Gratuities are customary in massage businesses, but should they be? Business or Pressure host Allissa Haines covers the factors to consider and the steps to implement a no gratuities policy.   Host: Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and business owner and columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. You can find her building a community of massage therapists at deepbreathdigital.com/community.   Author links:   Website: www.deepbreathdigital.com/community   ...

A client cancels her massage therapy appointment because she has hand, foot, and mouth disease. Her therapist is grateful but wants to know when it will be safe to work with the client again. Oh, by the way, the client also has strep throat and lupus. Does that make a difference? Find out on this episode of “I Have a Client Who . . .” Pathology Conversations with Ruth Werner. Sponsors:     Books of Discovery: www.booksofdiscovery.com   Anatomy Trains: www.anatomytrains.com  ...

When being in control becomes etched in the very fibers of your being, learning how to shift gears is not easy. Letting go is not only a lesson in parenthood, it’s also a lesson in myology. The adductors could use a few of these lessons. And if you understand the adductors as individuals, as a group, and in relation to the other muscles of the body, your ability to help them ease their grip becomes a lot easier.   Host:   Contact Allison Denney: [email protected]             ...

Sometimes policies and protocols need to evolve and adapt to keep meeting our clients’ needs. Join Allissa as she discusses how some simple changes help nurture ever evolving clients in your business.   Host: Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and business owner and columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. You can find her building a community of massage therapists at deepbreathdigital.com/community.   Author links:   ...

The advent of AI and its uses grow exponentially every day. How is this technology going to impact the massage therapy field? In this episode of The ABMP Podcast, Whitney Lowe discusses how AI can be used to create personalized treatment plans, it’s use as a personal assistant for scheduling, billing and follow-up, and how it can be used for education purposes, in-tandem with instructor lead courses.   Resources:   ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/ ...

Skills and experience are transferable, but your state massage license is not. On this episode of The ABMP Podcast, ABMP President and CEO Les Sweeney is joined by Debra Persinger, Executive Director at FSMTB, to discuss the Interstate Massage Compact ( IMpact ), how it would affect practitioners, where it stands in regards to legislation, and how it would benefit consumers. Author Bio: Debra Persinger brings a rare combination of management experience, examination expertise, and...

Balancing generosity with the need to earn a living can feel challenging. Business or Pressure host Allissa Haines will help you choose (or not choose) these events wisely. Host: Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and business owner and columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. You can find her building a community of massage therapists at deepbreathdigital.com/community.   Resources:   https://highergroundmedia.com/podcasts-archive/yourmamaskitchen   ...

A client with frequent nosebleeds works with a massage therapist on TMJ pain, and something unexpected happens: she goes from 3-4 bleeds a week, to about one. The therapist has referred her to get more information about her sinus health, which is a good idea. But is there anything else they can be doing? Sponsors:     Books of Discovery: www.booksofdiscovery.com     Anatomy Trains: www.anatomytrains.com  MassageBook: www.massagebook.com EmbodyU: www.embodyu.net   ...

With all the things a back can do, and all the support the pelvis offers, there is a lot to be communicated from one to the other. Enter the SI joint. Otherwise known as the anatomical gossip fence. With all the chatter that happens here, it is, quite possibly, the busiest gossip fence ever.  Host:      Contact Allison Denney: [email protected]      Allison’s website: www.rebelmassage.com           Allison Denney is a certified massage therapist and certified YouTuber. You can find her...

Paper is everywhere in a small business. In this episode of Business or Pressure, host Allissa Haines discusses how to handle it properly and even reduce the use of paper when possible.   Host: Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and business owner and columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. You can find her building a community of massage therapists at deepbreathdigital.com/community.   Resources:   ...

Being a skillful feeler is a huge part of what we do in the massage room. And beyond being a good palpator, our touch influences the anatomy our clients feel. In this second episode in our three-part series “Your Practice in 3D,” we discuss the concept of feeling anatomy from the point of view of both the therapist and the client and how AnatomySCAPES dissection lab trainings are improving therapists’ ability to understand the anatomy they touch.   Resources and Author Links:   Journey...

What’s the difference between coaching, counseling, and psychotherapy? In this episode of The ABMP Podcast, Angie Parris-Raney is joined by Mary McEvilly-Hernandez, a master certified and professional coach, to discuss what the framework of coaching consists of, how it requires presence, deep listening, and curiosity, and how it’s a transferable skill for massage therapists. After growing increasingly uncomfortable in corporate America, Mary McEvilly-Hernandez built a coaching practice in...

The mix of money, business, and family can be tricky. Business or Pressure host Allissa Haines provides some tips to add structure and avoid resentment in these potentially awkward situations.    Resources:   www.calm.com     Host: Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and business owner and columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. You can find her building a community of massage therapists at deepbreathdigital.com/community.   Author links:   ...

A person with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus develops new back pain in her mid-upper left side. It feels like “it’s coming from under my ribs,” she says. First, it’s diagnosed as arthritis, but interventions don’t seem to make a difference. Finally, a year into this unremitting pain, a rheumatologist asks about her breathing and discovers she has developed a complication called pulmonary thrombosis, probably related to her autoimmune diseases. They start treatment and voilà, her back pain...

The Greater Omentum is one of the cooler parts of our anatomy. So cool, in fact, that it is deserving of superhero status. In this episode of The Rebel MT, Allison takes a look at this incredible piece of our viscera and unveils what she believes its superhero name should be.  Host:      Contact Allison Denney: [email protected]      Allison’s website: www.rebelmassage.com           Allison Denney is a certified massage therapist and certified YouTuber. You can find her massage...

Emergency funds are for emergencies, but how do we save for planned time away from our businesses? Business or Pressure host Allissa Haines walks through the process of saving money for a leave of absence.  Resources:   Ep 425 - Budgets and Savings in Your Massage Business https://www.abmp.com/podcasts/ep-425-budgets-and-savings-your-massage-business-business-or-pressure-allissa-haines   Foster Creative Design https://www.fostercreativedesign.com/   Host: Allissa Haines is a...

Two names that are well known within the bodywork community—Dr. David Simons, author of Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual, and Moshe Feldenkrais, engineer, physicist, and founder of the Feldenkrais Method. Who were these pioneers in the bodywork profession and what can we learn from their origins? Resources:   Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual: https://www.amazon.com/Myofascial-Pain-Dysfunction-Trigger-Manual/dp/0683083635   Feldenkrais...

Darren Buford is joined by Cal Cates, founder of Healwell, to discuss the concept of co-regulation in therapeutic relationships, how to balance a welcoming and friendly atmosphere while maintaining professionalism, navigating boundaries while still fostering trust, and techniques that could help ensure that client interactions are supportive, balanced and professional. Cal Cates is an educator, writer, and speaker on topics ranging from massage therapy in the hospital setting to...

Sometimes, we overvalue the time, energy, or money we put into a project, which clouds our decision-making. Business or Pressure host Allissa Haines talks about the sunk cost trap—and how to avoid it—in your massage business.   Host: Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and business owner and columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. You can find her building a community of massage therapists at deepbreathdigital.com/community.   Author links:   ...

A client uses fentanyl patches to manage chronic pain from a back injury. What kind of risk does this present to the therapist? And, if we’re not careful, the bigger risk might be to the client. Check it out on this episode of “I Have a Client Who . . .” with Ruth Werner. Resources:   Cai, B., Engqvist, H. and Bredenberg, S. (2015) ‘Development and evaluation of a tampering resistant transdermal fentanyl patch’, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 488(1), pp. 102–107. Available at: ...

The thumb seems to live in its own reality. That's because it does. In this episode of the Rebel MT, Allison describes how the thumb is like a digit that has gone rogue and explains how getting to understand its plane of existence can help how you approach this funny piece of anatomy. Host:                   Contact Allison Denney: [email protected]             Allison’s website: www.rebelmassage.com                      Allison Denney is a certified massage therapist and...

Small, practical adjustments help your massage business run more efficiently, so you take home more of the money you earn. Tune in to this episode of Business or Pressure to hear money saving tips, as well as how to generate more income. Host: Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and business owner and columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. You can find her building a community of massage therapists at deepbreathdigital.com/community.   Author links:   ...

Have you ever noticed how clients talk about their pain? All too often people express negativity and even outright anger toward their bodies, which is counterproductive to healing. Join Cindy as she shares a simple method to increase awareness and encourage a healthy relationship and communication style when working with clients (and also yourself!) Host: After earning a degree in Sociology from Indiana University in 1997, Cindy Williams stumbled upon her calling as a massage therapist and...

Join Kristin Coverly, ABMP director of professional education, as she asks four leaders in the massage and bodywork field, “What’s your five-word piece of advice for practitioners?” Gain inspiration you can immediately apply to your professional and personal lives!  Resources: ABMP CE Summit: https://www.abmp.com/summit   ABMP Education Center: https://www.abmp.com/learn/   “A Field Guide to Color” by Lisa Solomon, http://www.lisasolomon.com/books.html   “From Strength to...

Planning how to spend and save money in your business is not always intuitive. Allissa walks us through some strategies for intentional spending and saving to keep your business sustainable. Host: Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and business owner and columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. You can find her building a community of massage therapists at deepbreathdigital.com/community.   Author links:   Website: www.deepbreathdigital.com/community   ...