Advice for new therapists

Advice THERAPISTS for new

Just starting out? Magda Lorynska offers some advice for new therapists that more experienced practitioners can also benefit from…

DURING a recent massage treatment in a local spa, I asked my therapist, “Do you enjoy your job?” This therapist has been working in the leisure industry for nearly six years and, like many relatively inexperienced therapists, she already seemed to be struggling with burnout. Eventually, after a long pause, I received a hesitant “Yes” to my question.

I’ve worked in numerous local spas and I’ve learned that many therapists quickly become overworked and burnt out in a spa environment. Some are fortunate and move into successful self-employment. Others leave to work in a salon or take a normal 9-5 office or industrial job, because it is less stressful.

Should new therapists work in a spa? After qualifying, new therapists often feel lost and unsure where to work. Working for a spa can be an invaluable experience and would suit anyone who has a lot of energy and learns fast. Working in a spa can mean learning new modalities and gaining valuable qualifications while learning how to run a business successfully.

It’s about learning how to deal with the life’s little dramas, like not having enough clean towels before your last client; discovering your supplier didn’t send the new batch of massage oil on time; or that your client potentially has an allergy to all of the products that you stock. No business is 100 % emergency free, but by experiencing these situations, you will learn how to deal with them in a calm manner - a manner that’s going to keep your client calm and relaxed during their treatment.

Not every spa is the same and you should always check conditions and environment before you start working somewhere. Things worth asking during your job interview with a SPA manager are:

What are the time gaps between treatments? These are usually between 5 and 15 minutes, but if they are 5 minutes long you will need to change the bed and prepare for the new client within this time, or risk running behind your schedule.

How many consecutive massages you will have to do? In most places this is changing so a therapist doesn’t have to complete five hours of massages in a row, however in some locations you can still be asked to do this.

What continual development is offered e.g. training outside and inside of the spa?

What they don’t teach you at school In the UK, massage schools are not regulated by the government which means that standards vary from provider to provider. In some schools you will learn more about customer service, in other schools, more about running the business. In other instances, you will learn one massage routine and complete a quick compulsory business unit. Whatever the training is providing, many of the gaps can be covered by CPD courses and reading books. I strongly recommend the following reads to new therapists:

The Educated Heart: Professional Boundaries for Massage Therapists and Bodyworkers (available on Amazon). This book will answer most common ethical issues massage therapist may have including tipping, working with your family and friends and relationships with clients. Basic Clinical Massage Therapy by James H. Clay (available at World of Books). This is a beautifully illustrated book describing massage movements in detail.

Finally, a good business book such as An Introductory Guide to Business by John Mann (Available on Amazon)

Embrace technology Something that is rarely covered in a massage or beauty training school is technology. We live in the twenty first century - mobile phones make us available to clients at any time and any place. There is no excuse for a therapist not to be connected and available for new enquiries. This is different from being glued to your phone and not having a life of your own. Take advantage of automatisation. You don’t have to be an IT guru to add automated reply to your emails, letting your clients know when you will be available to respond to their email e.g. within 24 or 48 hours. I also strongly recommend you record a professional voicemail. If you use the same number for business and private contacts, keep your recording short and professional.

All new therapists should learn about software which can help you build a business that runs itself. Some of these are free, while others will recoup their cost through added efficiency. Suggested software you can explore:

Scheduling applications: acuity, massage books, schedul

Appointment reminder software, some scheduling software can do that for you

Mailing app – Mailchimp

If you choose to use social media, make sure you post consistently, and you use a mixture of informational and sales messages.

When things are going wrong

MONEY It is hard to note when things are going wrong if we are not New Therapists

monitoring. Thus, my suggestion would be to always look at your monthly figures and make sure you are on top of your finances. If you struggle, make sure you get advice from your mentor and bookkeeper before you enter into any form of debt.

CLIENTS There are many issues you can experience with clients. Good advice on how to deal with many of them can be found in The Educated Heart. Establishing strong boundaries and being ethical can often help us not only be the best therapist that we can but also save us from having problems with clients.

YOU – THE THERAPIST If you feel like you are overworked and undervalued, it most likely you are suffering with some form of burnout. Often, regular self-care and looking at your timetable can help solve this problem. If you are working for someone, speak to your manager. Searching for a new job is not always the best

option. Whatever you do, make sure that you do not struggle alone and ensure you get some advice from a more experienced colleague.

Advice from other therapists and teachers When writing this article, I asked some experienced practitioners for their advice for new therapists. Here’s some of the key advice that was offered:

Don’t think that you ‘fix’ everyone

Don’t attempt to work with clients who would not take responsibility for their own health

Be yourself. It is your uniqueness that sells your business

Keep notes on customers likes and dislikes as not everyone is the same.

Remember birthdays or special occasions

Have regular supervision from the beginning

Always keep learning. Do not be afraid to examine what you were taught to be sure it is still relevant and up to date.

Keep this advice in mind and you’ll enjoy success as a newly qualified holistic therapist. n

i

MAGDALENA LORYNSKA s

a massage therapist, business

coach and massage tutor in Cheltenham

where she runs a massage therapy school

focused on teaching new therapists in

massage therapy and business skills. For

more information, please visit

www. wellnessinmotion.co.uk/