{"id":3136,"date":"2021-03-18T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-17T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/?p=3136"},"modified":"2021-03-17T16:48:27","modified_gmt":"2021-03-17T05:48:27","slug":"the-wings-fell-off-somewhere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2021\/03\/18\/the-wings-fell-off-somewhere\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wings Fell Off Somewhere"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>By Deb Carroll<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the vernacular, 2020 was a:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Bunfight<\/li><li>Clusterfuck<\/li><li>Disaster<\/li><li>Gift.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever you might call it, it has changed the way the world works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of February 2020, I returned to the bosom of our country (Canberra, for the uninitiated \u2013 it\u2019s where everything exciting happens) from an amazing PD program in my favourite place in Oz \u2013 Melbourne. I\u2019d been keeping an eye on the stories coming out of China regarding the emerging virus that might be pretty nasty because I\u2019d been there a month prior to the outbreak. I never really went back to full time work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I spent my time in \u2018iso\u2019 setting the stage for 2020. Deliveries of adequate gin, wine, snacks and groceries \u2013 before the funds ran out \u2013 to safely ensure at least a 10kg weight gain on my small frame. I then put my mind to the necessity of making sure I had some sort of income other than the credit card or redraw facility on my mortgage. Yes, yes, I know the children will inherit the debt but I\u2019m of the mind to leave them a scrap or two for comfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I had ample time to play on the internet (called boredom), trawling various news feeds and shopping sites offering the best face cream for wiping away 45 years (geez, at this rate I\u2019ll be approaching virginhood in no time).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Zooming My Business<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I found Zoom. I\u2019d already been using Skype with my O\/S clients, but this Zoom thing might be the thing to keep me afloat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, we are all Zoom savvy now, aren\u2019t we?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My transition to online has had its moments of grief and glory but overall it has worked well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I cover a few bases though \u2013 a multidiscipline business, movement therapy and remedial massage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From March 2020, I offered online consults via Zoom to every remedial massage client in shorter sessions because, honestly, humans have the attention span of a gnat as a standard point of existence and worse when they are preparing for a massage and now have to actually think. The 30-minute consult was too long for some, while others went overtime. I always allowed an hour for everyone at a base rate of $25\/15mins. I\u2019m still doing Zoom for those too afraid to leave home. We are mostly working on the psychology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zoom remedial massage is about teaching people how to self-treat in times we can\u2019t have hands on therapy. It is supporting people in the moment, where they are. This is the homework we all give people and hope they will do. The Zoom platform gives us the opportunity to meet and treat without all the cleaning. A way to empower people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have found it interesting to work with really resistant folks. Toying, playing, inviting them to find their wings of independence in the online world. Also exploring my own resistance because I really do not like online for my own sessions. I\u2019m getting there though and now have online movement lessons, mentoring, psychology, PD and social interaction. I still have hands on remedial massage when I can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zoom will never replace hands on therapy but it is a really useful tool for working with clients who are immunocompromised or do not have support systems in place to enable them to get to a hands on treatment. These people really need the work. Keep it as a \u2018possible\u2019 in your kit bag of options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Online Learning From The Couch<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Zoom works both ways \u2013 I\u2019ve just attended a 5-day conference with ISMETA (International Somatic Movement Education Therapy Association) \u2013 I\u2019ve been a member for 10ish years \u2013 streamed via Zoom from New York, USA. You have no idea how hard it is to stay awake at 2am Oz time, even when the content is enthralling, and not fall asleep later the next day into the shoulders of your client mid treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Note to self. Do NOT take bookings the following day. Thank heavens for recordings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Survival<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>AMT has been my guiding light. Do those people ever sleep?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m still in business \u2013 just \u2013 now attracting people who have multiple health issues and autoimmune conditions. The business is growing again but in a different way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Word of mouth and referrals are a slow way of building business but reaps amazing returns if you have patience and has proved to be a good solid base for me. It does need the business owner to do the initial footwork. Go out and physically meet the people you want to refer to you. And do it regularly because people forget. My best referral people are in my personal health network. I also plug my GP anytime I visit. (Geez, I\u2019m paying to see her so she can listen to me.) Be gentle with them. Work out their strengths and weaknesses and you have a guaranteed referral base. Though, having said that, you might need to filter people and that will take a bit of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I now have people returning, which, with an increased session fee, has put me back to a bit under where I was prior to COVID-19. That\u2019s manageable at this end of my career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tips from Experience<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>For all of you out there who are experiencing moments of anxiety about your massage career:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Trust yourself and your skills<\/li><li>Open your wings<\/li><li>You are fabulous<\/li><li>Even better for being a member of AMT<\/li><li>It will improve<\/li><li>Keep up your PD.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the Author<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/20210305-163715-3.jpg?resize=146%2C166&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3143\" width=\"146\" height=\"166\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/20210305-163715-3.jpg?w=331&amp;ssl=1 331w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/20210305-163715-3.jpg?resize=264%2C300&amp;ssl=1 264w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/20210305-163715-3.jpg?resize=300%2C341&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 146px) 100vw, 146px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Deb Carroll has spent twenty odd years in the massage industry and close to thirty years in movement therapy, which has made for a slightly odd view of the world. Deb has no parrots but does have a cat that likes to sit on her right shoulder. Aaaarrrrrggggghhhh.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How did Deb Carroll keep herself afloat during 2020 and has it changed her massage business forever?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3141,"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":[32,50,2],"tags":[127,614,51,739,740,738],"class_list":["post-3136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-amt","category-members","category-professional-practice","tag-business","tag-covid-19","tag-deb-carroll","tag-online-business","tag-online-treatment","tag-zoom-business"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Screenshot-2021-03-16-181004.jpg?fit=951%2C510&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":233,"url":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2017\/11\/03\/meet-amt-member-deb-carroll\/","url_meta":{"origin":3136,"position":0},"title":"Meet AMT Member Deb Carroll","author":"admin","date":"03\/11\/2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Get to know Canberra based AMT member, Deb Carroll in our hard hitting interview.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AMT&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AMT","link":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/category\/amt\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Deb-Carroll-212x300.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1977,"url":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2019\/08\/14\/more-than-tired\/","url_meta":{"origin":3136,"position":1},"title":"More Than Tired","author":"admin","date":"14\/08\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is misunderstood, misdiagnosed and poorly funded, so it's no wonder the guidelines for massage therapists are virtually nonexistent.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Clinical Practice&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Clinical Practice","link":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/category\/clinical-practice\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Copy-of-FROM-THE-ARCHIVES.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Copy-of-FROM-THE-ARCHIVES.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Copy-of-FROM-THE-ARCHIVES.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Copy-of-FROM-THE-ARCHIVES.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Copy-of-FROM-THE-ARCHIVES.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2680,"url":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2020\/07\/01\/well-thats-not-what-i-planned\/","url_meta":{"origin":3136,"position":2},"title":"Well, That\u2019s Not What I Planned","author":"admin","date":"01\/07\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cTara is exactly the kind of massage therapist we didn\u2019t want to lose from the industry.\u201d COVID-19 is responsible for the early retirement of many massage therapists, including the delightful Tara Goulding, who tells us about the heartbreaking moment she knew this was the end of the road.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AMT&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AMT","link":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/category\/amt\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Annotation-2020-06-23-172347.jpg?fit=993%2C710&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Annotation-2020-06-23-172347.jpg?fit=993%2C710&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Annotation-2020-06-23-172347.jpg?fit=993%2C710&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Annotation-2020-06-23-172347.jpg?fit=993%2C710&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2369,"url":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2020\/02\/12\/remember-to-pack-the-fruit-bowl\/","url_meta":{"origin":3136,"position":3},"title":"Remember to Pack the Fruit Bowl","author":"admin","date":"12\/02\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"How do you operate your business when threatened by a catastrophic bushfire? 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In this week's blog post, Anna Mitchell outlines why vibes, like \u2018exposure\u2019, don\u2019t pay the bills. Have you ever tried\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Resources&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Resources","link":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/category\/resources\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Image shows a woman with a sad face, arms crossed and slumping onto a table, with a jar in front of her that contains a small amount of small change.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Post-002-01-Header-Image.jpg?fit=810%2C392&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Post-002-01-Header-Image.jpg?fit=810%2C392&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Post-002-01-Header-Image.jpg?fit=810%2C392&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Post-002-01-Header-Image.jpg?fit=810%2C392&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3498,"url":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2021\/11\/17\/change-isnt-as-good-as-a-holiday-but-its-still-good\/","url_meta":{"origin":3136,"position":5},"title":"Change Isn&#8217;t as Good as a Holiday But it&#8217;s Still Good","author":"admin","date":"17\/11\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Why change is good and why you should change how you work today.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AMT&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AMT","link":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/category\/amt\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/elephant-684600_640.jpg?fit=640%2C426&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/elephant-684600_640.jpg?fit=640%2C426&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/elephant-684600_640.jpg?fit=640%2C426&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3136"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3145,"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3136\/revisions\/3145"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}