LMT Volunteer needed for 20 Questions :-)

[John C]

ASSIGNMENT COMPLETE...THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!!!!
Hi everyone,

Once again I turn to the vast knowledge and helpful spirit of the awesome group of MTs here for help with my schoolwork (I've used the forums so many times for pathology and research and your experience has proved invaluable!)

I am looking for someone who might be willing to answer about 20 questions about "Your life as a massage therapist." It's for an assignment for our class. I'm in the St. Louis area so if you are as well perhaps we could hook up and I could buy you a cup of coffee (or tea for you non-massageplanetfeine addicts, ) If not, then I offer you my eternal thanks and undying gratitude t055 )

If you believe you could help, I can either call or email you.

Thank you so very much!

Christine

p.s. I expect that it wouldn't take more than 30 minutes.

 

[Christopher A]

I'm game. I'm not in St. Louis, but you can PM me if you like.

 

[Corn]

I'm not in St. Louis, either, but you can also PM me if you like.

 

[pokemon master]

Ooooh, ooooh. I wanna play!!!!
PM away!!!!

 

[Brickfists (Again)]

: I'll play too, if you'll PM me!!!

 

[beck]

You could also post all 20+ questions here and ask the therapists to PM you the answers.

 

[ktk]

I love games. PM away!

 

[mudpuppie_80]

Thank you everyone!!!

I knew you'd all be willing to share your insight with me. :-D

Here's the list o' questions. Should you wish to email your answers you may do so to my username (cmdebrecht) at y a h o o d o t c o m. (Trying to trick those nasty little folks who go snooping through forums looking for email addresses.) Otherwise feel free to post here. Maybe you'd like to share with others as well!

1. How long have you been a massage therapist?

2. Where did you go to school? How many hours was your program?

3. How many clients do you see per week?

4. Do you see your clients in a clinic or in their homes?

5. What do you charge for a 60-minute session? (Let's stick with swedish and one other favorite modality of yours if applicable)

6. How do you acquire new clients?

7. What client retention techniques to you use? (postcards, phone calls, discounts, etc.)

8. Do you have a "spiel" about your business when first introducing yourself to someone? (like a mini commercial)

9. What modalities do you specialize in?

10. What CEUs do you have and what did you choose to specialize in?

11. What areas of massage interest you the most and why?

12. What marketing techniques did you start with and what do you use now?

13. Do you have any certifications?

14. What would you offer as advice to a new MT?

15. What professional organizations do you belong to?

16. Do you network with other health care practitioners?

17. What makes you a success?

19. What is your greatest obstacles to overcome?

I would love to also know your city/state and type of area you live in (rural, suburban, city).

THANK YOU!!!!! YOU GUYS ROCK!!!!!!

Hugs,
Christine

[/list][/list]

 

[anonymous?girl]

Thank you everyone!!!

1. How long have you been a massage therapist?
Licensed for about a year


2. Where did you go to school? How many hours was your program?
900 hours over two years

3. How many clients do you see per week?
Varies, but averages about 3 right now. I also have limited availability- nights and weekends

4. Do you see your clients in a clinic or in their homes?
Mostly at the office, but I do some home visits.

5. What do you charge for a 60-minute session? (Let's stick with swedish and one other favorite modality of yours if applicable)

The office I work at charges 65/75 respectively for Swedish and Deep Tissue. Personaly, I would prefer to charge one price for everything.

6. How do you acquire new clients?
I beat them over the head until they are unconcious, then drag them into the office. When they come to, they feel pretty bad, so I offer them a massage to help with the headache. Works like a charm.

Oh- I also put bus. cards and flyers up around the area.

7. What client retention techniques to you use? (postcards, phone calls, discounts, etc.)
monthly e-newsletter, postcards with special offers or a good self-care tip, follow up phone calls

8. Do you have a "spiel" about your business when first introducing yourself to someone? (like a mini commercial)
I need to work on this one.

9. What modalities do you specialize in?
Specialize seems like such a loaded word. Who is to say what constitutes "specialty?" Nonetheless, I do a lot of specific work, which could be termed NMT, or injury related TX, myofascial, deep tissue, postural work, I don't know, I think I just do what I do.

10. What CEUs do you have and what did you choose to specialize in?

11. What areas of massage interest you the most and why?
Probably orthopedic and structural work. I think that interests me the most because of the clinical thought process involved.

12. What marketing techniques did you start with and what do you use now?

13. Do you have any certifications?
Not yet

14. What would you offer as advice to a new MT?
Find an experienced MT that you trust and respect who can mentor you and be your sounding board. They will be invaluable.

15. What professional organizations do you belong to?
AMTA, though ABMP is in the running when renewal time comes around.

16. Do you network with other health care practitioners?
In an informal sort of way.

17. What makes you a success?
Loving my job!!!!!

19. What is your greatest obstacles to overcome?
myself

I would love to also know your city/state and type of area you live in (rural, suburban, city).

Moderate sized city in the northeast.

 

[khorat k]

I'll email you - the 2 year old demands I not do it all in one sitting, lol.

 

[Pompal 09.]

1. 11 plus years on humans, 12 plus years on race horses before
school, a lifetime of working on family members

2. SHI School of Medical Massage Lebanon, Ohio
over 600 hours

3. number of clients varies weekly [5-15]

4. work from professional office in my home [finally!] but make trips out
of the office to care centers or client homes if they are confined

5. w/ Rx $55/hr w/o Rx $60/hr [Ohio forces me to collect sales tax - if
I have to do the paper work for that crap, it costs more for the work]
hot stone massage $85 [hate to do them because of cleaning stones]

6. word of mouth, occasional public health fairs, setting traps for the
pesky buggars

7. good work, tying strings around their ankles while they are prone so I
can jerk them back into the office.........

8. no spiel - if someone asks questions, I answer them

9. "Ding and Dent Repair" using orthobionomy, strain/counterstrain,
craniosacral, therapeutic touch, swedish, etc in combination is my
favorite type of work ---- not a specialty per se, but, what I love to do

10. ceus in everything from public health to accounting and then some,
hepatitis classes, lymphatic drainage, nothing specific

11. See #9 --- Love "ding & dent" because it makes you think all the time
and it is something where you either do or don't have results for the
client that the client perceives immediately --- and it works my brain so
it doesn't disintegrate as quickly..

12. Started out with aggressive ad campaigns when I first started.... in
this area, it was a waste of $$$$$$.... word of mouth is the best ad
vertising I have

13. Ki Healing [an energetic healing modality that I am certified to teach]

14. Get to know lmts who are already in the field, listen to them about
advertising that does/doesn't work in the area; ask them for advice
client treatment modalities, etc DO GOOD CONSCIENTIOUS WORK
FROM YOUR HEART!!!

15. ABMP -- friendlier, more responsive than AMTA

16. Have good friends who are local lmts, refer to 4 local chiropractors,
and one local orthopedist.... it's nothing formal, just good
communications when need be w/ the orthopedist and the chiropractors, lots of phone conversations, trades, etc w/ the lmts

17. the quality of my work, my compassion for my clientele, my ability to
educate my clientele regarding "homework" that benefits their needs for repair work, etc.

19. biggest obstacle is my occasionally being concerned with the expectations of others

Central Ohio, county seat of a basically rural county near a major auto manufacturing plant and its suppliers

 

[bak0ntrak2009]

Thank you everyone!!!

1. How long have you been a massage therapist?
12 years

2. Where did you go to school? How many hours was your program?
American Institute of Massage Therapy - which sounds ridiculously pretentious given that it was run by a mother/daughter at the time :roll:
hours were somewhere around 700 hours

3. How many clients do you see per week?
average 15

4. Do you see your clients in a clinic or in their homes?
I have an office, funny but I wouldn't consider it a clinic

5. What do you charge for a 60-minute session? (Let's stick with swedish and one other favorite modality of yours if applicable)
$75 with prescription, $80 without to include sales tax

6. How do you acquire new clients?
word of mouth, referral from other therapists, listed on Upledger's website

7. What client retention techniques to you use? (postcards, phone calls, discounts, etc.)
good service

8. Do you have a "spiel" about your business when first introducing yourself to someone? (like a mini commercial)
I'm pretty low key about this. The only time I really use my "spiel" is at networking events - a short statement to invite questions if people are interested

9. What modalities do you specialize in?
Craniosacral therapy

10. What CEUs do you have and what did you choose to specialize in?
In the beginning I tried a few things - NMT, MFR, LDT, visceral manipulation, then really honed in on craniosacral

11. What areas of massage interest you the most and why?
I love working with people who want to deepen their connection to their body, people who use bodywork as part of their personal growth, people who are processing trauma.

12. What marketing techniques did you start with and what do you use now?
Yellow pages ad - didn't bring in the clients I really enjoy working with. Now I use networking with other holistic practitioners, website, assisting classes and teaching.

13. Do you have any certifications?
Certified in craniosacral therapy through the Upledger Institute

14. What would you offer as advice to a new MT?
Oh, where to begin . Well here's what I've learned from my "mistakes": if working for a perceneforum.xxxe (in the beginning I was taking client overflow from an established therapist in private practice) set a monthly maximum that you'll pay. If you go into a business partnership, no matter how much you like and trust him/her, get everything in writing and discuss your exit strategy/plan at the beginning. Books are not an ideal retail item. If you're uncomfortable with a client, respect that - don't feel obligated to work with them just because they schedule. Meet clients where they are - you may have the greatest idea/suggestion in the whole world and it just isn't right for them.

15. What professional organizations do you belong to?
International Massage Association, International Association of Healthcare Providers (Upledger)

16. Do you network with other health care practitioners?
It's happened more "by accident" than with intention - clients who go to a DC or DDS let them know about me and then I get referrals. I also have worked with other LMTs who refer to me when they have a client that needs CST.

17. What makes you a success?
Paying attention to the little things - client's stories, preferences, etc., desire to be of help, willingness to listen, be present and accept people where they are, and a commitment to working through my own "stuff".

19. What is your greatest obstacles to overcome?
Monkey mind

I would love to also know your city/state and type of area you live in (rural, suburban, city).
Columbus, Ohio - city

 

[Cammie]

ASSIGNMENT COMPLETE!

Thank you Thank you Thank you to everyone who helped me with this assignment. What a great group of people! I so appreciate your time and effort. I have learned so much from each of you!

Christine

 

[PiggyDog]

Glad you found what you needed. I would still be interested in anyone else's answers if anyone wants to post.