Tracy Walton & Associates

Caring for clients with Cancer

  • Home
    • About Tracy Walton
      • Writing and Publications
      • Research
      • Awards
      • Massage Therapy Practice
    • Quotations and Stories
    • Practical Pathology
  • Training Schedule
  • Courses
    • Oncology Massage Therapy 4 Day Intensive Course
    • Advanced Mentorship
    • Opening to the Mystery with Cal Cates
    • Setting Fees and Discounts for Oncology Massage Therapy and Hospice Care
    • Research and Ethics in Oncology Massage and Hospice Care
    • Oncology Massage Clinic Intensive
    • Oncology Massage in Action
    • Online Courses
    • DVD for Caregivers
    • Short Presentations
    • Testimonials
  • Questions?
    • Will I be certified in oncology massage therapy?
    • Are there jobs in oncology massage therapy?
    • Are courses approved for CEUs in my state?
  • About
  • Blog
  • Book
    • Practical Pathology
    • Textbook for Schools
    • Reference for Practitioners
    • Look Inside
  • Resources
    • Bibliography
    • Other Trainings
    • Relevant Links
  • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

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

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

Ethics (Mine), Massage Therapy, and Cancer Spread

June 7, 2018 by Tracy Walton 32 Comments

A debate was recently revived around the possibility of massage therapy spreading cancer. I encourage all oncology massage therapists, massage therapy instructors, and interested parties to catch up on that conversation. Links are at the bottom of this post. The conversation recently took a disagreeable turn when my judgment and professional ethics were challenged. It’s […]

Filed Under: Ethics, Hospital-Based Massage, Massage Research, Oncology Massage

On Not “Charging What You’re Worth” in Oncology Massage Therapy

March 8, 2018 by Tracy Walton 12 Comments

Recently, in a group of oncology massage therapists, I started a discussion about setting fees for massage therapy. In this particular group, we were all in private practice. They were all participants in my oncology massage therapy mentorship program, and we were talking about money and pricing. It is a charged topic, this question of […]

Filed Under: Oncology Massage, The Business of Massage

Cold Caps, Frozen Feet, and Massage during Chemotherapy

February 2, 2018 by Tracy Walton 14 Comments

Two clients come in with interesting stories. The first tells you she received chemotherapy two days ago while wearing an odd-looking cap with a chin strap. It was a special “cold cap” cooled her scalp during the chemotherapy infusion. It made for a chilly session, so the infusion staff took pains to keep the rest […]

Filed Under: Effects of Massage, Hospital-Based Massage, Massage Contraindications, Neurologic Conditions, Oncology Massage Tagged With: Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy, massage contraindications, Oncology, Oncology Massage, Peripheral Neuropathy

Ethics in Oncology Massage and Hospice Care

August 4, 2016 by Tracy Walton 12 Comments

My client complained about her doctor, the nurses, and the general care she was receiving during cancer treatment. She went on for some time. Now and then, she took a breath, then looked at me as though to ask “Do you agree?” I held her gaze. It seemed like a challenge to choose sides. Agree, […]

Filed Under: Dianne Polseno, Effects of Massage, End of Life Care, Ethics, Hospice, Massage Research, Oncology Massage

On Not Healing Other People

June 29, 2016 by Tracy Walton 16 Comments

I spent the night in an awful dive of a motel. I had cleared my client schedule and headed out of town, eager to attend the workshop. It was worth the sacrifice. About 20 MTs were gathered in a massage school flanked by woods. It was the early 1990’s, and it might have been the […]

Filed Under: Art and Soul of Massage Therapy, End of Life Care, Hospice, Oncology Massage

7 Reasons Not to “Give Your Client Whatever They Want” at End of Life

June 5, 2016 by Tracy Walton 35 Comments

foot massage

“How was your massage last week?” “It was fine, good, actually. But honestly I would have liked it much harder. Can you go deeper today?” My client was speaking to me from her bed. She had advanced pancreatic cancer. Her pain was deep and constant. She wanted relief, and she wanted heavy massage. I’ve had […]

Filed Under: Effects of Massage, End of Life Care, Ethics, Hospice, Massage Contraindications, Oncology Massage

Notes from the Oncology Massage Healing Summit, 2016

May 4, 2016 by Tracy Walton 2 Comments

Our teaching staff returned from the 4th Oncology Massage Healing Summit in high spirits last month. Nanci, Erika, Cindy, Joan, Megan, Julie, Michelle, and Kim raved about their 4 days in Minneapolis, where they felt a strong sense of community among oncology massage therapists and a renewed respect for OMT teaching and clinical work. Kim […]

Filed Under: Massage Education, Oncology Massage

Next Page »

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...

Join Our List

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

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

Blog Categories

Blog Archives

Contact Us

Copyright © 2023 · Tracy Walton & Associates - All Rights Reserved

X