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, […]
On Not Healing Other People
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 […]
7 Reasons Not to “Give Your Client Whatever They Want” at End of Life
“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 […]
Notes from the Oncology Massage Healing Summit, 2016
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 […]
Quality of Care in a Thriving Oncology Massage Practice – Meet Our Teacher Erika Slocum
Massage therapists often ask for survival tips for growing a practice in oncology massage therapy. Here, we offer the first of occasional “Featured Teacher” posts about successful OMT practitioners among our instructors and colleagues. Erika Slocum has been teaching oncology massage therapy with us since 2011. She co-owns an expanding practice, BlueFern Massage Therapy, with […]
Massage Therapy and the Benefits of Cereal
William Bernbach, a famous advertising executive, gave us Mikey and his bowl of Life cereal in the 1970’s. A wildly successful ad campaign, it became a classic. It reportedly ran for 12 years. In the 30-second spot, Mikey’s older brother’s are skeptical of a cereal that is “supposed to be good for you.” So they […]
Little Details Make Big Connections in Oncology Massage
In oncology massage, we know that the little details matter. How you gently tuck the draping so a client’s shoulders stay warm. The way you offer to massage a client’s scalp after hair loss. The way you hit exactly the right spot on your client’s foot, without too much pressure, in the infusion room. The […]
Of Hula Hooping and the Dreaded Self-Care Thing
Last month I celebrated my 14-month Hoopiversary. It marks the time I first picked up a hula hoop and began hooping in earnest. In the hooping community, the rules of serious hooping require one to record (and preferably post) a video documenting each major hoopiversary. I dragged my feet on this, worried it would be […]
My Silver Anniversary: 25 Moments in Massage Therapy
Last month I celebrated 25 years in formal massage therapy practice. I’ve been in the same office the whole time, with the same appointment times and the same furniture. Little has changed here over the years, which is good, because I’m not so wild about change. My profession and I have stuck by each other […]
One Massage Study Does Not “Prove” a Point…
…For a massage claim to be accurate, it needs to be backed by the strongest evidence. Yet some of the massage studies we’ve quoted for years are neither strong, nor conclusive. In a few weeks, the Massage Therapy Foundation will release my free e-book, “Five Myths and Truths about Massage Therapy.” When it’s up, I’ll […]