{"id":2319,"date":"2020-01-29T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-28T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/?p=2319"},"modified":"2020-01-28T14:57:09","modified_gmt":"2020-01-28T03:57:09","slug":"the-lonely-massage-therapist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2020\/01\/29\/the-lonely-massage-therapist\/","title":{"rendered":"The Lonely Massage Therapist"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By\nLiz Sharkey<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hi,\nmy name is Liz. I\u2019m a massage therapist, wife, mum and business owner. And I am\nlonely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I studied massage, no one warned me it can be such a lonely experience. All my treatment sessions were conducted in a student clinic with lots of other therapists there. We bounced ideas around, discussed client presentations, debated the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of our favourite techniques. We could have a laugh and, most importantly, by being with like-minded people, my confidence built.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then\ncame solo practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First\nyear out, I realised how little I really knew. A client would say, \u201cI\u2019ve got a\nsore X, Y or Z\u201d and I would start to second-guess the right test to use to\nassess them and what the recommended treatment protocol was. I used the good\nold \u201cfake it until you make it\u201d principal in those early years. I missed having\nother therapists around to bounce ideas off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And\nI missed the chance to chat in the workplace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\nleft a retail career when I had kids and by the time they reached school age, I\nhad almost lost the ability to conduct an adult conversation. That\u2019s when I\nstarted my massage career. I\u2019m not one to chat during a treatment session,\nshort of seeking feedback, and I\u2019ve found this leaves an awful lot of quiet\ntime in my day where I just miss the chance to use my words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So,\nI decided to actively seek some solutions to being lonely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Embrace the Internet<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I am a member of a lot of Facebook groups. Everything from the AMT private group<\/a> through to local community noticeboards and buy\/swap\/sell sites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re on Facebook, type \u201c(town\/suburb) community noticeboard\u201d in the search bar and join a few local ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On\nLinkedIn? Search for \u201cmassage\u201d under groups and join a few. It\u2019s also a good\nway to connect with other massage therapists locally and globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Groups are not just for marketing your business. Treat the online groups as your local hang out. I\u2019ve been known to have a \u201ccoffee date\u201d with a therapist in Far North Queensland from my lounge room while we discuss complex client presentations and get marketing ideas from someone 1000km away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t be afraid to start your own little group either. On Facebook it\u2019s super easy. I manage two groups at the moment: one that focuses on compliance for Australian Massage Therapists<\/a> and one for mums who massage<\/a>. You can make them private and invite others around you to join, making it easy to build a community and share information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Local Connections<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Some\nof the best advice I have heard is \u201cdon\u2019t treat other therapists in your area\nas competition, treat them as colleagues\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch\nfor local therapists to pop up on your feed and don\u2019t be too shy to say hello. When\nthey do pop up, I sometimes send them a PM (private message). I just say hi and\nlet them know I\u2019m in the business too. I might even \u201clike\u201d their post or send\nthem a message to say their ad looks good or their clinic photos turned out\ngreat. We all like to be noticed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

If\nthey answer, we may chat online for a while. We talk about what we do, industry\nnews, business support etc. If we seem to click and they are nearby, we\nsometimes catch up for a coffee. At the very least, we know each other\u2019s face\nwhen we pass at the shops and can do that little nod of acknowledgement. At\nbest, we click and become an awesome resource for each other to support and build\nboth of our businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If\nthe whole internet thing scares you a little, connect with local therapists the\nold way. Knock on their door or call or send a text and introduce yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If\nyou can, organise a massage swap. This is a great way to build trust with other\ntherapists, share knowledge and if you are on holidays or can\u2019t fit a client\ninto your schedule, it is always great to have someone to refer to (which works\nboth ways).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t\nlimit yourself to massage therapists. My local physio runs some awesome free\ninformation sessions at her clinic. Not only am I building some great networks\nwith her and her team but I also get useful continuing education when I attend\nher info sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Local councils also often have small business groups where you can meet other business owners in your area, and some places also have a local branch of the chamber of commerce. Google \u201csmall business network\u201d in your area and all sorts of places to make friends pop up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

AMT host networking meetings for local therapists \u2013 members and non-members. Find a local group here<\/a> and if you can\u2019t find one there, email AMT Head Office<\/a> to find out if a group is happening in your area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\npossibilities are endless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Go National<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Connect\non a national level through those massage specific and small business groups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If\nyou are in these groups, there\u2019s a fair chance you\u2019ve seen my name pop up. If\nsomeone asks a question and I know the answer, I respond and encourage everyone\nelse to do the same. We all have something to contribute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone has a specific issue that I know I can help with, I might suggest they message me. It\u2019s all about that initial connection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\nnow have friends all around the country. I chat to therapists from outback\nsheep stations to the mountains of Tasmania. I recently met a new massage friend\nwhen I was on my family holiday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\nfind Facebook and LinkedIn to be the most useful platforms for making these\ninitial connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Go international too<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

You Are an Asset<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t\nunderestimate what you have to give. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Been\naround the industry for a while? You\u2019ve encountered all sorts of presentations\nand no doubt made many mistakes along the way. Reach out to a new graduate and\nhelp build their confidence and help them be aware of some of the pitfalls of\nthe industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New\ngraduate? You\u2019re up to date on rules, regulations and emerging trends, and have\nexcitement and enthusiasm for the industry. Reach out to an \u201cold timer\u201d and\nbring them up to speed on what is currently being taught at the colleges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\noften have therapists contact me out of the blue to say, \u201cwhat do you think\nabout this?\u201d, \u201cdid I do this right?\u201d, \u201cwhat else can I try\u201d or \u201chow do I find\nout this information?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trust me. Few things put a smile on my face quicker than having a rural therapist ring for a quick consult while their client is getting ready in the treatment room. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I may not always have the answer but I\u2019ve always got your back.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

AMT runs a mentoring programme that connects experienced therapists with those keen to learn more. Details on getting involved in the next round of the programme will be announced in next week’s blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not Connecting is OK too<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Understand\nthat not everyone will want to be your friend\/colleague. I\u2019m not offended if I\nget the \u201cthanks but no thanks\u201d response or no response at all. It\u2019s not\npersonal and if they don\u2019t want to connect, that\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My\ngoal is to connect with therapists in towns all over the country. When I\u2019m out\non a road trip, or travelling interstate, I can bunny hop from town to town, and\ntravel the country one cup of tea\/glass of wine at a time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still feeling lonely?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s\nOK, but don\u2019t wait for others to notice. I\u2019ve been hiding for years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t\nwait for your association to schedule a local network meeting. Guess what! You\ncan do that on your own and it doesn\u2019t just have to be with other association\nmembers (and it doesn\u2019t have to be for continuing education points).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If\nall else fails and you aren\u2019t feeling fulfilled, don\u2019t be afraid to look outside\nmassage to meet your needs. I\u2019ve recently started a new job \u2013 just 1 day a week\n\u2013 that makes me get out and meet new people face-to-face and actually have real\nconversations. Another therapist I know works 1 day a week as a barista, just\nso she has the chance to chat with people. It can also be helpful to have a\nnon-hands-on-massage source of income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Massage\ndoes not have to be your life. It\u2019s all about balance and the more people you\nhave helping you do that and the more diverse your connections, the more\nrewarding this profession can be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\nhas worked for you in avoiding the loneliness of being a massage therapist?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About\nthe Author<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Liz Sharkey has been a Remedial Therapist for 12+ years. She gets excited by rules, regulations and checklists. With a finger in many pies, Liz currently does corporate massage on the side while running her compliance training through www.massagetrainingaustralia<\/a> as well as visiting RTOs around Victoria and developing online resources as part of her new job with Firm-n-Fold Massage Equipment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do you ever feel lonely as a massage therapist? Want to connect with other massage therapists? Liz Sharkey shares some tips and suggestions to get involved in the wider massage community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2322,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[143,542,543,338,540,302,541],"class_list":["post-2319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-professional-practice","tag-community","tag-connections","tag-groups","tag-liz-sharkey","tag-loneliness","tag-networking","tag-professional-loneliness"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/cactus-4771078_640.jpg?fit=640%2C410&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1310,"url":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2019\/01\/23\/what-is-success\/","url_meta":{"origin":2319,"position":0},"title":"What is Success?","author":"admin","date":"23\/01\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"What makes a successful massage therapist? 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