Receiving feedback from our clients is probably the most important means to become a better Thai Massage therapist. As it is, we can get two types of feedback of a given massage treatment session: after the session and during the session.
Feedback after a Thai Massage Session
As massage therapists we should urge our clients to give feedback or ask questions in the days after a session. In addition, if a client doesn’t give feedback by themselves within a few days, it’s good practice to contact them and ask after their experiences and the treatment results.
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If a client follows a Thai Massage treatment plan and has recurring treatments with you, it also makes sense to again perform a brief Intake Assessment when they return.
This renewed assessment will naturally have more focus on the results of the previous session, the possible lifestyle changes the client embarked on, and the exercises (if any were prescribed) the client did at home. Moreover, the results of the assessment may give us reasons to adjust our treatment plan.
Typically, therapists will also maintain a client log in which they note the client’s feedback, new observations, adjustments to their treatment plan, and the client’s progress in relation to their health complaints.
Feedback during a Thai Massage Session
Another moment we receive feedback is during a massage session. For instance, we can see the changes in the client’s facial expression — they speak more than a thousand words. We listen to the sounds they utter — sighing, breathing, moaning, whimpering, sometimes even crying or screaming. We notice their movements — pulling away, tensing up or — by contrast — opening up, softening, relaxing.
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We listen to the questions they ask and answer them. We sense the atmosphere of the session. With some clients long forgotten memories resurface, which may give us valuable information to understand the root cause(s) of their health condition.
Over time, we get better and better. We listen sharper, see quicker, feel more. Yet, we always need to stay alert, because each new client is unique, every body is different. Our increased knowledge and experience shouldn’t become a wall of ignorance. On the contrary, the more we know, the more experienced we are, the more we should focus on this special person with their unique abilities and disabilities.
You see, feedback from our clients and processing it seriously gives Thai Massage practitioners this great opportunity to grow and embrace, to take care, to support people, to secure and to be sure. To become a master of art.
