What is your style of massage?

[John Redcorn]

I thought it might be interesting to hear of therapists' different styles of working.

What style would you say you are primarily?

Do you do a similar style of massage with every client (and address their specific needs)?

Do you incorporate what you learn in workshops into your sessions?

Do you ever become bored with your techniques, and if so, what do you do to make them more interesting/different?

What do you do that makes you "different" from other therapists?

And ... when you receive massage, what do you look for in an MT?

 

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Okay, in a really smarty pants mood tonight ---- my preferred style of working is getting paid, and I work standing on my feet, generally........... t040

and, now having gotten that smarty pants-ness out of my system [sort of] I will tell you that the only thing the same about my massages is the pattern in which I move around the body of the person on the table.

The methods of bodywork vary from client to client, generally a huge blend of orthobionomy, craniosacral, swedish, strain/counterstrain, intuitive work, energy balancing, trigger point work and whatever else seems appropriate at the time.

 

[Rawaa Acrystal]

What is your style of massage?

This thread rocks These are awesome questions, and I hope they get a lot of responses!

What style would you say you are primarily?

Integrated. (For us, this means a blend of Swedish, Deep Tissue, Hot Stone, Neuromuscular, Reflexology, etc)

Do you do a similar style of massage with every client (and address their specific needs)?

Usually similar, yes, but the main drive is to address their specific needs/goals. Since we have a small pool of techniques that are vastly different from each other, each session can vary greatly as well

Do you incorporate what you learn in workshops into your sessions?

Yep!

Do you ever become bored with your techniques, and if so, what do you do to make them more interesting/different?

Come to think of it, it does happen, although rarely. I purposefully try to "switch things up" so that I DON'T get bored. If that doesn't do the trick, I focus on generating visits from clientele who seek a different modality (like if I get bored with relaxation-type massage, it might focus more energy on attracting lymphatic drainage clients, for example).

What do you do that makes you "different" from other therapists?

In our area, providing Hot Stone and aromatherapy as complimentary options (i.e. we don't charge any extra). Also, some of the medical training (i.e. we can read x-rays and stuff, and we're a little more familiar with pathology and whatnot than many of the ppl in our area).

And ... when you receive massage, what do you look for in an MT?

I look for one who is nurturing and attentive, who seeks my feedback and listens to my goals for a session. I also look for one who's knowledgeable enough to know what areas to work and what areas not to work when I come in with a particular ache or pain. I also like someone who's not afraid to admit they don't know something. Someone who does NOT have a "no pain, no gain" philosophy. Someone who's comfortable with oil. Someone who works the feet and glutes well, and does the scalp (without getting my hair full of lubricant is a bonus!) And last but not least, someone who keeps me warm! (Gosh I'm picky! Doh!) LOL

I'm sooo curious to hear what others say!
Hugs,
~Jyoti

 

[Tangerine]

I'm into integrated therapies, which for me includes blending sessions incorporating Swedish, Deep Tissue, Active Isolated Stretching, Reflexology, Soko Rikoh, Reiki, Jin Shin Jyutsu, plus misc. energy work, guided imagery, Hot Stone, Shiatsu/Acupressure, etc. I love to mix it up, as it keeps it interesting for me & my clients, as well as giving me lots of tools in the "toolbox" which allows me to address the main goal: my client's needs.

Yes, to using what I learn in workshops. I've just been letting a few of my clients know that I'll be adding some new techniques in the near future too, as I'll be taking a class in Structural Yoga. My regulars love being Guinea Pigs because they know they get some extra time, without having to pay for it, plus it may help clear out more of their
tissue issues in a new way, and I get practice time. A win
win for all concerned !

I rarely get bored, because even regular clients come in with something different going on in their lives & bodies most of the time, plus I do something a bit different in every session.

As to "different" that one could take me all day ! I've done alot of esoteric study over the years, so I work on a very
intuitive level. (Trust me there's not room enough to begin to explain it all here). That said, I do all the things Jyoti looks for, and bring in my crystals into the work on an as needed basis, as well as working on energetic levels in the energy field, the chakras, etc. for my clients who are open to that sort of thing. I also use sound healing techniques with Tibetan singing bowls, chimes & tingshas at the end of each session. Every one of my clients love the sound work, as it acts as a gentle "re-entry" shift at the end of a session.

When I go to another practitioner I'm looking for different things at different times: However I always love recieving a great hot stone treatment, as it lets me get out of my head
(easy for me to get stuck up there !) Thai Yoga massage & shiatsu are amazing for how they open up and clear all the meridians, as well as clearing overall body tension. Jin Shin Jyutsu is incredibly relaxing & allows you to go into a very deep state of peacefulness, plus it releases everything from a mental/emotional/physical level in a way no other modality seems to do for me. It also releases the holding patterns of acute & chronic tissues in such a way that the practitioner can then work into the body, without causing further pain. And as a person with an old whiplash injury, that occasionally likes to say hello to me, it is tremendously helpful for self help work too !

I also recently recieved an incredible Ashiatsu session which was a new one for me. It was something I'd wanted to experience for a long time & I found the practitioner from MassagePlanetL too ! I told her though I wished I could leave my body long enough to watch the session, because I wanted to see what she was doing (there I go, up in my head again !) I ended up finding a few examples on youtube.com
which were very interesting to watch. And I'm planning to get back in for more sessions with her in the future.

And ditto on everything Jyoti said already too !

 

[darkmousyfan]

This is great! I'm loving some of the descriptions of what you all are doing - gives food for thought for my next workshop.

Keep 'em coming!

 

[lauraangelranger]

What is your style of massage?

I thought it might be interesting to hear of therapists' different styles of working.

What style would you say you are primarily?

A mixture of Swedish, Neuro, and Hot Stone (some Reflexology)

Do you do a similar style of massage with every client (and address their specific needs)?

For those who requests relaxation only, it's pretty standard, but most of my clients want deeper work, so it varies depending on their problem areas.

Do you incorporate what you learn in workshops into your sessions?

Definately. I've not really attended workshops, but I have bought many videos. John Barnes MFR, Sean Riehl's Neuromuscular Massage, and Indian Head Massage.

Do you ever become bored with your techniques, and if so, what do you do to make them more interesting/different?

I've only been practicing a year in October and I haven't become bored, but I do change my style a good bit because of the differences in client's needs so it's not as routine as doing straight Swedish Massage.

What do you do that makes you "different" from other therapists?

I massage with hot stones on the back at the close of all my massages, offer a free paraffin to the hands for all my one hour regular clients, and thanks to someone on this board who offers her clients a 'quote of the day', I now do that too. All of that combined has really worked well for me.

And ... when you receive massage, what do you look for in an MT?

Someone who can relax me with effleurage before, during, and after stripping my sore, aching muscles. lol