Gaining the Respect of Other Healthcare Providers
If you are a practising therapist, you are all too familiar with the jokes and misdemeanours about being a massage therapist.
I once met a man on a plane, who - bless his heart - said, "I have a real respect for massage therapy now! I used to think it was just, happy endings, until I received a real massage." Ummm... thank you?
Or - how about the fact that our profession is deemed non-essential during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Fortunately, our industry has come a long way and has earned the respect of other healthcare providers and clients alike, but it still has a long way to go.
One of my personal pet peeves is the general lack of awareness just how much education we have. People are shocked to learn that we know anatomy and physiology. Are you kidding me? Anyone who touches bodies for a living ought to know what lies under the skin. We know a lot more than a bunch of massage techniques.
My sincere hope is that Massage Student Pro is part of the journey in gaining international reverence for the profession of massage therapy.
How exactly will I accomplish that? I want MSP to play a critical role in the development of massage therapists' ability to critically think, and speak well. I think we need to first earn the respect of other healthcare providers, who will then be ambassadors for our profession. We need EVERY physiotherapist and doctor to be on board with our work. How do we do that? Play in the same playing field as them. Carry ourselves with the same professional disposition, demeanour, and intelligence. I acknowledge our schooling is far less intensive - but how you carry yourself is part of your personal brand. When we show to our colleagues that we are capable and get results; they will give us the respect that we deserve, and universal change will come.
What do you think?
