DevonDelacroix's Personal Masseur Interview

Last Updated: Oct 23, 13:32

- I've been working for more than 10 years and have no specific plans to stop. As long as I am enjoying my work and offering people what they need, I'll keep doing what I do.

- I’ve not traveled much during the pandemic, but I’m excited to get back on the road. Normally, I travel frequently, most often back to Canada where I am from. I also find myself often in Amsterdam and Paris. More recently, I've been exploring more of Eastern Europe. I love experiencing new cultures, trying new food, and seeing new cities. Every year, the list of destinations I want to visit grows.

- It depends on why the client came in the first place. Some people arrive feeling tense and want to leave relaxed. Others arrive exhausted and want to leave feeling exhilarated. Whatever your particular situation, my job is to be attentive to your needs and find the particular treatment that will help you feel balanced, refreshed and ready to take on whatever challenges today will bring you.

- Each of us has a unique personality and set of abilities. I suppose what might set me apart is the fact that along with being a masseur, I have also worked in the arts field for more than a decade, as a writer and performer. Being in both fields at the same time means that my work in each field is constantly complementing the other. The encounters I have with my clients provide continuing ways for me in better understand the body, the world, and myself.

- For me, the only real measure of success is how my clients feel during and after a session. I prefer to limit the number of appointments I take, in order to make sure I am offering the best possible service to everyone I see.

- The extent of your training depends on the kind of work you want to do, but some level of training is critical to ensure you don’t injure the client or yourself. Personally, I’ve studied both Swedish and tantric massage, as well as other movement systems like Feldenkrais. I follow workshops on a regular basis to explore new techniques and ways of interacting with a client’s body. More than anything, it’s important to understand your limits as a masseur and the limits of massage treatment. You won’t be able to fix every issue a client presents, so you need to know what you’re capable of and when you need to refer someone to a different type of practitioner.

- You need to know who you are, what you are capable of, and what limitations you have. Represent yourself honestly to prospective clients and don’t try to be someone or something that you’re not. Invest in yourself and your practice with good equipment and continuing education courses. And maybe more than anything else, don’t continue doing massage if you don’t enjoy it. Your disengagement will come through in your work, which is bad for both you and your client.

- I’m currently doing my PhD, so between that and my regular clients my free time is limited. When I have a day off, long walks in wooded places and time at the gym are my favourite ways to decompress.