The ABMP Podcast | Speaking With the Massage & Bodywork Profession

As a massage therapist, few things are more disheartening than hearing a client say their symptoms have returned. How should you approach this situation, and where do you begin? In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Doug Nelson invites us to explore new perspectives and shares four key reasons he believes are at the heart of recurring symptoms. Host: Douglas Nelson is Board Certified in Massage Th...

Inertia in business is powerful. Business or Pressure host Allissa Haines talks through how to embrace change to improve your next year in business. Host: Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and business owner and columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. You can find her building a community of massage therapists at deepbreathdigital.com/community .   Author links:   Website:  www.d...

A clear, ongoing written agreement of expectations is a great way to improve accountability and be a professional in every situation. Business or Pressure host Allissa Haines walks through some ideas and examples to gain clarity in collaborations.  Resources: Sakinah Irizarry, Disparity in Healthcare:  https://www.2rmtsandamic.com/episodes/episode/df97a7bf/the-disparity-in-healthcare-with-guest-sa...

A client with Marfan's syndrome, a connective tissue disorder with dysfunctional collagen, has had multiple surgeries for a traumatic accident, and their scar tissue is restricting their ease of movement. Their massage therapist is concerned about how best to help them regain function. When I have questions about scar tissue, I go to the Scar Tissue Diva, Cathy Ryan. In this episode we discuss the...

Learning anatomy is hard. There's a lot of Latin, some funny names, and a LOT of categories. It's kind of like a Game of Thrones book. But getting a grasp on it all might be a little easier if we lean into the in-between spaces. In this last episode of the year, Allison invites you to look at learning anatomy differently. Channel your inner Ponyo. And don't stop trying.    Host Bio:            Con...

Host Allissa Haines shares her plans to increase client numbers with old school methods like signage and referrals to tackling the tedium of SEO and website updates. Host: Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and business owner and columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. You can find her building a community of massage therapists at deepbreathdigital.com/community .   Author links:...

Being client centered means we always make choices and act with the best interests and well-being of our clients. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast, Cindy Williams covers a variety of examples of client centeredness as a reminder of how we can bring this core ethical principle into our professional practices.   Host Bio:            After earning a degree in Sociology from Indiana University in 1...

Join Kristin Coverly as she asks massage therapy and bodywork experts Allison Denney and Dr. Joe Muscolino "What lesson did you learn from a memorable client experience?" and "How do you recognize and celebrate your victories?" Hear their responses on this episode of The ABMP Podcast and gain inspiration you can immediately apply to your personal and professional lives!   Host Bio:            Kris...

The new year is a great time to make changes in your massage business. Host Allissa Haines works through the variables and options for change to make your business better, with less pressure.   Host: Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and business owner and columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. You can find her building a community of massage therapists at deepbreathdigital.com/...

A client has a history of a very unusual and somewhat alarming condition: pyoderma gangrenosum. Can massage therapy be applied in this situation? Probably yes, but in specific circumstances. Listen to this episode of "I Have a Client Who . . ." to learn more and to hear host Ruth Werner get on one of her favorite soapboxes: the language of massage therapy.   Host Bio:                     Ruth Wern...

The temporomandibular joint may be infamous for its disorder, but it is its complexity that lends us the ability to chew, grind, talk, and even to elevate a bland statement to an iconic moment of genius. In this episode of The Rebel MT , Allison takes a closer look at the incredible jaw, reflects on how understanding it better will boost our confidence with our work here, and hopes that we can exp...

It's wonderful to have loyal clients, but it can be tough balancing your loyal clients with other clients. Business or Pressure host Allissa Haines talks through ways to manage a sustainable schedule while keeping your most loyal clients well-served. Resources: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/the-wirecutter-show-podcast/ How to better serve your Neurodovergent clients: https://www.massageandbod...

In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , host Whitney Lowe dives into the challenges of measuring educational outcomes in massage therapy training programs. He explores why simply tracking clock hours doesn't equate to quality education and highlights the advantages of a competency-based learning approach. Tune in to learn how this shift can lead to better training outcomes and more skilled massage t...

Poor communication habits can wreck your reputation. Business or Pressure host Allissa Haines works through a listener's recent frustrations about scheduling an appointment and lays out the steps for better communication with potential clients. Host: Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and business owner and columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. You can find her building a commun...

A client had a complex surgical procedure on her heart two weeks prior, but it was conducted by way of a catheter threaded up her femoral artery and aorta. Now, she wants to receive massage again. A quick Google search suggests that it would be OK. Her MT is skeptical and wants to be more conservative. Who is right? Listen on for information about transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) surg...

Tennis elbow is a pain in the elbow when there is too much tennis-ing. And if it were that simple, life would be easy. Unfortunately, it never is, especially when it comes to anatomy. Join The Rebel MT host Allison Denney as she discloses not only her inability to play tennis but also her ability to know what is going on for a lot of people who play a lot of tennis. Host:                   Contact...

It can be easy to feel insulted by clients who ask for discounts, arrive late, or use the term "masseuse." Business or Pressure host Allissa Haines walks through the policies and scripts to take the feelings out of these perceived slights. Host:   Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and business owner and columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. You can find her building a community...

As massage therapists, we spend a lot of time mastering anatomy—learning specialized vocabulary and the locations of muscles, bones, and nerves in the body. We can take our anatomy understanding even deeper by looking not just at where our client's anatomy lives but also how their anatomy relates to each other: tissue relationships. In this third and final episode of the three-part series "Your Pr...

The Ayurvedic approach to exercise suggests nasal breathing instead of mouth breathing during exercise to replace exercise stress with a chemistry of composure and calm. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Angie and Darren are joined by renowned Ayurvedic educator, Dr. John Douillard, to discuss what efficient breathing is and how to achieve it, why CO2 plays a role in nasal breathing, and how n...

A spending freeze can help reorganize and add intention to business finances. In this episode of Business or Pressure , Allissa talks through the steps to customize a spending freeze for your business. Host:   Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and business owner and columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. You can find her building a community of massage therapists at deepbreathdi...

A client has hereditary hemochromatosis, which has affected their hip and toes. It is bad enough that they are considering joint replacement. In the meantime, they would like to receive massage for hip pain. Oh, and there's this tiny little issue about having recent strokes. What is going on? How can iron overload cause joint damage, and is it involved in strokes too? Is bodywork even possible in...

Migraines wreak havoc. Maybe massage therapists could be more helpful if we could massage the brain. But we can't. In the meantime, understanding what we've learned about migraines is a helpful trick. Buckle up for some brain speak, anatomy definitions, and Latin roots. It's going to be a bumpy ride on this episode of The Rebel MT with host Allison Denny. Host:                Contact Allison Denne...

Allissa talks through a few smart money moves for a strong financial foundation. Host:   Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and business owner and columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. You can find her building a community of massage therapists at deepbreathdigital.com/community   Author links:   Website:  www.deepbreathdigital.com/community   Instagram: https://www.instagram.co...

Admitting that you don't know can be one of your biggest strengths as a therapist. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Doug Nelson talks about not mistaking confidence for competence, what exactly true confidence looks like, and how tenacity and curiosity both play a big role as a massage therapist.   Host:   Douglas Nelson is Board Certified in Massage Therapy and Therapeutic Bodywork, beginnin...

Clients come to us with ingrained patterns, habits, and routines that they want and need to change so they feel less tension and pain. In order to create that change, we support them by identifying the pattern(s) and educating them on more effective and efficient movement patterns. Essentially, they are learning something new. By applying three aspects of how the brain learns—attention, emotion, a...