ElMasajista's Massage Interview
Some people say that being a Masseur is addictive. Would you miss your Masseur days ?
I will always cherish the opportunity that I have to assist delivering humans on their path to wellness.
Being a masseur is mentally and physically challenging, and dare I say, at times, it can be exhausting. There is an energy exchange between therapist and client, and that can play a role in the therapist ability to assist clients.
My sessions definitely share this factor. When a client comes to me, they generally become a permanent client. They feel the energy exchange, and they leave feeling refreshed and renewed. Not every therapist or client can say that. I mention it humbly.
I love being here and doing what I do. I think addiction is the wrong word, but once you realize the true need for bodywork and healing sessions, there's no going back.
Tell us a little about yourself, if you were to pick something what would you like your clients to absolutely know about you?
I put my 100% self into every client. From the design of my sites to the security I utilize to keep client confidentiality are hands down top tier. As a client, you are respected, protected, and always valued. It is a bond that is created and once that is established, it's one a client won't take for granted, just as I will never take them for granted.
What are your hobbies, what do you like to do in your spare time?
I am an amateur ethnobotanist and shaman, and I work with plant medicine. From seed to extraction, to infusion, I take the most care in what I do, because healing is my passion.
As a healer, we are not perfect. It takes many years and usually experience of healing from our own trauma to be able to truly offer the help that a legitimate healing specialist can offer someone.
I'm also a nature enthusiast, wildlife advocate, and I also dabble with video games in my spare time. Huuuuuge foodie too! There aren't too many things out there that I won't try at least twice.
Why did you become a Masseur?
I have been in practice with both skincare, also known as esthetics, and bodywork since 2008. Initially I started in the field of esthetics because I wanted to learn more about having healthy skin. Fun fact! Healthy skin comes from within! It's the largest organ that we have too!
Massage directly related to this. Stress and other underlying factors can cause breakouts and other negative skin and body conditions that many people would be uncomfortable with, myself being one of them. Massage not only assists in the relaxation of the CNS, which in turns helps you on the path to a radiant complexion, but it also assists in moving lymph, increasing blood and oxygen flow, and has a direct effect on our overall well-being.
For me, this was a winner and something I decided to pursue. Shortly after, I was involved in an accident where an intoxicated driver T-boned me. This resulted in quite a lot of therapy, including massage therapy. It helped me so much that I knew where I needed to take this, and that was to every person out there seeking stress relief, reduction from pain, and an overall sense of better well-being.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a Masseur?
Do your homework! Most real learning comes after you have graduated, with on-the-job training. I'm talking real world experience, not someone training you. It took years after I graduated to come into full realization of my qualities and skills as a therapist. Though I've always had a natural ability and desire for this line of work, it is still something that comes with time, patience, and a desire to always learn more, and to help others.
Is extensive training necessary for a Masseur in order to be successful?
A base level of knowledge is necessary to help protect not only the client, but also the therapist. Contraindications that you may otherwise be unaware of could potentially harm both client and you. The last thing you want is for a client to end up in the emergency room because you didn't discuss underlying conditions that may bery well prevent a client from being able to utilize traditional massage.
You must have their best interest at heart. Find out the therapy they need. Protect them at all costs.
Training is absolutely necessary to ensure you have a successful future as a massage therapist.
How do you like clients to feel about the experience when they leave?
I want my clients to feel that they received a level of care that they have never experienced elsewhere. It's not just about feeling good on the table. From scheduling, to intake, to helping a client transition into a state of trust and relaxation is not something that everyone can do. It takes time for a client to trust a therapist, which could be attributed any number of factors.
I have my client's best interest at heart, and when they leave, they leave always feeling better, and they leave feeling with a level of care that most do not get the opportunity to experience within this industry.
How often do you travel? Do you prefer to travel or are you more of a homebody?
I love to travel and have offered bodywork from the west coast to the east coast. Having the opportunity to experience different places is absolutely beneficial to my state of mind, and ability to draw on natural energy from other locations and deliver experiences that change a client on a positive level.
My travel schedule works quite different than my open availability when someone schedules online, and a conversation takes place, as well as the securing of an appointment, before I make travel arrangements.
I'd love to come to your town. Let's make it happen!
Do you consider yourself a successful Masseur?
I consider myself to be a student of life, and value every day when I know that there's something that I have done for a client that is making their day significantly better.
I enjoy a fulfilling and rewarding career, where I help humans find the healing that they need and get them back on track to their path to wellness. By that alone, I would say yes, I am successful in what I do.
How would you like someone that contacts you for a massage to feel when they leave?
When a client contacts me and establishes that first line of contact, it can be challenging to establish immediate trust. I'm open and transparent with them and have protocol for different types of sessions. If they are looking for something specific, that's the information I eventually need to find out if we are going to be a compatible match.
There are clients that I have been chatting with for several months. They are nervous, anxious, or possibly afraid to communicate what it is that they are looking for or need. Eventually we work through the barrier together, but I do not break my protocol. I've seen most of it all and experienced it and having safety protocols in place protect both client and me.
Once they have scheduled, which can take time to build that trust, I am then confident in knowing that we have established a base level of trust, and I feel that so is my client.
Do you remember your first client ? Tell us something about that first day when you decided to be a Masseur!
My first clients were clinic clients. It was a very stuffy environment, and I was extremely uncomfortable. It made me feel like this was not the right choice for me in how I help others.
Once I became my own small business, all of that changed. The level of effective communication, care, and trust was something that I knew I could deliver better than if I was working for some cookie cutter massage "fast food" chain. I wasn't wrong either. Clients 9/10 times are repeat clients and consistently let me know that their experience with me is nothing like what they would receive from a chain.
I remember thinking, I've found it. I have the capability to assist in healing others, and in the way that I know, and feel will be beneficial to them, without all the extra filler nonsense of working under all the corporate headaches.
What distinguishes you from all the other Masseurs?
You will learn right away that I don't stray from how I operate. I have a varied background within IT, upper healthcare management, and a few other beneficial learning experiences I've had the pleasure of having.
From scheduling, to appointment, session, follow-up, and the relationships established, every single client understands when I say it is all about them, and everything I have done, is for them in that moment. That's what matters, and that is what is delivered every time. The client knows and feels this.
This level of care and quality is a huge distinguishing factor that sets me apart from others in this field.
How long have you been a Masseur and how long do think you'd like to continue?
I have been practicing since Mid 2008. While I am continuously expanding my offerings to help others, I do not anticipate stopping my massage therapy offerings. I will continue to give and heal until I am no longer able to do so.