I was Rolfed in 1986 and felt better about my body and had less pain from old athletic injuries than in 20 years.  I was in a transitional time in my life and decided that, although it was frightening, I would go with my heart and study Rolfing in hopes of giving the same benefits to others.

2. What do you find most exciting about bodywork therapy?

I don’t know if I would call it “exciting,” but I receive the most gratification from the diverse people I meet and the depth of the relationships that include not only the physical benefits they report, but also emotional relationships that develop.  I feel lucky each day I work; in addition to the feeling of giving to clients, but also in the continuing growth I experience from being in a field that always stimulates learning on my part.

3. What is your most favourite bodywork book?

I wish I could answer that but as my practice evolves and my interests expand, I keep finding new favorites.  I do think that it is important to keep looking for new material so as not to get entrenched into one way of looking at our work.  It is crucial to keep up on anatomy and kinesiology, so have a favorite to continually refresh your knowledge, and also study other forms of bodywork that emphasize types of work you might not even be interested in performing.  This will expand your views and keep you fresh and excited.

4. Which part of the body do you find the most challenging to work on?

I think it is important to not shy away from work that you find challenging. I find that low back pain is the most difficult to work with because of the multiplicity of issues involved, including nerve involvement, vertebral misalignment, muscular restrictions and weakness, and postural patterns that create the problems.  Each client is an individual, and what works for one, may not work for another, so I always have to try to keep an open mind and play a bit of a chess game. 

5. What advise you can give to fresh massage therapists who wish to make a career out of it?

Stay fresh and work towards having your own private practice where there are far better financial and emotional rewards.  Never give cookie cutter routine bodywork and look at each client as a unique challenge.  Emphasize the personal aspect of your work rather than just performing specific protocols.  I see students with a limited picture of bodywork (often from their initial bodywork training) and try to fit their personality into this picture rather than molding their practice around their strengths and uniqueness.

6. How do you see the future of massage therapy?

I see tremendous growth as the population realizes the benefits of bodywork.  We seem to be moving more and more towards the Western model of isolated specialization and more impersonal treatment of specific complaints.  I hope that the pendulum swings back a bit towards more holistic views with proper credit to the nurturing aspects of massage.  It is disturbing to hear therapists proudly saying that they don’t do “relaxation” massage anymore, just because they have learned specific skills.  Much healing can come from relaxing the central nervous system.