If you have been following this blog now, you know communication is an essential part of the treatment planning process. I have said may times before that I am skilled at many things, but reading your mind isn't one of them. The only way for you to truly get the message across is if we talk about it, and make any modifications to help make you more comfortable. I had a couple different clients ask about this in the past few months, so it inspired me to dust off my writing skills and create another post. So, what should you talk about during your massage treatment?? No matter what your answer is, it is correct. There are many different things that we can talk about. - During your initial treatment, we will go over your health history and review your goals for the treatment. I will check in a few more times during the actual massage to make sure that I am calibrating the techniques to suit your needs and comfort level. Once we have a few treatments under our belt, then your therapist will have a better understanding of what your body needs, and we won't need to check in as much. - For follow up appointments, it is best to discuss any reaction to the previous treatment as well as any changes to your health (including recent injuries or any new medications). This will help us to determine if we can continue our treatment plan safely or if we need to alter the techniques, or reschedule the appointment if necessary. -Having a massage is a very intimate experience for some people. After a few treatments, clients usually start to get more comfortable, and tend to have more relaxed conversations (such as weekend/holiday plans, exciting job promotions/changes or news about their families). And sometimes clients talk because it helps them feel more comfortable. We all enjoy hearing about this and getting to know you a little more personally and establishing a more solidified level of trust in the therapeutic relationship between client and therapist.
-If you're having a particularly difficult day, or you just want to relax and enjoy the silence, there is nothing wrong with that either. If you mention either before or at any point during the treatment that you'd rather stay quiet and we will keep the talking to a minimum.
We won't take it personally, as this is your treatment and want you to get the most out of it.
There you have it! So if you want to talk about your health, your treatment progress, a more casual conversation, or simply nothing at all - there are a lot of different things that we can talk about (or not) during your treatment.
I hope you have a great day!