Timing

[The Stubborn One]

I'm about 3/4 of the way through my program (YAHOOOO!), and am still finding it challenging to keep my sessions within the clinic timing structure of 45 minutes with a 10 minute interview before and 5 minutes after. It's especially difficult when I'm not in the clinic.I had a practice "client" the other day at my house who needed to be at an appointment after the practice. I finished about 10 minutes late, which left her scrambling to get where she needed to be. In the "real world", that client would most likely be a goner. Luckily for me, she's pretty understanding, and appreciates the work that I do.Are any other students or practicing mt's having a similar struggle? If so, have you figured out ways to deal?

 

[Hoot]

Yep! I've been there and still have those occassional sessions 6 years into practicing. However, I have gotten much better. I just had to keep telling myself that it is ok not to use EVERY technique I know and that I don't have to give EVERY area of the body the same amount of attention. Really LISTEN to your clients goals for the session. If they have a real problem area concentrate there and let other little problems you encounter go. You can always work those areas in another session (which of course they will want  ) They will be appreciative that you helped relieve their major complaint. And if they don't have major complaints and just want a nice, relaxing full body then pick your favorite "feel-good" moves for each body part and let go of the extra stuff that you could do.  You'll get it down with practice!   Oh, and you never know, once you are out in the "real world" you may not be on such a tight time schedule. I have a half hour in between my FULL 60 minute sessions so if my client and I agree we can even add a few extra minutes on top of that.

 

[MZ. KRAZY]

merlescuz,I also had a hard time keeping it to an hour in school. As a matter of fact I was so well known for going over the hour allotted that when I did actually accomplish one in 45 minutes of hands on time... my classmates  silently applauded me in the hallway. ROFLI'll be honest with you... timing is STILL an issue for me, and I think it always will be. I've been a MT for 8 years next month.I think it mostly has to do with my wanting to do a through job... and the client just has need of more work that can be accomplished in 45 minutes. And as vorehealer said, we do have to decide with the client what's most important to address today and let the other things go...Therefore... I've often found the solution for me is:1) Ask if timing is an issue as the session starts.  That way you will know if you can spend 5-10 minutes more.2) My original MT, Sheila, used to tell me at the begining of the session that my muscles were quite taunt and that I needed to come back for another session sooner than usual.  She didn't tell me this every time... but she would do it every once in awhile to let me know there was more work than could be accomplished in an hour. (She wasn't into the long massages like I am, or I would have gone with that for sure... LOL. I love giving and getting 1.5 hr or 2 hr massages. Maybe that'll be your specialty too?)3) Mix and Burn the music used for the massage yourself. This really helped me to "keep it on track" at the salon where I worked because clients there often had appointments for other services immediately following their massage. (What can I say, scheduling was NOT their forte.)  I would choose the music for the CD... and organize it in such a way that I should be done with the arms and legs at this point and working on neck and shoulders... and then at another point where the music might change again slightly I might be working  on their back, etc. And I'd burn the CD to be say 60 minutes. The first 45 minutes for you I would probably make appropriate for massage... the following 15 minutes you could change the music slightly while still keeping it somewhat relaxing. Perhaps switching from new age to classical. Or from instrumental only to instrumental with vocals, etc. Or for instance... you could have some piano music for arms and legs, some harp and flute music or the neck and head, and some guitar music for the back... and you can add a few tracks in case the client has need of 5 minutes more... and those tracks could be completely different...such as world music or soft jazz.  Then practice, practice, practice because you have to be familiar with the music so it's "orchestrated" well in student clinic. LOLOh and BTW, you'll likely find that "intake" is slightly shortened with "repeat" clients... thus giving you a few more minutes at the beginning as well.  And repeat and regular clients in our profession... are to steal a line from Martha Stewart... "A good thing."  ;D

 

[MENTAL PATIENT]

Timing

merlescuz,

tes.

3) Mix and Burn the music used for the massage yourself. This really helped me to "keep it on track" at the salon where I worked because clients there often had appointments for other services immediately following their massage. (What can I say, scheduling was NOT their forte.)  

I would choose the music for the CD... and organize it in such a way that I should be done with the arms and legs at this point and working on neck and shoulders... and then at another point where the music might change again slightly I might be working  on their back, etc. And I'd burn the CD to be say 60 minutes. The first 45 minutes for you I would probably make appropriate for massage... the following 15 minutes you could change the music slightly while still keeping it somewhat relaxing. Perhaps switching from new age to classical. Or from instrumental only to instrumental with vocals, etc.

Or for instance... you could have some piano music for arms and legs, some harp and flute music or the neck and head, and some guitar music for the back... and you can add a few tracks in case the client has need of 5 minutes more... and those tracks could be completely different...such as world music or soft jazz.  Then practice, practice, practice because you have to be familiar with the music so it's "orchestrated" well in student clinic. LOL

 ;D

Hey, merlescuz. This is exactly what I do, too, with some variations. For my mixes (which are 45 min. for the same reasons you have) I just know at what point (piece of music) I am about halfway through, and then when I have about 10 min. left, and then about 3 min left. This has really helped me with timing, unless of course the client prefers no music :-/

I am also working on putting together a 45 min recording (cd) of my own music specifically geared toward massage sessions. I am hoping to have it done by September, so if you remind me (read: remind me or I will likely forget) I will put one in your mailbox at school. Same for you, Leah Bodeah.

 

[STUDY]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I like the idea of mixing cds for timing. My problem now is that the cds I've been using are either mixes I did myself with over an hour of music (I thought I was doing a great thing by maxing the disc  :-/ ), or commercial discs with about 35-40 minutes. It's a little embarrassing running out of tunes before the session is over, so I tend to stay away from the shorter ones.I also struggle with restraint when it comes to feeling tension in an area. I want to get ALL the kinks out before moving on, which I know in my head is counterproductive, but the impulse is strong.

 

[Tyler N]

Timing

I think the only time I ever felt like I ran out of material was when learning new techniques. Some of our classes only had a few new moves, and after doing three strokes so many times, I figured I was bored with them and the person on the table HAD to be getting tired of having the hook move on the erectors over and over and over... I have tried watching the clock. The biggest hangup for me is spending the few minutes to plan out what I'm going to do and how long to spend on each area. When I have gone through that process it has worked pretty well. Unfortunately, more often than not I foget to do it or think that I don't have enough time to plan, and find myself half way done with 10 minutes left on the clock.. :

 

[?Mamibella]

Here's what I have done (& still do!) if I find I've had to spend too long in an area to get everything done in X amount of time:As soon as you realize you're behind your internal (or atomic   ) clock, make every move slower & only do it ONCE. (For you, Merlscuz, it may be the whole massage at first... especially for a 45 minute trip around the table.) Stop all conversation. Make every single move count; every inch of pressure; every directional shift. Make them all the most important stroke of all, and do not repeat yourself.Practice on a friend first. I'm tellin' ya, it works.I just had to do this today. I was heading into overtime, because of my Massage Cupping demo for the client. Usually no problem, but she mentioned that she had to be somewhere afterwards & really could not be late. I did the remainder of the massage in complete silence. Went slower than usual & made every second count like it was all she was gonna get. We finished up on the dot, and she said it was the best massage she'd had from me since the first impression.Try it.BTW, I put my music on 'repeat', so I can't time it with the CDs I play. Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[priv828]

In school I was sure I would not be able to do a full body massage in under an hour and fifteen minutes!  But after learning more techniques especially deep tissue/connective tissue moves, I too learned that slower, more deliberate and somewhat deeper moves achieved good results and I didn't have to spend so much time working out the kinks.I put my music on repeat also, but most of my cds are 60-70 minutes so I know that by the time they repeat I should be done.  For the most part though I watch the clock like Breathe was saying and make a mental note that by such and such time I'll have moved on to the next body part.  Once though I started a massage and realized that the battery in my clock died so I had to go by the music...which I knew was only a 60 minutes cd.  It wasn't a problem.I have a client who likes mostly effleurage and I was thinking that same thing that surely she would be sick of these moves over and over...also she only likes to lie prone....so I'd spend 15-20 mintues working her back/neck/head then I'd move to her armes and legs for 15-20 minutes (seriously how much effleurage can you do to a leg?)  then I'd go back to her back and neck.  She's been coming to me once a week for several months!  But she loves it.  I've gradually introduced her to some of my other moves, including starting supine to work her neck.  And so that helps me feel like I'm adding variety.Now I feel like I can do a good full body between 45-60 minutes.

 

[britt. (:]

Hi.Took me a while to get over to this section, but here I am!  Timing:  You have so many good posts, here, and I'll probably repeat a lot, but I am going to just jump right in.

clinic timing structure of 45 minutes with a 10 minute interview before and 5 minutes after. It's especially difficult when I'm not in the clinic.

Uck!  I can't believe they only give you 45 mins.  We actually were given the whole hour to be hands on, so to be honest, I think you are getting jipped out af a great learning ecperience.  BUT, on the other hand, you are getting a great learning experience in figuring out what all you can "leave out" of a massage.  So, I guess it all works out in the wash.  I pretty much got an internal clock about 2 years into practice.  Prior to that, I practically never took my eyes off the clock.  I was very aware that I didn't want a client on the table enjoying themselves and me, just doing my thing, and then they being late for something.  I live in a city where it is at minimum a 30 min. crive TO me and at least another 30 mins. to where ever they go when they leave, an hour on the table and 15 mins. checking in/out dressing and undressing and you have about 2 h 15 min. just for the appointment.  So, I can understand your consideration in all of this.For sure, burning CD's for the right amount of time, is a great help!  I burn a good number of mine so that the 1st and the last song are the same.  I usually have something a little quicker right in the middle.  Sort of a ramp up and ramp down effect.  But, I do have a lot that are just music all the way through.  If you are looking for 60 min. CD's that are cheap, go check out Tuesday Morning Stores (if you have any around) http://www.tuesdaymorning.com/  You can usually find spa CD's right on 60 mins. for about $3.00.Also, while in school, the majority of people have been probably coming there for a long time, and know what they want.  So get a good routine for a relaxation, and then if they want something special, here is a nice rule of thumb that you could use:Neck/Back/Shoulder people -  you can offer them the 45 min. just upper body, [ or consider 10 min on the neck to start/sweep into the arms, sweep the legs, 5 min. on the feet, turn to face down, sweep the legs, knead the gluts, last 20 on the back ]Lowback/Legs - you can offer them 45 mins. lower body with some nice sweeping "pull it all together moves" for the back and into the neck (face down at the end), [ or consider sweep the neck and the arms, 3 mins for each leg, 3 mins. each foot, turn to face down, 5 mins. each leg and gluts, last 20 on the back and gluts some more, with your final total comprehensive back sweep ]At least it is a thought.  Last way to deal..... Set up your practice where you give 1 hour and 15 min. massages!  Wa-hoooo!