The operational strategies in a massage clinic setting is a reflection of the values and attributes of the massage therapist. Running a sustainable practice is possible and within reach of every therapist. It may require making changes and adjustments, but the outcome is sure to be rewarding.
The focus in a massage clinic setting is on the client and to help facilitate the healing process. However, when sustainability is an integral part of therapist's business practice, it has a flow-on effect. As Spehar (n.d.) aptly puts it: “helping the environment goes hand in hand with basic massage principles—healthy, happy people help keep the planet healthy and happy.”
In maintaining a holistic view of health, the therapist keeps in mind that a healthy body also needs a healthy mind and spirit to encompasses the full spectrum of health. This applies to the client and therapist alike. Therapists wanting to offer clients a well rounded service need to have strategies in place to sustain their own health in all its facets.
Then they also need to implement strategies to keep their clinic sustainable. An innate care to sustain the environment and contribute positively to the economy is evidence of the therapist's social conscience and will reflect positively in the care they provide to clients.
A sustainable massage practice starts with the therapist. A balanced outlook and healthy habits increases the chance of a long, happy career. Burnout is the major cause of therapists leaving the profession but can be avoided by adapting sustainable practices. The therapist has to ensure that the efforts and time put into running a clinic are sustainable over time. This can be done by planning how many massages can be done a day without overextending oneself and also by establishing hours and days of operation that will leave enough time for relaxation and social interaction. Leaving some time between massage sessions will help the therapist to relax, do stretches and re-focus. Focussing on correct body mechanics will help prevent aches and pains. A big mirror on the clinic room wall can help to periodically check for postural anomalies. Having a height adjustable massage table is essential to help ensure the optimum working environment. Constant use of just the hands and fingers may not be sustainable over time, so other massage techniques like using knuckles, elbow and even hot stones, can be explored (Salvo, 2007).
Between sessions and/or after a day's work, the therapist can do stretches or selfmassage. Massaging the arms with ice may also be helpful. It is also helpful to exchange massages with another therapist on a regular practice. Some form of exercise also need to be part of the life of a therapist. This will help them to remain supple and fit and adds balance to their life. Other hobbies that are mentally stimulating or relaxing are also beneficial.
If the therapist experience any personal issues or issues with clients, it is advisable to talk these through with a trusted friend, colleague or counsellor. Taking clients' problems on board is not a healthy practice and is not sustainable in the long run. Therapists need to maintain not only their physical, but also their emotional health. The therapist is not a counsellor and can listen to clients but need to have a network of resources to refer clients to e.g. counsellors, a psychologist and other health care professionals, if needed. It is also good practice to have regular contact with other massage therapists to exchange ideas and to get support and fresh inspiration.
The next component of a sustainable practice is looking at the service clients receive and/or expect. What is given to clients need to be sustainable. The therapist's scope of practice has to be clearly explained to clients. Boundaries have to be clearly set. According to Fritz (2004), professionals need to find the client's comfort zone and can do so by discovering their own personal and professional comfort zones. This will help prevent clients from becoming demanding, expecting more take more time, expecting treatment which the therapist is not qualified to give or expecting to be 'healed'. This is especially helpful if the client is a friend or relative.
Sufficient client information needs to be taken to establish that there are no contraindications to massage. This information needs to be checked and updated with each visit. The treatment plan and outcome of each session need to be recorded.
Clients feel valued and respected if they are encouraged to give feedback and to ask questions. Reporting back on progress, on any postmassage sensations and experiences helps to adjust the massage. Client may need to be educated to give feedback, especially if they do not have much body awareness. The therapist has to develop a professional trust relationship with the client that will allow the client to feel safe enough to give positive as well as negative feedback. If there has been not the expected outcome, the treatment plan has to be revisited. This will ensure that the client gets the best possible treatment and will help to sustain a trust relationship between the therapist and the client (Fritz, 2004).
Client records need to be treated as confidential. Client comfort and safety always have to be ensured.The massage table has to be able to take the weight of heavy clients and has to be checked regularly. Adequate draping during the session, checking that the client is warm and comfortable and that the pressure used is within a comfort range, all contribute to a client feeling valued and heard. Making the client feel valued will contribute to a positive experience and will also encourage them to refer their friends and family. Word of mouth referrals are very valuable and contributes hugely to sustaining a client base.
Client education is very important. Telling the client what the massage entailed, but also why it was done helps them understand the value of the service given. When stretches are given to perform at home, the client is more likely to oblige if they are told why and how the exercises will benefit them. This will hugely contributing to sustaining the positive benefits gained with the massage.
The next area to establish sustainability is the economic sense of the business. Can the business be run at a reasonable profit or not? The main expense of running a business could be the premises. The therapist need to establish where to work from, home or a clinic, privately or as part of an established clinic. It could be worth renting premises if the therapist finds it difficult to keep home life and business separated. However, the cost of this has to be considered as the business must be profitable and competitive. Information on what other therapists in similar settings charge can be helpful in deciding on a fee structure. However, a business cannot be sustained by undercutting other therapists. It is imperative to establish the total running costs of the business before setting a fee. Then a cost analysis has to be made to see if the business will be competitive and therefore sustainable. The bottom line is that the service must be, according to the client, value for money.
A business plan needs to be part of planning and assessing the running costs of the business. Items that have to be included and considered are things like electricity costs, rates, insurance, consumables like oils, laundry, replacement of items such as light bulbs, towels, sheets etc. as well as possible repairs that may need to be done, e.g. painting. According to a business executive (T.Walker, personal communication, 6 August 2009), the business plan needs to be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed). All the costs needed to be added, divided by the hourly rate charged and then the therapist can decide if the required hours needed to work is realistic and sustainable. If not, the situation has to be reassessed and re-calculated.
Taking all of the above into account, business objective have to be set, e.g. what does the therapist want to offer, e.g. massage, reflexology, etc. , to what extent (hours, days), to what standard (e.g. relaxation only, therapeutic, deep tissue, neuromuscular, hot stones, etc.), and what training/qualifications are deemed necessary to achieve this or to upskill, where the service is to be rendered (at home, in own clinic or as part of another clinic setting) and lastly the therapist has to be clear on the reason for doing this (hobby, part-time income, full-time occupation).
Taken all of the above into account and having created a sustainable practice, it then remains for the therapist to consider the impact of their practice on the environment. What rubbish does the therapist create that will contribute to landfills and what equipment and consumables are used that come from non-sustainable resources? It is good to ensure that the table has not been made from an endangered wood species or from polluting plastics. If possible, ascertain that the cushioning does not contain chlorofluorocarbons and is ozone safe. To help sustain the local economy it will be good practice to buy a table, other equipment and consumables like oils and balms from a local supplier. This also ensures that the quality and contents can be verified.
Another consideration is the lighting used. Natural lighting is obviously the first choice. Getting the maximum of natural light through thin curtains will still give the necessary privacy. Double glazing will help prevent heat loss. Insulated inner walls will help maintain an even temperature. Both curtains/blinds and insulation will help reduce sounds and thus contribute to the ambiance of the massage room. The décor of the room also contributes to this as well as soft, soothing background music.
Heating is important and needs to be given consideration too. On a sunny day, the curtains can be opened to allow the sun to heat the room between appointments. Solar heating may be an option, or otherwise just an oil column heater set on low or a heat pump will ensure that there are no sharp fluctuations in temperature. Spehar gives tips to contribute to sustainable practices, e.g. using long life light bulbs and to unplug appliances when they are not in use to reduce energy consumption and electromagnetic field exposure. This would be applicable to dryers, washing machines, heaters, electric blankets, computers, etc.
The types of oils used in a clinic is another important consideration. Are they organic and are they from sustainable resources? Are the containers they come in biodegradable or can they be recycled? One option is jojoba oil which is close to human sebum in composition and is therefore non allergenic, and makes a great massage oil.
Client records generate paper work. To help 'save the trees', these can be kept to a minimum. The consultation form can be printed double sided and scrap paper can be cut up to reuse where needed for making notes. Business cards can be printed on re-cycled paper. Printer cartridges can be refilled and reused.
There are clearly many considerations when looking at the sustainablity of a massage practice. According to Wright (n.d.) it's about “combining economy with ecology”. He encourages businesses to honour the cyclic principle of ecology and to recycle, reuse, reduce and redesign.
Sustainable business practice involves consumer-centered thinking, approaches that view customers as people with needs beyond material consumption and temporary gratifications. It also includes issues that affect customers' fundamental quality of life, access to air, water, health, markets, and so on. Careful planning will ensure that therapists serve the needs of their client in the broadest sense possible while minimising the impact on the environment and making a positive contribution to society.
Since I have been made aware of the concept of sustainability, I have looked at changes that I can make, personally and in my own practice both now and in the future.
A life coach has given me tips on how to be empathetic to client without taking their stress on board (F. Walmsley, personal communication, 12 July, 2009). One of the ways to do this is to imagine having a big raincoat on while talking to the client, and then 'shedding' the coat after the session. I have also incorporated the habit of washing my arms right to the elbows after a massage. I have also learned to listen but not encourage too much talking from clients while they are on the massage table. This has so far helped me to not become so emotionally involved in clients' personal issues and will help me sustain an emotional balance. I have also given more time and thought to grounding and re-energizing myself between sessions, and have found that very beneficial.
I have consulted with a business manager (T Walker, personal communication, 6 August, 2009) who has given me advice on how to work out whether my future clinic will be sustainable at the number of hours I envisage working. We have discussed where I will have my business, how to work out a business plan and he has offered to assist in setting up a business plan.
I would have to ensure that the business not only runs profitably but that I also get personal satisfaction from it. If not, I will not be able to sustain a practice for long as it will become only a mechanical exercise. I have put my name on a mailing list and now receive information on courses and upskilling opportunities in Christchurch. I have already done a course in Manual Lymphatic Drainage which has added to my scope of practice and have given me another area of interest. This means that I can offer another modality to clients. This adds to the sustainability of the practice.
To ensure that clients get the best value for their money, I now take a more detailed medical history and also ensure that they know what my scope of practice is. A few clients have had longstanding issues which I felt was not responding to relaxation therapy. I consequently made it clear to them that they would benefit from seeing a therapeutic massage therapist. I have made an arrangement with a previous tutor and attend the massage session with the client if they give their consent and also learn from the experience.
Fritz, S. (2004) Mosby’s Fundamentals of Therapeutic Massage (3rd Ed). St. Louis: Mosby.
Salvo, S. (2007) Massage Therapy: Principles and Practice (3rd Ed). Saunders: Mosby.
Spehar, C. (n.d.). Making Your Massage Practice Earth Friendly. Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://www.abmp.com/massagemarketplace/downloads/TenForToday_JA08.pdf
Wright, T. (n.d.). Sustainable Business Practices. Retrieved August 15, 2009, from http://www.sustainablebizness.com/WhySustBiz.htm\
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment