Massage Therapy Awareness Week

I knew from my time in the Athletic Therapy program that I enjoyed working one-on-one with clients and that I particularly enjoyed doing manual therapy. Being taught by Garth Beddome in the Sports Massage course (at U of W) gave me some insight into the field, as well.

The MTAM had done a presentation at our school while I was student, and they must have left an impression on me! Having been a part of other professional associations, I am very happy with my choice to join MTAM. I find MTAM to offer a wide variety of continuing education opportunities, many of which are free, and to be very supportive of their members.

My treatment philosophy is that all forms of healthcare should be a collaboration between the practitioner and the patient. I want my clients to take ownership of their health and their healing. In my practice, I try to encourage my clients to ask questions, clearly state their expectations, and to be active participants in their massage experience. I’m very into self-advocacy and I want my clients to feel comfortable advocating for themselves.

My biggest challenge has been figuring out what’s next – what are the next steps for me professionally? I currently run a solo practice, which can be isolating at times, and I don’t think I have figured out how I can best contribute to the profession at large.

Two years ago I opened my solo practice, which has been amazing. It has forced me to really think about how I want to do things and to determine what my values as a therapist and business owner are. In March, 2023, I gave a presentation to the general public at Pecha Kucha Night Winnipeg on the importance of healthy boundaries with your massage therapist (I believe the tagline was “Boundaries are Rad: how to use them to get your best massage ever”). I loved getting people to think about massage a little differently!

You want your clients to have a positive experience, and the easiest way to do that is to manage their expectations. Talk to them about how they see the treatment going, ask questions, make sure you’re on the same page. The one question I always make sure to ask is: What is your highest priority for this appointment?

I was studying to become a nurse and realized that wasn’t the right path for me. I wanted to stay within the field of healthcare and heard about massage therapy through a television ad. The rest is history!

I enjoyed the presentation in school and quickly learned that having a local association is beneficial in terms of the ease of accessing courses, resources and a network of easily accessible people to brainstorm with.

The clinic I work in has a very welcoming and inviting environment while still being very professional.

I like working on clients who prefer deeper treatments but don’t limit my work to only that style.

The clients I see range from young to older, less active to very active, and everything in between.

My future goals include furthering my training to allow me to work more with clients needing post-stroke rehabilitation.

The biggest challenge so far has been in maintaining my own health and self-care routine. It’s important to stay healthy so that I can continue to give the best treatments to my clients.

I’ve enjoyed serving the Riverbend and surrounding communities for the past 15 years. It’s great working with a solid team at the clinic.

Be humble enough to know that sometimes all a client might need is effleurage.

Also – Taxes and paperwork are boring but super important!

From a young age I knew that touch had a power in it that made people feel better. I’ve always been a hugger and that’s how I was able to show my feelings, when it was hard for me to verbalize as a shy, introverted kid. I think my love for massage therapy started to develop when my older sisters would pay me to give them massages. LOL. But then I started to look and thought, yah, I could really do this. However, growing up in a small community, my parents wanted me to go to University and so I did. But it was not for me. It took some twists and turns, but I somehow found my way back to the idea of massage therapy. I knew I wanted to help people and so it was really just a natural choice for me.”

“I love massage therapy, and as an advocate for the progression of massage
therapy, becoming an MTAM member was an easy choice for me. The resources & support MTAM provides has helped me through the phases and challenges of my practice, and has created a community that I truly needed working on my own.”

Though the main focus of Melysa’s practice is on treating the upper body, she finds it helpful to include other methods to promote nervous system regulation. Struggling with her own depression, along with headaches and jaw pain, she began to look into ways to help relieve her symptoms while also improving her mental health. This is where her love for facial massage began!

Feeling the benefits of this practice, and seeing the benefits on her skin, Melysa realized she could enhance her RMT skills and further her education through Gua Sha, Acupressure and Facial cupping, and has built a treatment around the
head, neck and face.

By focusing on integrating a more holistic approach, she hopes to put an emphasis on increasing awareness of registered massage therapy as a complementary therapy in mental health care. “Supporting those individuals through their mental health struggles, I knew that there is more needed to build a role for massage therapy in the mental health community and I am still working on that
today.”

I have had several big challenges through my career, and COVID was definitely one
of them. Navigating a failing business partnership, increased overhead and
decreased clientele left me financially depleted. My mental health was at an all time
low and I was really worried about my future in this profession. But it was in this
time that I was able to reflect, rediscover the power of massage therapy, and begin
to create something I felt truly needed to develop my skills in.

Some of my career highlights would be participating in various volunteer positions with MTAM, such as Challenge for Life, the Wellness Bike and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Sitting on the Marketing Committee has also allowed me to interact with many great members, instructors and be part of a community of like minded professionals

Advice I would give to new RMTs is that you don’t have to be everything to everyone. Not every client/patient is meant for you and that’s ok. Build a network within the RMT community and refer out.

There are enough patients to go around and you should work with the people that most align with you.

Also don’t feel that you HAVE to take any extensive continuing education right after graduation. Focusing on getting your hands on as many different bodies is how you will organically find what modalities or techniques, and style best works for you. And also you wont spend money on training that you may or may not use.

But education and learning are so important so also don’t hesitate to ask
questions! Find a mentor – or 2 – and work toward building a massage therapy practice  that you love.

I chose to to become an RMT because I loved working with people, and I really wanted to be in the health care field. I also new that what ever path I chose, I was going to open my own business for it.

I chose to join MTAM because they gave me the support I needed when ever I had a question or concern. They also offered continuing education, which I felt was important in my development as a massage therapist.

With my massage practice I always wanted to be different and stand out. When I first opened Pure Escape, I took what I liked best out of 3 different businesses I worked at to make my business stand out from the rest. I have never been afraid to change my business, see what works, what doesn’t and change again.

I started as a massage clinic when i first opened for the first 8 years. At the request of clients, I added spa services to enhance the experience. I am now pivoting once again in year 22. I have gotten ride of the all the spa services and and turning the business into a wellness center. In the next few months we will be introducing our clients to Athletic Therapy, Osteopathy, and an in house Doula. I have never been afraid of change, and I like to push the boundaries of the industry.

The biggest challenge I have faced has been with recruiting enough staff to meet our clients’ needs.

Often prospective RMTs would see the spa atmosphere and think “they only do ‘relaxation’ massages there”. This is the furthest thing from the truth.

It has always been an uphill struggle to find staff but we keep promoting our ability to fill any new RMT’s schedule and give them a full practice from day 1.

I am proud that I have had such great staff retention. Ranging form almost 20 years, to multiple 15 years and many that have found a home here, that have stayed almost their entire career. I am also proud to say, I was the first clinic to introduce direct billing to over 20 insurance companies before all the online portals were available. The ups and downs with that have been crazy. For example, the first year I did it I lost $10 000, because the insurance companies were sending the checks to clients and not back to the clinic. I solved that one day, with quick thinking, it would take to long to explain, but if you ask me how i did it i will tell you. I also solved the late fee issue we charge clients if they miss a portion of their appointment. Again ask me about it as it would take to long to explain. I really am not one to pat myself on the back, as I dont let me highs get to high or my lows to low. I chose to work hard, and do the best I can for the staff that have chosen to be here.

Two pieces of advice I would give new therapists are:

Don’t work for someone who is not a massage therapist. They will never understand how hard this job is and what it takes out of you.

Second, once you are done school go work somewhere that can fill your schedule. You have so much knowledge and good intention when you are done and you need to practice, practice, practice until you can start putting the pieces together and seeing the patterns in client after client. That is what will make you a great therapist. Also, work at a place that does not see you as a dollar sign. A place where you are heard, and when you have questions, they will be answered.

My initial motive of becoming an RMT was to satiate my interest in improving human athletic performance

I volunteered during the 2018 AGM and Spring Conference and was impressed with the association’s resourcefulness in providing professional support and development.

As previously mentioned, my initial focus was to improve raw athletic performance in athletes, however as time progressed, I saw the value of integrating a more holistic approach to my practice – precisely and carefully blending physical, emotional, and intellectual variables concerning one’s rehabilitation.

I have 3 future goals that I would like to attain; work less, stress less, and be financially independent

Biggest challenge I have ever faced is gaining recognition within the health care community, with respect to interprofessional collaboration

My biggest career highlight was helping a client who had a chronic condition navigate the bureaucracy of our health care system.

An old professor of mine once said with respect to figuring out your niche and specialty, “Find your END game. Educate, Navigate, and Dominate”.

Also.. Never be afraid to make mistakes

I enjoy working with people and helping them reach their health goals. I also wanted career that incorporated health sciences and would help me stay active during the work day.

It’s a very hands-on, involved association that I wanted to be part of. MTAM offers a lot of benefits to their members.

I see folks of all ages from very young to senior clients. Every appointment is based on the client’s needs. I enjoy providing deep tissue treatments which I believe give my clients the greatest benefits.

In the future I’d also like to have a home-based business.

The biggest challenge I faced so far is my own pain and fatigue management. It takes some planning and dedication to keep my body healthy, fit, and pain-free while at work and away from work.

The best thing so far is that I’ve had clients stay with me during my massage therapy journey over the past 7 years.

Don’t burn yourself out! Self-care is important.

I’m not sure that I actually chose to become an RMT so much as it chose me. When I was in high school my classmates would ask me to massage their shoulders when we had spares. It only took 10 years or so to actually go to school for it.

My professional area of focus would include anything related to the upper body and particularly the jaw. I lean toward treating many of the physical issues that I’ve had myself.

My treatments are individualized and my assessment will include a lot of questions, palpation and a bit of intuition.

After 21 years of full-time practice I’m looking ahead to what other things I can do. My body isn’t as happy as I am with being an RMT.

When I first graduated, I had joined another association which turned out to not be a good fit. I joined MTAM as soon after as I could and it was the best decision. MTAM offers much more support and education opportunities.

There have been many challenges over the years. One of the biggest is not being prepared for the financial aspects coming out of school. Being in a single income household is tough when that income fluctuates. A rising economy and paying bills alone makes it difficult to do things like save for retirement.

There have been oh so many highlights! Working with professional athletes, being part of the medical team for the Manitoba Marathon, amazing clients, and amazing colleagues both in the clinic and in my association.

• Take some extra business classes.
• Get your GST number immediately.
• If you have a good clinic name, register it immediately even if you don’t use it right away.
• Listen to your colleagues when they give you advice or tell stories. Learn from them. Find a good mentor!

Good question. Many things came into factor. I had tried university after high school, we didn’t get along. I worked full time afterwards. After working in a chiropractic office as a receptionist for a few years, realized I wanted something more. I also wanted to be happy with what I choose, I had met a lot of people unhappy with their work. Seeing how university didn’t work for me, I decided to look at what colleges had to offer. I realized that I enjoyed helping people and working in the health field, more specifically natural health. One day a lightbulb went off in my head… what about massage? When I was younger, I remembering massaging my friends at sleep overs and putting them to sleep. So I felt I had a natural knack for it.  

I was seeing a RMT at the time because I had torn my ACL and meniscus playing soccer. I started asking him a lot of questions and he recommended I go to MTCM. I went for tour, interview, enrolled, and accepted. Each step I fell more in love with massage and what it offered. 

Honestly, I joined because they seemed more competent, that they were local, and they seemed the most trusted by the majority of RMTs in the province.  

My philosophy has changed over the years as I have matured. I remember thinking I could fix someone in one session. Now I look at people’s health goals as a long game. I compare it to a game of chess.  

I want to help people with any knowledge sharing I can. Whether it be about their anatomy, physiology, nutrition, exercise, mental health, the relationship going on with muscles.  

The world is a shitty place. Yup I said it. I strongly believe massage therapy gives back to the world. One massage at a time. I don’t have a global effect, but I can make one person’s world better, then they can go home and feel like a better version of themselves. So I believe what I does has a ripple effect.  

I’m a hybrid RMT. I love troubleshooting issues in the tissues, but I also love giving a safe space for people to decompress. I gear myself to all people, although I enjoy working on fellow Mom’s, women, and the elderly.  

Besides taxes 🙂 Helping motivate people to take care of themselves. We seem to be our own worst enemies. Sharing knowledge or ideas with them and they choose not to try or implement. Then they still come and complain about pain.  

Celebrating 10 years of being a RMT. I’m looking forward to 15 in 2026. Also working and getting a job at Evolve college. I have gone from supervisor to TA and now this year Instructor. That was a career goal to become a instructor one day.  

Learn to not give too much of yourself away. Create health workload boundaries early. Go back and re-read notes from college. It is amazing how differently you absorb them when not under stress of being in college.