The ABMP Podcast | Speaking With the Massage & Bodywork Profession

What's a business entity and what's a tax election? Allissa walks through the simplest options for business structure as a small massage therapy business.  Resources: Meg Donnelly, NoVA Weekend Warriors, Owner and Licensed Massage Therapist https://www.novaweekendwarriors.com/contact/   Organizing around Massage Regulation: Local Advocacy Playbook for LMTs  Compiled by Casey White, LMT & Meg Donne...

In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Angie welcomes Melanie Burns, CEO of Anatomy Trains and director in Europe and the UK. Melanie shares her inspiring journey to Ukraine, where she volunteered to train manual therapists working with soldiers recovering from war injuries, including amputations and head trauma. With a unique background that bridges psychology, massage therapy, yoga, and internati...

In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Doug Nelson explores the concept of bidirectionality - the mutual and reciprocal influence where each factor shapes the other. He discusses how physiological changes during a session affect both client and therapist, and how moments of shared connection and humanity remind us of the profound healing power of touch. Host: Douglas Nelson is Board Certified in Ma...

Massage therapists give so much to others yet often lack the tools to feel financially secure. Qnity helps change that. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast, president and CEO Les Sweeney speaks with Erin Kuhn Bhansali, president/partner of Qnity & Qnity for Schools, about ABMP's partnership with Qnity, which allows members to gain access to practical, easy-to-follow financial literacy programs des...

Teresa Matthews is a nationally accredited massage therapy continuing education provider, a massage school owner, an athlete and personal trainer, and now… a published author. Her new book, Self Defense for Massage Therapists is now available and—in my opinion—should be considered a required topic in massage therapy beginning education. In this interview Teresa shares how this project developed, a...

On a recent trip to Las Vegas and on a quest to find a good cup of coffee, I found myself staring at my own eyeball. It sent me down a rabbit hole of eyeball anatomy that I didn't even know I wanted to know. Turns out, I knew more than I thought I did. And my bet is you do too. Host Bio :         Contact Allison Denney:  rebelmt@abmp.com       Allison's website:  www.rebelmassage.com             A...

Can you keep clients coming back? Allissa Haines works through the math to calculate rebooking rates and offers some ideas to improve your rebooking experience. Host: Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and business owner. You can find her building websites and coaching massage therapists at deepbreathdigital.com . Author links:   Website:  www.deepbreathdigital.com   Facebook: https:...

In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Whitney Lowe explores a systematic, creative approach to moving beyond basic routines, while confidently solving MT's most challenging client cases.   Host:   Whitney Lowe is a known authority in the field of massage therapy, with a 36-year career marked by clinical work, research, publications, and teaching in advanced massage principles. He specializes in tr...

In this episode of The ABMP Podcast, Darren and Kristin speak with Chris Curry about his massage therapy origin story and the journey that inspired him to guide future therapists. Chris also opens up about his experience competing in massage therapy competitions, including what he won and what he learned. Finally, he gives listeners five practical tips to elevate their next massage session, straig...

A seasoned massage therapist has just started working at a prestigious facility where client intakes are only conducted on the fly, and nothing is documented. Almost immediately, two clients present with complex situations that could be made substantially worse by thoughtless massage. What to do? In this episode we explore this complex question. I have some thoughts from the massage side of the eq...

How exactly are we supposed to hold our bodies so that we don't hurt ourselves and have a long, healthy career? In this episode, Allison dives into the difference between "correct" and "good", tackles the 3 major components of understanding body mechanics, and contemplates what is truly at our core. Want to tap into finding your best approach? This is the episode for you!   Host Bio:           Con...

The musculoskeletal system is at the heart of anatomy education for most massage therapists. But when we add the fascial system, how does that change the movement story? In this episode,  Rachelle Clauson and Nicole Trombley discuss a lesser known part of the force transmitting system of the human body: the myofascial expansion—precise anatomical connections where skeletal muscles insert into fasc...

Join Kristin Coverly as she speaks with the 2024 Massage is for EveryBody award winners about what inspires them to give back to their communities, as well as their advice for how you can get started, too! Resources : ABMP Education Center: https://www.abmp.com/learn/ ABMP Massage is for EveryBody Week: https://www.abmp.com/massage-week-intro 2024 Massage is for EveryBody Winners:   https://www.ab...

Getting "good at money" doesn't happen overnight. Business or Pressure host Allissa Haines shares the financial ups and downs of the last year and the skills that got her through. Resources : What It's Like to Be...A Massage Therapist, https://www.whatitsliketobe.com/2246914/episodes/17326674-a-massage-therapist Host: Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and business owner. You can fin...

A client has a recently placed stent in their left anterior descending branch of the coronary artery. The therapist isn't clear about safety. What to do—get permission to work? Or get information to work safely? (You get two guesses, and one of them doesn't count.) This episode explores a helpful communication to establish client safety—and an example to us all!   Resources :  I Have a Client Who:...

Sitting is shockingly not good for your hips. Not that we need to stop sitting, but we do need to take a closer look at what happens when we cross our legs—specifically to the piriformis and the tensor fascia latae (TFL). In this episode of The Rebel MT , join Allison Denney as she compares the TFL to French cheese and the piriformis to a salty rope tethered to an anchor and unwraps how to unravel...

In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Doug Nelson shares how touch, like language, is a powerful form of communication. From verbal and somatic expression to the importance of presence and responsiveness, Doug explains how touch can say just as much as your voice. Host : Douglas Nelson is Board Certified in Massage Therapy and Therapeutic Bodywork, beginning his career in massage therapy in 1977. ...

Small business owners are often asked to donate money, time, and skills to various events and causes. Business or Pressure host Allisa Haines walks through the factors to consider before you commit to giving your work away.   Resources : Chris Widlund Owner, CranioSacral practitioner at Stillpoint in VT https://www.stillpointvt.com/   Host: Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and busi...

What even is mobility? Host Allison Denney is so glad you asked! Join Denney on this episode of The Rebel MT to hang out with Neo, follow the white rabbit, take the red pill, and uncover the matrix that is mobility. Pro tip—thinking about green lines of numbers and equations surrounding your clients' joints makes it way more fun. Host Bio :         Contact Allison Denney:  rebelmt@abmp.com        ...

Decisions are often made with emotion. In this episode of Business or Pressure , Allissa Haines presents some questions to ask yourself to help make better decisions in your business. Resources : Nanci Newton: Owner of The Healing ZONE Therapeutic Massage in western Massachusetts. www.thehealingzonemassage.com   Pan-Mass Challenge https://www.pmc.org/volunteer/massage   Host: Allissa Haines is a p...

In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Darren and Kristin are joined by Allison Denney to discuss the challenges of navigating today's digital landscape, where content is abundant but not always trustworthy. Allison explains why people are quick to trust influencers, how to develop discernment online, and the dangers of misleading pain-relief claims.   Resources:   Allison Denney is a certified mas...

Having your business finances together can have a positive impact on every part of your life. Allissa considers the balance of structure and freedom in money management. Resources : Megan Belanger, Owner of One River Massage Therapy in Massachusetts https://onerivermassage.com/   Under Your Skin cartoons https://onerivermassage.com/category/under-your-skin/   A Liberated Mind, Steven C. Hayes, PhD...

A massage therapist wonders about the communicability of herpes from lesions on the sacrum: How might this infection spread from one person to another? "I Have a Client Who . . ." host Ruth Werner takes the opportunity to talk about herpes epidemiology, communicability, and asymptomatic viral shedding. You won't want to miss this one!   Resources :   ABMP Education Center: https://www.abmp.com/lea...

Massage therapists love the subscapularis and for good reason. It's often intensely tense, overly sensitive, or simply too ticklish or tender to touch. But when we can access it, we can work wonders. In this episode of The Rebel MT, Allison explores our techniques for working with the subscapularis and explains how upregulating this powerful muscle can change everything. Host Bio :         Contact...