What makes a great massage/charging too much

[Beautifiedmami]

God knows Stacey and I and I are not always on the same page, but I have to agree with every point of that multi-quote post (which I never have the patience to do!). Don't worry Dublin -- it really is possible to care deeply about the well-being of your clients, take excellent care of them, provide care for clients at all income levels, AND enjoy a very prosperous living while giving to the community in many ways, not just with free massages.

Thinking that MTs can be divided into Healers and Billers is a rookie mistake. And I don't mean that condescendingly -- I think most of us who go to the nice touchy-feely schools pick up that idea somewhere along the line. Honestly once you get out into the field you'll realize that there really are almost no *working* MTs who got into the field for the money. The work itself is physically and emotionally demanding, and if you are not committed to helping people, no amount of money will make those demands worthwhile. So the few who do think they'll make a killing without commitment, leave the field very quickly -- usually before they've made a dime, too, because they also tend to think that their businesses will magically grow themselves.

Despite the harshness of your post and the misconceptions you have about your future colleagues, I do hope you stick around the forum at least through graduation. You might not realize it now from the relative comfort of school, but soon enough people will be asking *you* "How can you live with yourself charging so much?", challenging your cancellation policy, trying to convert you to their religion during their appointments, etc -- and this forum, as well as peer supervision, can be invaluable at that time, to help keep your focus on helping people who will accept (and pay for) your help.

Hey you're in my state! Where are you going to school?


P.S. One other note about rates, esp. in WA -- sometimes the advertised rates here have been artificially inflated by the insurance companies. An LMP who bills insurance is paid only a perceneforum.xxxe of their "usual and customary" rate by the ins. co. So in order to collect a reasonable amount of money for insurance-billed services, they have to set the rate relatively high (say, $110/hr may collect only $65). And they can't charge cash clients the $65, because if the ins. co. finds out, the ins. co. will say, "Well, $65 is your usual rate. You must bill us that rate." And then the ins. co. pays -- a perceneforum.xxxe. (Say, $35.) Hope that clarifies why some rates look very high. (Although I support MTs charging as much as they need to.)

 

[Frank T]

The work itself is physically and emotionally demanding, and if you are not committed to helping people, no amount of money will make those demands worthwhile.

:iagree: Well said BJB-LMP!

... I do hope you stick around the forum at least through graduation. You might not realize it now from the relative comfort of school, but soon enough people will be asking *you* "How can you live with yourself charging so much?", challenging your cancellation policy, trying to convert you to their religion during their appointments, etc -- and this forum, as well as peer supervision, can be invaluable at that time, to help keep your focus on helping people who will accept (and pay for) your help.

I hope you stick around too, so you can get a chance to know all of us and we can get a chance to know you. Some of the MassagePlanetL members have been with me (emotionally) through some of the most difficult times of my life.
Believe me when I say, we really are an online Community.

 

[Deren]

And another thing!

Dublin, I'm going to put words in your mouth right now, so if this isn't how you feel/think, I apologize in advance.

Your posts about charging prices you find acceptable, and about giving away massage sessions, make me think about the assumption that a lot of massage students (and hopped-up marketers) have: that since everybody *deserves* a massage, everybody must *want* a massage, and that access and price must be the main barriers for those who don't get massage. I just haven't found these things to be true. In my experience, the main reasons people don't get massage are that they don't really understand what's involved, or they simply really don't want to (not ready for touch, pursuing other self-care or no self-care, etc). (Another small group have had massage and didn't like their MT.) So I don't think depressing the price will necessarily bring in the people you think it will.

 

[Susan L]

And another thing!

Dublin, I'm going to put words in your mouth right now, so if this isn't how you feel/think, I apologize in advance.

Your posts about charging prices you find acceptable, and about giving away massage sessions, make me think about the assumption that a lot of massage students (and hopped-up marketers) have: that since everybody *deserves* a massage, everybody must *want* a massage, and that access and price must be the main barriers for those who don't get massage. I just haven't found these things to be true. In my experience, the main reasons people don't get massage are that they don't really understand what's involved, or they simply really don't want to (not ready for touch, pursuing other self-care or no self-care, etc). (Another small group have had massage and didn't like their MT.) So I don't think depressing the price will necessarily bring in the people you think it will.

I have raised my prices twice since I started about 2.5 years ago. My clientel has changed drastically since I opened. I havent heard, "your prices are cheap." for a while. Someone today asked me if my rates were still the same.

I have heard some say when your appointment book is full it is time to raise the rates. Well... I have raised them, but I still am just as busy!

 

[www.envylacewigs.com]

I welcome Dublin as part of this forum as well, on one condition: that Dublin learns to post opinions without insulting others. Really, this forum is a place for people to disagree peacefully. There's no need to say any of the following (all quoted from Dublin's posts):

Looks like the type of members here are not the people i would choose to interact with on the web or in real life muchless recieve a massage from.

Its your own dumb fault if you give a free massage to a greedy natured person.

Some of the rates these bodyworkers charge for their work just outright sickens me.

Ending such posts with "Much love" doesn't remove the venom expressed in these statements.

I also want to respond to Dublin's "Dare" about giving away free massage. I'd like to assure Dublin that she isn't the first person to think of the notion of giving away free massage. Most massage therapists I know are generous people and they do give regularly. Some give discounted massage to those who can't afford to pay full-price. Some have formal programs where they give away a free massage each month, and accept nominations. Others give intermittent free massage to regular clients, as a "thank you" for their business. Others volunteer at special events (providing chair massage to foster mothers on Mother's Day; nurse's on Nurse's Day; cancer survivors at Relay for Life). Really, it's an old idea, not a new one, and there's no need to "Dare" anyone to do it, particularly members of this forum. If you spent true time here (months reading the conversations that take place) you would see the generosity of spirit shared among this group of practitioners. The fact that these same practitioners actually "make a living" as Massage Therapists doesn't cancel out their generosity.

Actually, many massage therapists will tell you that giving massage away is easy. For many of us, that comes naturally. It's what we always did before going to massage school, and since we tend to be helper personalities, our first instinct is to give. The challenge is to learn to receive as well. To become comfortable charging for our sevices, and create a business that supports us as well as our clients. To learn that we are worthy of receiving, and that a balance between giving & receiving is the healthiest relationship of all.