Laurie Craig
Free
Massage Therapy Expert
Laurie Craig Quick Facts
- Main Areas
- Massage Therapy
- Career Focus
- Business Owner, Massage Instructor
- Affiliation
- Georgia Massage School
Laurie Craig, the American Massage Conference 2011 Educator of the Year award and the 2007 recipient of the prestigious Jerome Perlinski American Massage Therapy Association National Teacher of the Year award, is a respected health science educator and co-founder of the Georgia Massage School in Suwanee, Georgia. She brings more than 20 years of experience as a massage therapist to the school, combining her unique teaching skills with a comedic edge that students remember and embrace years after experiencing her classes. Her credentials also include serving as a subject matter expert for the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards and the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. For more details, please visit www.georgiamassageschool.com.
Articles by this expert
SelfGrowth articles and saved writing connected to this expert.
Article
Choosing a Massage School: a How-to Guide
Choosing the right massage school is an important consideration on your path to becoming a massage therapist. Throughout your massage therapy program, you will be taught a variety of massage therapy techniques, ranging from Swedish, deep tissue, orthopedic, cross fiber, and neuromuscular. You will also be introduced to other elements of massage therapy that will have a lasting impact on your career as a massage therapist, including ethics, massage equipment and tools, anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology.
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Preparing for a Massage Interview - What Every Massage Therapist Should Know and Ask
Before you can start working as a massage therapist, you have to perform a massage interview to get the job, and interviewing for a massage position is quite different than most other interview processes. For many massage therapists, the first job they hold directly out of massage school is for a chiropractor, or a spa / salon owner instead of working as an independent contractor, and it's important to know what to ask in order to accept the right position.
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The Importance of Networking for Massage Therapists
Networking is important in any professional field, and massage therapists should be prepared to begin 'massage networking' almost immediately after graduating from massage school in order to get leads for jobs, professional advancement, and new clients.
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Massage Therapists: Marketing and Building Your Practice
When you graduate from massage school and pass your certification exams, you are finally ready to join other massage therapists out in the world of spas, chiropractors' offices, cruise ships, or in your very own practice. But as a novice, you need to make a name for yourself with effective marketing practices. As a beginner, it can be confusing to understand best practices about marketing and massage, but if you follow some tried and true methods, you will be able to maintain integrity while most effectively promoting your practice. Traditional Marketing for Massage
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Tips for Massage Therapists to Provide Massage Therapy to Special Needs Clients
Massage therapists often work with clients who have physical and mental disabilities, and they should be prepared to identify potential contraindications in order to best provide massage therapy to this population. Often, special needs clients may not disclose medical ailments or their need for accommodation until they arrive for the appointment, so it is up to massage therapists to be well educated about situations when it is, and when it is not appropriate to provide massage therapy services. Special Needs
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Tips for Massage Therapists on Avoiding Massage Burnout and Career Fatigue
It is an exciting journey for massage therapists to go to and graduate from school, pass licensing exams, and start working. But for some massage therapists, work can become overwhelming over time and they may experience massage "burnout". This can cause some therapists to abandon their career due to fatigue and frustration. While this is infrequent, it is important to adopt some healthy habits in order to stay well and love your career year after year!
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Why It's Important for Massage Therapists to Choose a Specialty
When massage therapists finish school and begin working, they might not immediately think of developing their skills for a niche market - after all, massage school is just the beginning, and you learn some of your most invaluable skills on the job! While most massage therapists focus on perfecting their Swedish and deep-tissue skills before moving on to advanced modalities, it is always a good idea to continue to think about how you want to develop your massage career. This way, you can take the classes and training necessary to develop your specialty early on.
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Addressing Your Massage Clients' Needs
Aside from effective massage techniques, one of the most important aspects to giving a good massage is to understand and address your massage client's needs. By fully understanding your client's issues, problem areas, and preferred treatment methods, you can be well prepared to address a number of the unique client-specific issues that you will encounter during your career as a massage therapist and will ready you for consistently giving a good massage. Conduct an Interview
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Common Mistakes Massage Therapists Make
For massage therapists, from experts to novices, it is sometimes easy to forget some very basic procedures and massage techniques for keeping yourself healthy, your business profitable, and your clients happy. By avoiding these common massage mistakes, and remembering to maintain posture, focus, and a high level of customer respect and service, your practice can thrive. Massage Mistakes Made by Beginners and Professionals
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