Finding Time To Practice the NEW Stuff

[Bevans]

I know that most of us take CEUs for different reasons. Sometimes a need to fufill a license requirement, sometimes for personal interest.

Personally I always take something away from each class to use in my massages, and mainly that is what I am doing. But I want to offere the whole modality to my clients.

So what I want to know is how do you find time to practice whole new modalities, such as Thai massage? Do you ask your existing clients to be guinea pigs? If so do you charge them full rate, discounted rate?

Personally I feel uncomfortable offering a new modality on my "menu" until I have some proficiency with it.

I appreciate your thoughts.

 

[jeff1953]

i let my VIP members try it for free and i also ask the other clients if they're interested. i've never been turned down!

 

[10aila]

I practice on another LMT. Then, I usually ask a client who I think will benefit from it to be my model. There is no charge. I ask for feedback frequently, sometimes writing results (or lack of) as we go.

 

[suthrngal]

I usually practice on friends and family,and will sometimes try it out on another massage therapist.That way I can get a good feel for it before offering the modality to my clients.

Johnny :

 

[B*tchKitty]

I start right away on clients - I find that if it's a real client, I have to be dead serious and do it right! This works out for me because my prices are by session length rather than type of service.

 

[xpander]

I always have my husband be my guinia pig..heehee, and also other family members..they seem to give my "honest" feed back..they have helped so much in this way...

 

[noble8fold]

Depends. If it is truly a "NEW" thing, I practice on other therapists. If it is similar enough so that I feel I can incorporate it effectively, I just start in doing it.

I NEVER EVER offer free sessions to paying clients anymore, even for "practice." Invariably, once they get a session for free, they cease being paying clients. Then I have to deal with 6 months of them calling to find out if I "need to practice anything," and how they are "volunteering their services." :roll:

 

[jaysetsfire]

I always try out totally new modalities on family first, then my co-workers and then finally one or two of my regular clients. I've never had any problems with them expecting free sessions after that. They know that they are helping me out by letting me practice on them and they appreciate it. Then they go back to their regularly priced sessions.

Now, if it's just that I've learned a new "twist" on an old technique then I'll just incorporate it into my regular sessions.

Angie

 

[Britney]

Thanks all for your replies so far.

2 years ago I learned floor Thai massage, issues with my knees make it difficult for me to do a whole session (although more practice might help!) So now I'm learning to adapt it to the table. Mostly I practice on my family, but yesterday I actually tried it on a friend too. I'm just not quite ready to offer it to my clients.

What's brought this as an issue for me is that I am actually getting calls on it (silly me its mentioned somewhere on my website!) I incorporate some of what I learned into my sessions, but have to yet do a whole session on a paying client. However its something I really want to offer. I love the work, and I truly receive almost as much as I give in these sessions.

Most of my issues is just confidence!

 

[The man with the plan]

I think you hit the nail on the head -- incorporating pieces into a more familiar session type first, and then finally making that jump to a whole session, can feel like 2 totally different risks!