by Pallas Hutchison

​First time massage clients are often nervous. They don't know what to expect and most websites give ambiguous information or use jargon that the client may not be familiar with. The language of massage can be intimidating if the terms aren't explained.

• ​Intake Form ​: Yes, there are a lot of questions on it. No, this step can't be skipped. Sometimes questions seem redundant - and they are! - in an effort to jog the memory and get a more complete picture of each client's health. The more the massage therapist knows, the more effective the treatment will be.
• Attire : Many massage techniques use an oil or lotion to lubricate the skin and allow for the muscles to be manipulated or palpated. The use of lubricants requires skin to be unclothed. Taking clothes off is not mandatory! Leaving clothing on means the massage therapist has to rely on static - or dry - techniques like compression or movements. This prevents the clothing from tugging uncomfortably on the client. Both options can deliver a good massage so there is no right answer. This is where the client chooses what they are comfortable with.
• Draping : ​Draping refers to how the client is covered on the massage table. Clients are usually draped with a sheet and a blanket. Fully dressed clients may not need or want this draping. Undressed clients must use at least the sheet. During the treatment, the massage therapist will uncover the area that is being worked on then recover it before moving to the next area. If the client feels uncomfortable with an area being uncovered, the area can be either worked through the sheet or avoided entirely.
• Full Body : ​A true full body massage will cover everything except the genitals, the anus and the breast tissue. That means it includes the scalp and face, the pectoral and abdominal muscles on the front of the body, the gluteal and thigh muscles. Each of these areas can be massaged without exposing a client but the client can always choose not to have these areas worked. The pectoral muscles are on the chest and most of the muscle can be massaged around the breast tissue. Female clients get additional draping to cover their breasts prior to folding the sheet down to work on the abdominal muscles; male clients may opt to have this as well. When the massage therapist is working on the glutes and thighs, the sheet is tucked around or under the leg to secure it in place. 
• Scope of Practice : ​This phrase refers to what a massage license allows practitioners to say and the types of treatment they can offer. The biggest confusion here is assessment versus diagnosis. Assessments are based on observation and begin the moment a client walks into the office. How is their posture? Is their gait uneven or do they limp? Is one shoulder higher than the other? These are all examples of assessment. A massage therapist can say that left quadricep feels tighter than the right but cannot say there is a torn muscle or tendon involved.

by Pallas Hutchison

With Valentine's Day coming up this weekend, sharing a post about couples and love seemed appropriate. I designed this service a few years ago after talking to several local couples' counselors. While not the most popular of our services, this is probably the most fun and the most interactive. I have enjoyed working with each of my couples. Through this service, each couple has taught me how to teach and that I love teaching.

Please note that I am not a counselor, a psychotherapist or a psychiatrist. I am not qualified to say what this service does from a psychological standpoint. I do not want to misrepresent myself in any way. I know massage.  and, by sharing what I know, I  have seen a difference in how couples interact before and after this session.

What is the purpose of an instructional massage?
The goal of this service is to teach the couple a new way to touch each other and develop communication, which ultimately deepens intimacy. People know if their partner has sore shoulders, a stiff back or tired feet; they don't always know how to help effectively. For example, fingertips angled wrong result in sharp nails stabbing into sore muscles. Learning massage techniques and body mechanics help with this problem. Bigger &/or stronger people are often afraid that their strength will hurt their loved one, especially if they appear fragile. This is where communication skills comes in.

What happens during an instructional massage?
A couple comes in and I teach them how to give each other a massage using basic Swedish techniques. Each person receives a four-handed 30-minute massage from their partner and myself. The lesson includes basic safety as relates specifically to their partner (based off of their intake form), a demonstration of what parts of the hand and arm to use for beginner strokes and a general explanation of body mechanics so they won't hurt themselves trying to use these skills.

The session is deliberately focused on the top problem area, the one spot they each would like worked on the most. As I teach, I check in with the client to find out how they are doing. I encourage the partner to ask the questions also. Do they like that technique? Is the pressure too much or too little? Is that the area you want focused on? Depending on how much massage experience the couple has, the session starts out awkwardly. Initial feedback is vague or generic. Touch is tentative. Diffusing the awkwardness with humor allows me to put the couple at ease and tease out more specific, constructive feedback.

By the end of the session, the couple has basic massage skills they can use at home. They also talk to each other differently. Their body language shifts; casual touches that may not have been there before. Without meaning to or even realizing, they show me their love for each other. It is amazing and humbling to see.