Tracy Walton & Associates

Caring for clients with Cancer

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An Open Letter about Re-Opening — to Massage Therapy Employers

May 2, 2020 by Tracy Walton 402 Comments

To owners of spas, franchises, chiropractic offices. High-volume massage therapy settings. You in Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma and so many other states allowing re-opening: Employers, much has been made of your efforts to step up your safety protocols and get ready for re-opening. On the face of it, your efforts are admirable. You have devised cloth […]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

A Pandemic Infographic – Why We are not Ready to Return to Massage Therapy

May 2, 2020 by Tracy Walton 8 Comments

I created this infographic about 10 days ago and posted on social media. It is my best attempt to summarize key concerns about re-opening early. References are below. No doubt more have been added since. Although any of the references could be/have been updated, the essential message is clear: At this writing, not one US […]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Therapy for my Hands and my State of Mind

March 30, 2020 by Tracy Walton Leave a Comment

I’m no stranger to hand washing. I wash between clients, I’ve taught hand washing to massage therapists, and my family is extra-careful about hand washing in our home. Now coronavirus is the new boss of my hand washing, and frequency is way up. Countless times a day I am thoroughly washing my hands. My reward? […]

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COVID-19 and Closing – What do Love and Bicycles Have to Do with It?

March 16, 2020 by Tracy Walton 8 Comments

I bought a used bicycle for the pandemic. It’s a ridiculous thing to say, but hear me out. Why I chose to spend the weekend on craigslist>forsale>bikes before holing up for weeks is a long story. Cycling with friends is a perfect socially distant activity. Love cycling and have biked seriously long trips. Needed a […]

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COVID-19, Massage Therapy, You, and Me

March 15, 2020 by Tracy Walton 7 Comments

Dear Friends: How many emails have you already received with COVID-19 in the subject line? Here is mine. I’ve arrived at the hard decision to suspend my massage therapy practice from now through March 27, or until the signs are clear that re-opening is safe and responsible. If you have an appointment scheduled during this […]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Am I Certified in Oncology Massage Therapy?

June 30, 2019 by Tracy Walton 4 Comments

After 20 years of offering oncology massage therapy education, I should be able to answer that question. In 25 words, tops. It is a Larger Question — “What do I Call Myself?” This relates to your professional identity. It is part of who you are, and what you do. The terms certify and certification are […]

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Are There Jobs in Oncology Massage Therapy?

April 24, 2019 by Tracy Walton 2 Comments

Curtiss Beinhorn provides inpatient massage at MD Anderson Cancer Center. (Photo courtesy MD Anderson Integrative Medicine.)

Good question. We get this question a lot. It comes to us from massage therapists who are curious about oncology massage therapy (OMT). It comes from established MTs considering a new direction, and from new MTs who might want to specialize. Some MTs ask us this because they are deciding whether to invest in an […]

Filed Under: Massage, Massage Contraindications, Oncology Massage, The Business of Massage

Handwriting and Reading with Hands

March 11, 2019 by Tracy Walton 40 Comments

Twenty years ago, a thought came to me during a massage therapy session.  It floated into my massage studio and would not leave. I wrote it down. Once published, the thought kept moving. It turned up here and there: in a couple of books, in an occasional massage school graduation speech, on a massage therapist’s […]

Filed Under: Art and Soul of Massage Therapy, Massage, Massage Education, Rants, The Business of Massage

Build a Massage Therapy Practice in 13 Months? Really? (Part 2)

February 27, 2019 by Tracy Walton 2 Comments

In the Part 1 of this interview, Kate Prouty shared some of her strategies for growing a practice from scratch to a full-time, busy practice. In one year, she implemented a lot of ideas. Some of them landed in the last post, and the rest are featured here. Here in Part 2, we continue the […]

Filed Under: Hospital-Based Massage, Oncology Massage, The Business of Massage, Uncategorized

Build a Full MT Practice in 13 Months? Really? (Interview, Part 1)

February 21, 2019 by Tracy Walton 4 Comments

A year ago she started her private practice from nearly nothing. Now Kate Prouty sees anywhere from 15-30 clients each week. Her practice focuses on oncology massage therapy and massage for people with medically complex conditions. In this interview she shares some excellent marketing tips and other tools she used to build her practice, Patient […]

Filed Under: Oncology Massage, The Business of Massage Tagged With: Advanced Mentorship Program, Course, Oncology, Oncology Massage

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What’s New

Why take a course in oncology massage therapy?

There are so many good reasons. Here are a few:

Service. During cancer treatment and beyond, people need support. They need symptom relief. They need sleep. Oncology massage therapy (OMT) can help people cope during cancer treatment, at end of life, post-treatment, and during diagnosis.
Practice building. With the right skills, you can meet growing client demand and build your practice. You can be part of cancer care. It is better for your business to be able to work with people right then, right where they are, than to refer them out or send them home.
Career satisfaction and longevity. OMT is immensely satisfying work. Your steady presence and your hands can make a huge difference in someone's day or week. You might even find our approach to be easier on your hands and alignment. We offer new ways to provide comfort without effort and "deep tissue" work.

To practice OMT, massage therapists need to know what to ask clients before the massage, and how to use the client's answers. They need to know how to think through what to do, and how to communicate with clients in difficult circumstances. They need confidence, sensitivity, strong interview and table-side instruction. They need to learn from actual case studies and real-world exercises, and good chances to practice.

We provide these learning experiences in our 4-Day Intensive, Oncology Massage Therapy: Caring for Clients with Cancer.

Learn more...

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Recent Posts

  • An Open Letter about Re-Opening — to Massage Therapy Employers
  • A Pandemic Infographic – Why We are not Ready to Return to Massage Therapy
  • Therapy for my Hands and my State of Mind
  • COVID-19 and Closing – What do Love and Bicycles Have to Do with It?
  • COVID-19, Massage Therapy, You, and Me

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