supporting you in your massage career – every step of the way
Professionalism & Boundary Skills
Why are professionalism and boundary skills so important?
Finding a way to display exemplary professional behaviour as a therapist
at all times, whilst not sacrificing our own personal sense of identity, is a
constant and delicate balancing act.
However, we do have to accept that unprofessional attitudes and behaviour,
and/or poor boundary skills, are the reason that many massage businesses
fail to thrive, regardless of how good a therapist's hands-on skills or marketing
abilities may be.
Do you:
- Have lots of clients who are habitually late or cancel at the last minute?
- Struggle with charging cancellation fees?
- Often say you will do something, and then decide not to after all?
If so, then it's time to look at your Professionalism and Boundary Skills.
The key skills behind behaving professionally and appropriately are:
Strong boundary skills: in the context of massage therapy, boundaries serve the purpose of indicating
what behavior and attitude is expected of both the massage therapist - and of the client. It is our
responsibility as therapists to always model the highest standards of appropriate behaviour, and in
this way we educate clients as to what is expected of them in return. Strong boundary skills enable
our clients feel safe, comfortable and relaxed at all times, and are at the heart of a busy, successful
massage practice.
Keeping commitments: being reliable, and always doing what we say we will, results in people
trusting us. Trust is a vital component of any business relationship, but particularly the client-therapist
relationship. Perhaps more than in any other profession - people are literally putting themselves in our
hands - clients have to like us and trust us to the highest degree in order to feel comfortable enough to
become regular clients.
Modelling good behaviour: over the years I have seen many therapists who think it is acceptable
to be late for appointments, regularly cancel clients with little or no warning, and are inconsistent
about their fee structure and cancellation policy. These same therapists then complain about having
clients who are always late, cancel at the last minute, complain about treatment prices and don't
want to pay cancellation fees ... Our own behaviour is mirrored back to us by our clients - we get
back what we give out. Displaying exemplary professional behaviour will always attract better quality
clients who are punctual, reliable, happy to pay full price for their treatment, and also their cancellation
fees. What kind of behaviour do you model to your clients?
A professional mindset: everything about the way we present ourselves, and how we
behave, will dictate the type and number of clients that we attract. We have to cultivate
the mindset that every little detail counts, and try and see ourselves as others do. The way
that clients perceive us - rightly or wrongly - will lead them to decide whether or not we are
the therapist for them. Appropriate appearance, reliability, punctuality, courtesy, and honesty
about the limits of our expertise and experience are all prerequisites for the successful therapist.
Would you like to improve your skills for success?
Book your mentoring session today!