were times when I had to reschedule massage or change my work schedule. I would have to cancel plans with friends and change plans last minute with them and my boyfriend. It was just short of chaotic. Clients started to cancel on me, they would not take me or Bee Well Massage seriously. I had had enough, and decided I would dedicate two days a week to massage, and only book three a day. That way I had time for clients, family and still one day off for me! With that being said my massage schedule is not flexable but its consistent and makes it so I am more reliable to my clients and friends.
I have had issues in the past with people wanting more than the proffesional massage I provide. I was so confused as to why I was attracting these people in to my business. I took a step back and came to the conclusion that nowhere on my website did I have a disclaimer explaing I am a proffesional and only practice therapuetic massage. I also had to look at all the “free” places I was advertising. When you first start a business you are trying to get your name out there as much as you can, of course, that is what you are supposed to do, but we also work in a somewhat risky practice. So even though it may be free it still comes at a price. I have even stopped in the middle of a massage after a man had made a sexual suggestion towards me, and told him “Bee Well Massage practices the law of attraction and I am not looking to attract clients like you” he thought I was crazy but I don’t care. I ask the universe to guide me to reliable, polite clients, I visualise meeting clients that like my practice because it is proffesional and give thanks for the clients I have the appreciate the services I provide.
Each day I give thanks for my business, ask for success with the right clients and visualise it happening. I have set reasonable goals, that are all surfacing into reality. My clients are reliable, and have been perfect for me. I will always practice the law of attraction in Bee Well Massage and in all my life. I encourage you all to do the same.
An exceptionally significant postural issue begging for a logical explanation is the ?short right leg syndrome?. Although an inferred awareness of right-sided limb length shortness has existed for thousands of years with decades of published research available, no one has yet to produce a universally acceptable answer to these two basic questions:
1. Why the unusual frequency of short right legs seen in clinic?
2. How does this common limb length discrepancy relate to chronic pain and somatic dysfunction?
How do you measure leg length…supine or prone and what’s the difference?
As the days grow shorter and the holidays approach, I notice that everyone around me seems to be speeding up, to get it all done before they cross the finish line to the New Year.
In times like this, having the ability to slow down and drink in the joys of this season is a skill well worth the effort. As I go about my days, I am taking time to rest, to ground myself, to soak in a warm tub, to walk in the cold air wrapped in many layers. My favorite activity is making time to contact the people in my world that I am especially grateful for – the people who have made a difference in my life. It is so easy in today’s busy world to forget to give thanks – and yet, my heart opens and gets bigger every time I feel my gratitude in this way.
Life has been challenging this past year for all of us. There is a lot of stress and uncertainty in the world right now. And yet, there is also a remarkable sense that this time of change holds the possibility of deep healing and transformation for our nation and for the planet. So how can we open to this possibility? How can we feed the positive change and let go of the fear and distrust?
The Five Principles of Full Body Presence can be a guide here.
Trust that there is a nurturing source of life energy around you at all times. Gratitude for the blessings you already have in your life is an excellent way to bring this trust in at a deeper level right now.
Feel this life energy in your body – feel your feet connecting to the earth beneath you. Take a deep breath and let in rejuvenating energy wherever you are. Last weekend I was helping out in the concession stand at my son’s high school basketball game. It was extremely busy and chaotic, and yet, we were all enjoying ourselves as we sold hot dogs and sodas. A kind of rhythm was established in the midst of the chaos, and we worked as a team churning out food and drink for the crowds. It was exhilarating. So allow yourself to connect to whatever activity you are doing and feel the flow of life moving through you as you do it – whether it is cooking for your family and friends, shopping, or visiting an elderly relative. Each moment can be rich if we feel what is there that is energizing, that is life-giving.
Integrate this life energy throughout your entire system. To me, this means that I allow myself to feel as full as I can. This gives me the steadiness to meet old family patterns and my expectations in a new way. When I am grounded and full, my boundaries are better. I remember to take a walk rather than staying in an familiar, draining family situation. I go and take a nap if I need one. I put on the music that feeds me at this time of year. This keeps me more full and resilient. Having this cushion of energy is vital to my health and well-being. It also means I can be of more help to those around me.
Expanding my perceptual lens enables me to see the joy in my life, no matter what I am doing at that moment. As my lens expands, I can let go of expectations and let people be who they are, pure and simple. This makes my relatives and old friends so much more fun to be with!
When I remember to take care of myself as I move through the holidays – when I connect to healthy resources moment to moment – my tank stays full and I am a nicer person. This year I am putting up my Christmas decorations rather late. The rest of the neighborhood has been lit up for weeks. I needed to rest after a long trip and the decorations will be put up when the energy is there to do it. Treating it this way means I am a nicer, less stressed out person.
So may this holiday season bring you more trust in life, more sense of gratitude for what you have, more resilience and nourishment within, more capacity to share the love in your heart, and an unending connection to what feeds your soul.
OK I am a bit of a geek which is unusual for a massage therapists. I have a system that I use and recommend but it is fairly time intensive yet anyone can do it. So the other day I started researching various website design systems for massage therapists and was wondering what people are using and what is effective.
An effective website to me is one that gets 3-5 clients a week AND also makes you an additional stream of income from promoting affiliate products. (Affiliate marketing is promoting things that are related to massage – like I promote a stretching program, Traumeel, Biofreeze and books on health that I have read)
The reason that I feel a website is so important is that it is more than just a calling card for your business. It is also an opportunity to be more professional and educated doctors and the general public about what massage really can do and how it is used. You know the drill – it’s good for stress, injuries, wellness but most people are clueless really about their bodies.
A website is one of the easiest ways to get clients I think because people are already looking for a massage therapist. They aren’t looking for you when they start out – but they are just looking for someone to help them with whatever issue they are having – stress or pain in some combination usually. People want to know that you have experience working with the kinds of things that they are dealing with. They want to make sure they are spending their time wisely. What do they think when they find a site that doesn’t have any more info than just a few pages on how much the massage therapists charges?
One of the best exercises you can do is to go online and try to find a good massage therapist. Go through all of the process of searching online. Actually go and do it and follow through and go and get the massage. See what you find out there!
The components of an effective website are many. It has to do with keywords and a little simple search engine optimization and also just writing all of the things down that you really just talk to people about – how muscles work, how massage works, what happens with stress and injuries. Writing this all down will also improve the way you communicate with clients in person.
While all of the technical details might seem too overwhelming they are worth learning about to create an effective website. I have it all laid on on my website at www.thebodyworker.com
If you would like some help with your current website just leave the address and I will give you some pointers on how to get your site to the top of the first page of Google (which is really the goal of every website. )
My post a few weeks ago on the $100,000 massage business seemed to create quite a stir. The idea that a massage therapist can make that much money seems too good to be true for most. Many come to massage careers saying it isn’t about the money or that they just want to help. Underneath the idea of wanting to help is usually another side of our profession that is not really talked about. The deeper reasons underneath wanting to help (which is also usually sacrificing our needs to make money) are usually what lead to giving too much and eventually burn out. Since massage therapy is considered to be one of the many helping professions we have a lot to learn about our needs to help others.
I was first exposed to this idea early in massage school in 1987 when reading a book called “How Can I Help” by Ram Dass. I actually didn’t think much of it at the time and didn’t think that it really applied to me at the time. In the book he says:
The more you see yourself as a “helper”, the more need for people to play the passive “helped”. You’re buying into, even juicing up, precisely what people who are suffering from want to be rid of: limitation, dependency, helplessness, separateness. And that is happening largely as a result of self-image.
Often what is happening when we feel a compulsive need to help is that we have to get rid of someone else’s pain because it is hurting us too much. Out of helping usually comes feelings of power, respect and a certain knowing that we did all that we could for someone to try to take away their pain.
While helping can truly come from compassion, it is often confusing. When we help it makes us feel like we are important and are appreciated. Being able to tell the difference will mean the difference between your success or having to change careers because of being burned out.
Fast forward 15 year of working as a massage therapist and feeling burned out myself, I read this series of articles by Jack Blackburn called “Caretaking vs Caregiving” and it all came together:
” When we caretake, we assume responsibility for our clients’ healing.
When we caregive, we support clients in assuming responsibility for their own healing.”
Caretaking comes in many shapes and forms. It can be seen when you charge less than you need to make or don’t have any cancellation policies (or enforce them). It can be seen when you give advice instead of just listening. Caretaking has it’s roots in early childhood and usually in the way you learned how to attach (or not attach) to your caregivers. When your early needs for attention, appreciation and love are not met, many people give up their needs in order to get that attention. It continues on into adulthood and shows up in relationship, money and career issues and somehow seems to really show up in helping professions. Setting your needs aside for others benefits while it may seem viruous and noble, usually is not really helping anyone.
I actually used to be one of those people who didn’t want much and didn’t charge much for my services. I didn’t want to do any marketing or sales because I was shy and hated promoting myself. I lived a simple life (and still do) but making money became as important as helping since I couldn’t help people when I was feeling burned out or didn’t have enough to take care of my needs. The more I learned about caretaking and ‘noble poverty’ ( the idea that having money is somehow wrong), the more I could see how I created my underearning to support my lack of self confidence. The thing with underearning, noble poverty and caretaking is that they are really unconscious patterns and you don’t really see them until you are forced into looking at them. Some people may never get to looking at them and that is OK too.
My basic message today is that caretaking is a big part of our profession. As you become more aware of how caretaking influences your clients lives and your life, you can begin to make different choices that support caregiving (healing). You can live simply but you don’t have to live in poverty and wonder if you are going to get by. You don’t have to make $100,000 a year but you can make what you need to make to pay the bills, live debt free, take nice vacations each year and save for retirement. The process of unraveling caretaking from caregiving will be a contining challenge. It shows up in how you care for yourself financially – Do you raise your rates each year? Do you have a cancellation policy and enforce it? Do you give away your time to clients by doing longer sessions or excessive volunteering? (What other profession gives away their time for free?) It shows up when you are challenged by becoming friends with clients, by undercharging, by not doing the things you need to do to promote your business. It shows up when you take low paying jobs thinking that is all that there is.
This is really a very short post about a very broad and intensive topic. I would recommend that you begin reading about this in some of my favorite books and free online articles I have posted on my website.
In the Service of Life – Rachel Remen. This is one of my favorite articles that also started my interest in this topic.
The thing is that once you get started in exploring these issues with either a regular therapist or in the process of supervision you will most likely see your massage business grow. The steps in building a business gets easier as you clear up some of the unconscious programming and beliefs about money and success. So you can make $100,000 or more even if you want. Making that much money isn’t a crime. The more you make, the more you can actually help by doing things like setting up non-profit groups that offer free and low cost massage.
