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RIGHT NOW is the BEST TIME EVER to become a MASSAGE THERAPIST!

25 Saturday Jun 2016

Posted by Jill Berkana in Tidbits from the Massage Mamma

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Tags

Accelerated Massage School, Berkana Institute of Massage Therapy, Colorado Massage School, Denver Massage School, Holistic Massage School, How to choose a massage school, Jill Berkana

brittanie adDisclaimer: This article is an effort to educate and recruit massage therapy students.

If you are considering embarking on an education and career in Massage Therapy, there has NEVER been a better time to do this! I would like to share with you my perspective and hopefully encourage you to move forward in your research and also to consider if the Berkana Institute is a potential fit for you.

As an educator who strives to be on the cutting edge and provide the most current and up to date professional education that we can for our students, my team and I have been extremely challenged in the last 2-3 years. The reason we have had this experience is tremendously exciting and that is what I wish to share with you.

The American Massage Therapy Association has supported the Massage Therapy Foundation which creates and facilitates Massage Therapy Research. The result is valid research which strongly indicates that Massage Therapy is much more valuable than previously known to the health and welfare of people; and specifically supportive to those who are suffering and in pain.

The days of Massage Therapy being considered a spa type luxury item are OVER. Massage Therapy is HEALTHCARE and preventative WELL-CARE. Additionally, we are learning what we as a profession have been doing (or not doing) that has been damaging to our professional reputation, and to our clients. The profession is re-evaluating those outdated methods and ideas so we can better serve the best interest of the people we serve, and do no harm.

There has been a profound and accelerated evolution in the practice and profession of massage therapy and it’s on RIGHT NOW! RIGHT NOW massage therapy is being accepted and recognized as legitimate health care and as an alternative to pharmaceuticals for pain management. With the growing epidemic of opioid addiction this is a very big deal. Jobs for Massage Therapists in and out of the hospital setting are on the rise and this will continue. As an educator, I am on the fast track with my expert colleagues to create and implement education that will prepare our graduates for what is happening now and what is coming for this profession.

If you are considering a career in Massage Therapy don’t stop looking. Look at all of the schools and look at what is currently happening in this profession. The profession of Massage Therapy needs caring, ethical and intelligent practitioners more than ever and RIGHT NOW!

Here are some links that you can use to explore what I’m referring to in this article.

The Impact of Massage Therapy on Function in Pain Populations

Opioid Addiction Epidemic

5 Myths and Truths about Massage Therapy: Letting Go without Losing Heart

About me and my program…

Let me share with you who I am and why my opinion might be worth your consideration. I have been in this profession for 26 years. I was very lucky to attend what I believed to be the best school in the nation at the time, and had the great fortune to study with some amazing pioneers in this field who all had connections to the HUMAN POTENTIAL MOVEMENT. The school I attended was HOLISTIC, which means I was not only learning massage and bodywork technique and science, I was also studying the basics of psychological phenomena, and was encouraged to participate in careful self-inventory and self-development to ensure I would be prepared to work with the complexity of clients at their most vulnerable state.

I then went on to have 16 years of full practice work in eclectic environments and cultures, with opportunities to serve an extremely wide variety of clients. I provided about 20,000 hours of massage therapy and peaked in my practice in 2005. I decided it was time to share what I had learned so I could indirectly reach a larger audience. I needed more hands! Having been an international explorer, and having a brief education in international business I decided to create the first international/residential massage school.  I chose Costa Rica. I trained 180 amazing massage therapists in the 7 years I lived there…there were monkeys, and it nearly killed me… enough said.

Fast forward, I returned to beautiful Colorado in 2012 where I have founded the Berkana Institute of Massage Therapy in the heart of Denver, Colorado.  I have facilitated my original entry level massage therapy certification program in Costa Rica and Colorado 29 times and have signed 300+ diplomas.

This unique apprenticeship style program is refined with every term and it has been touched by over 2 dozen experts. Graduates have a 100% first attempt success rate on National Board Examinations and are holistic entrepreneurs who diversify Massage Therapy in practice as independent massage therapists in private practice, as employees and independent contractors.

The Berkana Institute is designed to be a charming and small, professional boot camp which provides a seriously accelerated, high caliber education. We only accept 32 students per year in 2 classes of 16. We teach our students to provide exceptional massage therapy and bodywork, that is highly ethical and professional, and is provided from a compassionate and mindful place. Excellence is our guide and we work very hard. This program is not a good fit for everyone, and perfect for a certain type of person.

If you would like to speak with me directly, please call me at 303-377-3111 ext. 3, or feel free to write me at jill@berkanainstitute.com. Here is the Berkana Institute website: www.berkanainstitute.com

Jill Kristin Berkana

Jill Berkana BCTMB Founder/Director Berkana Institute of Massage Therapy and Bodywork Passionista

WHO opens the door?

20 Thursday Feb 2014

Posted by Jill Berkana in Tidbits from the Massage Mamma

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Tags

Berkana Institute of Massage Therapy, cultivating a massage practice, Denver Massage School, Jill Berkana, massage therapy professionalism

LA7328-001The way the public perceives you will, without a doubt, impact your massage therapy career. We want to explore and maximize every possible angle we can as we are trying to attract clients, hoping to be offered an awesome independent contract or applying for the great job. The intention of this post is to encourage you to explore if you are utilizing every bit of your number one marketing tool, which I believe is your appearance and charisma. Once you get your client on the table, you can wow them with your mad massage therapy skills. This is about how to get them there.

Of course, if you have been doing consistently beautiful work, your reputation will precede you, and positive word of mouth is extremely powerful. Still, we must consider how we represent as professional massage therapists.

I’m not a superficial and judgmental person. Of course I struggle with those human shortcomings as we all do, but this is not about that. This post is intended to provide tools for greater professional prosperity. Over the 24 years I have been an industry professional and educator, I’ve connected with many massage therapists who complain about their lack of business or how hard the business is for them. Many also demonstrate some type of professional self sabotaging behavior.  Often there is something about their appearance, (which could easily be improved) and/or lack of business charisma that is getting in their way.

Now, let me be clear. I am not implying that you have to be some classic beauty, be perfectly symmetrical or completely lean and toned to be a successful massage therapist. How boring anyway, right? People want massages from human beings, and if you had that magazine cover, photo shopped, unrealistic “perfect” shape and face, many people would not feel comfortable getting under your hands. Everyone has potential untapped beauty that comes from inner confidence, kindness, warmth, humility, a dash of humor and compassion. I’ve always told my students this, “Guess what, your clients have to like you!”

If you feel stifled in the area of personal confidence and expressing yourself, you might want to look into a public speaking class. If you lack personal confidence at a deeper level, you might consider working through things with a life coach or therapist. There is no shame in this. I believe we ALL should spend some time in introspective self discovery with a professional neutral party if we want to touch people for a living. Massage Therapists must have a strong personal constitution to work with the vulnerability our clients show up with.

Now let’s examine your number ONE marketing tool from the external perspective. Consider this scenario:

You have been given a massage therapy gift certificate for your birthday. You have called and made the appointment, you walk up to the door and ring the doorbell.

WHO opens the door? What qualities do they possess that make you feel comfortable enough to give them permission to touch you for an hour or more?

Of course, the actual gift certificate was their first professional impression of you, and the way you managed the phone call was their second impression, but what happens now?

Here are some qualities that id like to experience: warmth, smile, welcoming, friendly…but let’s face it, the massage therapist is going to be judged at the superficial level as well.

We can enjoy more success attracting and retaining awesome clients by paying attention to and working with the following details:

  • Being yourself with all types of clients: Lucky massage therapists! We get to be ourselves and express our individuality in so many ways! Authenticity is a very attractive quality and Independent Massage Therapists have this special freedom to explore the full spectrum of style from freaky to conservative. My advice to you is this, if you want to be on the funky end of the spectrum, go with clean, cool, artistic, bohemian and ditch smelly un-kept hippy with holey clothes. The more you can adapt your style to create rapport with all types of clients, the more success you will have making a living.
  • Hair: Your hair must be clean and you will want to pull it back if it is getting on your clients.  Please do have a trade with a hairdresser for color (if you do that) and cuts so you look professional. If you are a man and you want to have facial hair, don’t look like you just came out of the forest. Please carve that into something more along the lines of a renaissance man.
  • Teeth: There are many people out there in the world who are going to judge you by the health of your teeth. If you need some cosmetic work done, find a dentist to trade with you! If you need a lot done, take my advice and go to Thailand! I had about $15,000 worth of work done in Thailand for $1,700. They did a perfect job…and I got to go to Thailand!
  • Breath: If you want to never see a client again, have foul breath. If you want to keep your clients floss and brush your teeth, have your teeth cleaned regularly. Why not do a trade? Brush and scrape your tongue, and if you are a mouth breather, look into why that is going on. It could be that you have an allergy to dairy, or a deviated septum. Either way, breathing out of your mouth can make pervy sounds when you are working and forces your breath on the client’s body in unacceptable ways that cross the comfort zone. Also, avoid onions and garlic for the several hours prior to your appointments, and use breath spray. Don’t use mints or gum during a session. This will bother a client with a gum smacking pet peeve.
  • Skin: If you have skin issues, you might want to see a dermatologist, esthetician or a nutritionist. So much of this challenge is genetic disposition, but you may be able to improve the quality of your skin with the assistance of a skin care professional. Why not do a trade!
  • Eyes: Your eyes should be clear and sparkly! Make sure you are getting enough sleep.
  • Voice: We all have the voice that we have, but it is changeable! For example, the voice you use in the bedroom with your lover is not the same voice you use to talk to your Great Aunt. Explore and cultivate your therapeutic voice. This should not be too sensual, sexual, too soft or too loud, don’t whisper, and avoid using the voice up in your head that has a nasally high pitched tone. Speak more from your throat and chest. If this is confusing or an issue for you, take a class with a voice teacher. Why not do a trade!
  • Posture: Who wants to get a massage from a massage therapist with crappy posture? C’mon…really? Start with postural awareness and police yourself! You may find it helpful to have a mirror in the massage room so you can watch yourself while you work. Please don’t have that at the foot or the head of the table. If posture continues to be an issue, find an Alexander Technique Teacher. Why not do a trade!
  • Wardrobe: The clothes you choose to wear should be non-revealing, non-wrinkled, fit correctly, be clean, and not have holes in them, or any offensive symbols or language. Your wardrobe should be stylish and not cross the comfort zone. Your clothes should also be free of the smell of detergent. Make sure when you lean over your blouse does not reveal your breasts or cleavage, and wear a bra or a camisole under your shirt. Also avoid jingling jewelry. If you dress provocatively expect to have aroused clients, and attract clients with sexual intentions. If this happens to you regularly, I highly recomend that you do a personal inventory and explore everything about how you are holding yourself, dressing, speaking, your intake procedure and policies, marketing etc. and CHANGE whatever you suspect might be sending your clients the wrong message. That’s NOT supposed to be happening.
  • Nails and cuticles: I’m sure you learned this in massage school, however being scratched is one of the number one client complaints.  Don’t fool yourself, you may NOT have a French manicure, and you must cut those nails off and file them each and every day. Make hard fists in each of your hands. If you are leaving fingernail marks in your palms, your nails are too long. If you ever leave a scratch on a client, this should be a big wake-up call for you. Keep trying till you get that manicure right! It’s better to err on the side of caution. We all cut our nails too short at some point. This is especially important if you do deeper work or any work under the body. If your cuticles are dry and cracking, use cuticle cream to improve the texture.
  • Odors: Please avoid all neurotoxins! Many clients are allergic to them and will get an instant headache and/or be nauseous by being in a small room with you. Some neurotoxins are found in hair spray, chemical colognes, perfumes, some deodorants, and body creams. They are also found in memory foam. Please use natural products and ones that have very little smell if any at all. You want to avoid aphrodisiacs such as rose, sandalwood, patchouli, and vanilla, and really keep things as neutral as possible especially if you are working with someone who has asthma as strong smells can trigger an attack. If you are providing aroma therapy, be sure this is what your client wants, and make sure you have cross ventilation so you can clear the space in between your clients. Aromatherapy should not be assumed.
  • Smoking: If you are a smoker and a massage therapist, this most likely is impacting your practice. For me, going to a massage therapist who smokes is like going to a dentist with rotten teeth. As a former smoker, I know how hard it is to quit. It’s horrid, but if you want to be a health mentor for your clients (which is essentially what a massage therapist SHOULD be) please walk your talk and give up the cancer sticks. There are ways this can be done. Try switching to Organic American Spirit brand cigarettes which will initially get you off of the addiction to all of the additives, then you might try going to the e cigarettes as a bridge to your freedom.
  • Fitness level: The size and shape of your body or body type does not matter unless you are obese. If that is the case you are certainly aware that this is not good for you, and if you want to live, and live without pain, you must seek change.  If you are a personal trainer or a nutritionist, your fitness level might be more important to attracting clients. Regardless, there are many people who will judge a massage therapist for their body shape and level of fitness. There are people who will judge a massage therapist’s ability to give depth if they are petite or assume depth from a stronger looking therapist. However we are built, we can all improve our fitness level by drinking plenty of water, eating normal quantities of healthy food, getting plenty of rest, being outside and doing at least one half hour of exercise every day. Continue to reach for health and you will have it! You can always trade with a personal trainer, and/or nutritionist if you need support to get things on track.

I hope this post provides some ideas for you. One of my favorite business role models Madonna reinvented herself a couple of hundred times. We can do it too, and as you revamp yourself you will see improvement in the cultivation of your practice.

 

 

(more than) 100 Reasons to Ditch Your Massage Therapist

01 Sunday Dec 2013

Posted by Jill Berkana in Tidbits from the Massage Mamma

≈ 42 Comments

Tags

Berkana Institute, Berkana Institute of Massage Therapy, Denver Massage School, Hygiene, Jill Berkana, Massage, massage therapist, Massage Therapy, Massage Therapy and Bodywork, Self Care

???????????????????????????????In my practice from 1990 to 2008, I served hundreds of clients, thousands of massages. Every new client I saw completed an intake form and I conducted an interview in order to know how best to serve them. This intake process should be a standard practice for every legitimate massage therapist. One of the questions on my intake form states “when was your last massage”. During the interview, I often asked my clients “would you be willing to share with me why it did not work out with your last therapist so I can be sure not to duplicate that experience?”  This list is a compilation of what I have heard over the years.

Everything on this list either happened to a client of mine, a student of mine, or to me. Some of the infractions are extremely rare and completely awful, even resulting in therapists being reported. Some of the infractions I have heard dozens of times and are of a more subtle nature. Still, no matter what you think about the individual items on this list, these are reasons people have continued to look for another massage therapist to replace the one they worked with before. As an educator, a massage therapy expert and passionista, I know and I teach that when a client is on a table, all of their senses are cranked up to a much higher level of sensitivity.  This is what makes some of these minor mistakes more upsetting to the client. When a client makes themselves completely vulnerable by offering the therapist the privilege to work with them, we, the therapists, must be on our A-Game at all times, providing nurturing, ethical, therapeutic and professional touch.  Being sloppy is not rewarded with the loyalty of repeat clients.

On the first day of my program at the Berkana Institute of Massage Therapy in the Self Care and Hygiene class that I teach, I present this list. The students are always amazed, and the list usually grows from the conversations that the list provokes. My commitment to my students is that if they apply the principles we are teaching in technique, ethics, mindfulness and proven business practices they will be successful in this field.  If a massage therapist manages to get someone on their table, the key to success is retention.  Now, we are all born with an innate ability to provide nurturing compassionate touch to one another, and no one can teach this natural ability, but I can help my students figure out what conditioning from their life is getting in the way of their delivery of this normal skill, and I can teach them what NOT to do, and how to approach the beauty of compassionate and nurturing touch with industry professionalism and artistic grace.

With that…here is THE LIST:

  • There was no interview or paperwork.
  • She/he did not listen to me.
  • She/he seemed rushed.
  • The room was too cold.
  • The room was too warm.
  • The music was not relaxing.
  • The music was too loud.
  • The music was too provocative.
  • She/he talked too much.
  • She/he did not tell me what to expect.
  • She/he did not explain to me what they were doing.
  • She/he told me everything they were doing. I wanted to relax not have a play by play.
  • She/he talked about themselves.
  • She/he was arrogant and acted like they were better than me.
  • She/he tried to sell me products.
  • She/he used too much oil or cream and I felt greasy following the session.
  • She/he used too little oil or cream and it pulled my skin and hair.
  • She/he got cream in my hair and I had to go back to work.
  • She/he pulled my hair repeatedly.
  • She/he did not work on the areas I asked them to.
  • She/he worked on areas I told them not to.
  • By the time she/he got to my areas of concern, there was not enough time.
  • The way she/he draped did not make me feel safe. I felt exposed and could not relax.
  • The draping was too conservative to address my areas of concern.
  • I felt she/he was too sensual, almost sexual with me.
  • They did not seem competent with neck, and that is where my issues are.
  • I felt she/he was not present with me. She/he felt distracted.
  • Her/his approach felt like a recipe, it is always the same, like I’m a number.
  • They leaned on me.
  • I felt her/his breath on me.
  • She/he had very bad breath.
  • The massage oil was really smelly and I smelled for hours following the massage.
  • I felt the fabric of her clothes touch me over and over.
  • She/he did not go deep enough.
  • She/he went way too deep and hurt me.
  • The pressure was not consistent from body part to body part.
  • She/he sniffled the whole time.
  • She/he smelled like cigarettes.
  • She/he smelled like onions and garlic.
  • She/he smelled like a hippie.
  • I’m an athlete and I want to work with someone who can help me with stretches.
  • She/he wore some kind of smelly perfume or hair spray that gave me a headache.
  • The pace was too fast.
  • She/he wasted a lot of time with draping.
  • They sweat on me. It was as if they were massaging me with their sweat.
  • She/he said negative things about my body.
  • I felt his/her cuticle scratch me over and over.
  • I felt his/her nail.
  • They scratched me.
  • Their hands were rough.
  • I saw a cut on their hand.
  • They massaged over bones.
  • The work was redundant and mechanical.
  • Their toes were disgusting and dirty.
  • They were not dressed professionally. He/she seemed to take no care of their personal appearance.
  • I told them I had an injury and they forgot and started to work on it and now I’m screwed up.
  • His/her teeth were not taken care of, and I thought if they can’t take care of their own teeth, how can they take care of me?
  • She dragged her hair on me.
  • She dressed too provocatively.
  • I felt her breast on me.
  • I felt him/her press his/her crotch on me.
  • I think they were texting at one point.
  • He massaged me with one hand a lot. I was wondering where his other hand was.
  • He/she breathed heavy out of their mouth making a perverted sound.
  • His/her pelvis kept running into my head when they massaged my back.
  • They sneezed and did not wash their hands.
  • They left the massage to do something.
  • They passed gas.
  • They answered the phone during the session.
  • Something wet dropped on me.
  • They had on bells which jingled the whole time.
  • She cried on me. I asked her what was wrong and she told me she had just broken up with her boyfriend.
  • The moves were too extreme and now I’m injured.
  • When they came in the room they did not announce themselves.
  • She/he did not check in on the depth.
  • When I told her to go deeper, she did not.
  • When I told her to go lighter, she did not.
  • His hands trembled.
  • The work felt tentative like they did not know what they were doing.
  • The work felt erratic like they did not know what they were doing.
  • The work did not feel complete.
  • They made sloshy sounds with the cream.
  • They made noise all around the room.
  • Their voice was very irritating.
  • He/she was late to start.
  • They ended the work early and I sat there waiting for my husband to come out of his massage for 5 minutes!
  • They ended my massage late and I had to pick up my daughter from kindergarten. Ruined my relaxed feeling.
  • The location was not great for my commute.
  • There were signs everywhere pressuring me to tip.
  • There was no parking.
  • Her available hours were impossible for my schedule.
  • She was coughing/sneezing. I think she was sick
  • The techniques felt creepy.
  • The work felt abrupt and rough.
  • The office was noisy.
  • They did not protect my confidentiality and talked about me to my friend who is also their client.
  • They got cream in my eyes.
  • Before they tapoted me, he said “have you been a good girl or a bad girl”.
  • The light was in my eyes.
  • They put a drape over my eyes and it made me feel vulnerable.
  • The face cradle was at the wrong angle and it hurt my neck.
  • When I shook their hand it was like a limp noodle.
  • Their voice was too loud.
  • I had to walk though their house/personal space to get to the massage room.
  • She put the drape into my butt crack.
  • The office decorations had religious art that made me feel uncomfortable.
  • There were too many stairs to go up and down, and in the winter there was ice on the stairs.
  • The bathroom was dirty.
  • They did not offer to massage my abdomen.
  • I don’t think the sheets were clean. The whole office felt dirty.
  • When I asked what the honey was for (Russian spa treatment) he said it’s to make you sweeter.
  • I wore my underwear and he told me the massage would not be effective and I must remove them.
  • They did not offer to massage my face.
  • I have issues in my hips and I told them that. She/he never worked there.
  • She said a prayer with my head in her hands.
  • She “invoked” my spirit guides???
  • She made me drink some kind of special water infused with crystal energy.
  • He/she groaned and repeated my name when he/she worked.
  • There was a mirror at the foot/head of the table.
  • They cranked my neck to the side when they worked on it knowing I have a whiplash injury.
  • They put their fingers in my belly button when they massaged my abdomen.
  • They touched my nipples when they massaged my chest (male client)
  • When I flipped over, the head rest was not set up.
  • They dropped the lotion jar and it hit the floor.
  • They had a big glob of massage cream on their arm that they dipped into throughout the session.
  • They repeated the same stroke over and over again. It started to hurt.
  • They found some sensitive areas but did not adjust their depth.
  • It felt like I just paid $80 to have lotion applied to my body. It was not effective.
  • The company tried to get me to sign an ongoing contract.
  • They flirted with me and asked me if I wanted to hang out.
  • I fell asleep and when I woke up the session was over. That was a really expensive nap. I wished they had woken me up.
  • He/she was not warm and friendly, like you would expect a massage therapist to be.
  • He/she hugged me, and I was not into it.
  • She said “oh, you have so much cellulite on your thighs, I can help you with that.
  • I felt like she was checking me out when I was flipping over.
  • She were flaky…consistently rescheduling to accommodate her world travels.
  • He stood me up!

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