By some industry standards I suspect I am a failure. If I spoke to a business guru no doubt they would give me “that look” and smile with that “I pity you, you poor, innocent fool” smile and their eyes would roll back and be replaced with $ signs as they saw the potential they could drain from my already empty pockets. The reason why, after 10 years in the Massage Industry, I am a failure is I just do not feel the need to re-book. I am happy if I do not see my clients ever again, especially if they have come to an injury or present with chronic pain. Do not get me wrong, I really like most of ..read more

Sunday night a family member complained of a scratchy throat. No problems. He had not been anywhere for quite a few days and was otherwise healthy. Fortunately I had some Rapid Antigen Tests here so, for peace of mind, he did one and it was negative. Fast forward to Monday night. The family member now had a raging fever, night sweats, congested chest and very low blood pressure. This RAT came back positive within 3 minutes. Seeing that line develop felt like a kick in the guts. I did not know what to do. I paused. I may have shed a tear or two. I checked the test several times. I was gutted. A ..read more

1. I do not judge your body. I see the anatomy, the muscles, the origins and the insertions and the landmarks that help me know where to work. There is no such thing as a perfect body. Accept your cellulite, curves and unshaven legs.... I do. 2. I did actually train for this job and it was bloody hard work. It cost me a lot of time and a lot of money, both when I trained and all the ongoing education over the years. I am worth whatever I choose to charge! 3. Anyone can call themselves a massage therapists in Australia and don't need any formal qualification to do so. Don't assume that the pers ..read more

2020 has been a long year for all of us. I thought I’d lighten the mood and give you my top 20 for 2020. Here’s the top 20 weird things that only other massage therapists will understand. 1) When a totally inappropriate song accidently makes its way into your easy listening play list. 2) That dreaded feeling you get when it is getting close to lunch and you can feel your tummy start to rumble. How quick can you transition from working the neck to working the ankle just to put some distance between you. 3) Writing your SOAP notes and having to position your body like you did in the treatment ro ..read more

Today is the first time in quite a while that I have started to feel a little optimistic. I’ve woken up to find that many therapists have received the first round of Jobkeeper payments. The stress we have all been under over the last months is coming from many different sources. Any one or two of these stresses we would normally just take in our stride, but the cumulative effect has been a incredibly hard to deal with. Some of my stresses are easing, others I don’t know when or if they will. These are some of the sources of my grief. I know that most of these are not unique to me. Finances I ..read more

If you are a member of a reputable industry association for massage therapists in Australia, you will be required to undertake Continuing Professional Education (CPE) as a condition of your membership and to maintain your Health Fund Provider Status. CPE ensures your personal growth as a therapist, your compliance to industry standards and professional currency for both “old”, new and emerging treatment modalities. Unlike the Nationally Recognised Training (NRT) like the Diploma of Remedial Massage, the delivery of CPE is not regulated and the quality of the courses on offer is wide and varie ..read more

I was watching an old 60 minutes episode on catch-up TV.[1] The story focussed on a teen girl who had been diagnosed with Orthorexia, a crippling eating disorder that nearly took her life. The girl admitted that she spent her life on social media, following "beautiful" people and surviving solely on the "healthy" vegetable and fruit smoothies the "beautiful people" were spruiking. Also interviewed was psychiatrist Dr Mark Berelowitz from the Royal Free Hospital in London who warned our obsession with social media has taken a dark turn. Long running media coverage of the prosecution of wellness ..read more

There are so many options when purchasing a massage table. It can be a daunting experience. I’ve purchased a few over the years, and learnt the hard way that it is pretty hard to get a genuine bargain. At the end of the day – you do get what you pay for. Here’s some tips to keep in mind when buying a portable table. Type of frame. Personally, I prefer the adjustment mechanism on the aluminium tables. These are the push button ones and I find them easier and quicker to use. Wooden ones tend to have the twisting adjustment knobs that I find, take longer to alter the height. Be aware that many of ..read more

AMT, MaMA, MA, ATMS, ANTA....are they all the "Peoples front of Judea in disguise?"(Click here if you need to recap this epic comedy moment!) One of the most common question posed online is “ which is the best association to join.” Let me share some of my learnings on the subject with you. There are quite a few Associations in Australia for massage therapists, and each one has its pros and cons. It’s important you make your decision based on your needs and your business model. Have you seen the skit in Monty Python's "Life of Brian" discussing the difference between the Peoples front of Judea ..read more