Challenges and Good News for Massage Therapists
It seems that every day there are new challenges for massage therapists in Arkansas and in the country as a whole. The news has been a bit frightening! And yet, as you work on your clients and feel the stress and tension in their muscles and fascia slowly dissolve, you know you’re helping to counterbalance those external stresses.
First the Challenges
The challenges are numerous. Just this month, we saw the murders in Georgia of eight people in three spas. Most of the victims were female, MTs, and of Asian descent. This was terrifying to behold for anyone, particularly for therapists who are women and/or Asian. The perpetrator said he had a “sexual addiction” and wanted to eliminate his “temptations”. No one should have to be victimized by someone who has mental health problems, easy access to guns, and thinks he’s on some sort of self-righteous guilt crusade!
Another negative story affecting bodyworkers this past week is about the 16 lawsuits alleging sexual assault by a Houston Texans quarterback. Most of the lawsuits come from MTs who claim that he inappropriately touched them, exposed himself, or demanded illicit acts during bodywork sessions. Although the alleged perpetrator has not yet had his day in court, it’s certain that massage therapists have enough to take care of without having to deal with this kind of degenerate behavior!
Considering that massage therapists are doing their best to help their clients, manage their finances, and care for their families during a pandemic, it’s not surprising that many therapists have left the profession. The recent events certainly don’t help. This is on top of the fact that the supply of therapists (and schools) has gone down relative to the demand for good bodyworkers for the last ten years or more.
In Arkansas, massage schools have felt the pinch of the pandemic and these unfortunate trends, too. Moreover, the HB1440 bill that was introduced into the state legislature recently seeks to allow newbie MT students to get A&P and other academic training using online methods, while getting their hands-on training through a spa or clinic.
This bill might make recruiting easier for clinics and spas dealing with high turnover and an insufficient quantity of therapists. However, if this bill becomes law, it could be devastating to massage schools, which have gone through lots of bureaucratic hoops over the years to create a well-formed curriculum and provide training to help therapists to be successful.
Now for some Good News
Although the status of HB1440 is uncertain right now, two other bills were recently passed and signed into law that can actually help massage therapists, businesses, and contractors. Act 154 exempts Pandemic Unemployment compensation from state income taxes. And Act 248 provides income tax relief for recipients of PPP and other covid-related loan programs. This is great news for those therapists that chose to collect unemployment or borrow money through the government because of covid-related reasons.
The federal American Rescue Plan that was recently passed and signed into law adds more qualifying conditions for pandemic unemployment assistance. According to the AR Secretary of State, this could mean that if you were denied coverage before, you might be approved if you reapply. Also, this law forgives 2020 federal income taxes on up to $10,200 of unemployment benefits for individuals earning less than $150,000. And it greatly expands the child tax credit, which will help families everywhere.
Meanwhile, your clients continue to come in your doors, get on your table as you work your magic, and leave feeling so much better than when they came in. In a world of stress and fear, your work provides relief, relaxation, and revitalization as your clients are better able to deal with the stresses of life. For that, I honor and respect you!
Continuing to do this work that we all love is not only helpful to your clients, it’s helpful to you, too. Many therapists have told me that when they feel stressed, doing bodywork or Cranial-Sacral Therapy actually helps them to feel more grounded and in touch with what was important in life. There is even research that demonstrates how therapists benefit from their work through the release of feel-good hormones, such as serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. Maybe, we should be paying the clients!
What about you
That brings me to you – Are you taking the time to take care of yourself? To process the events of this past month and this past year with friends and family in a healthy way? To do the things that revitalize you? To de-stress every day in whatever way works for you?
It is so important to take care of you! It’s even more important than almost anything else you can do, because the better you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally, the better you will be able to care for your clients and your family. What’s something you can do today to de-stress? It’s helpful to write down a list of self-care actions that you know always help you feel better. That’s what I’ve done. And I check off which ones I accomplish every day. I guarantee that it feels good! Try it.
I’d love to hear your thoughts or feelings about these challenges And about the good news as well. And I’d love to hear your feedback on the Ray of Light Training online CEU classes, if you completed those. While you’re at it, schedule a massage for yourself with your favorite Direct-Indirect Technique or Cranial-Sacral Therapy therapist. You deserve it!
Stay well, stay safe, and stay in touch,
John Joseph Ray
Ray of Light Training
John J. Ray is a Board Approved Continuing Education Provider through the NCBTMB
Member of the Fascia Research Society