Touch, Talk and Texts

I am a Licensed Massage Therapist in Newport, Rhode Island where I have been practicing my trade in the area for decades! I feel most fortunate to do something I love and I am truly grateful for my longevity in the field. I am reflecting on how my practice has evolved, in particular how potential clients find me and communicate with me prior to scheduling a session.

After I graduated from the Bancroft School of Massage Therapy in Worcester, MA and obtained my State License I worked in a hair salon, health club and chiropractic center. The Hair Salon would do the advertising, I was in-house at the Health Club and the Chiropractor would schedule short sessions for his patients with me. It was a great way for me to start and I developed valuable skills for working with athletes, people recovering from injuries and for working with those who wanted to focus on stress reduction and relaxation. I learned so much! Eventually, I was offered a studio in the Chiropractic building and my business, Newport Wellness, was born.

In my early days, I had a few articles written about me in the local newspapers andI appeared on a local cable TV show. I taught some classes at the beloved, but now defunct Swinburne School that was on Pelham Street in Newport. I advertised in the telephone book at left my business cards at the local health food store. (I still do!) Eventually, the nature of how people reached me changed. It seems that texts and emails are the preferred way of communicating. The phone (now mobile) appears as to be a vehicle for telemarketers and seemingly endless spam calls.

In order for me to offer the best care to my clients, I require a preliminary screening. I learn from listening to one's voice and asking questions. It's imperative to know how to proceed if one is pregnant, living with a chronic illness has had a recent surgery or has been treated or is being treated for cancer or has other medical issues. It's necessary to know what to do and what NOT to do during an initial session.

Over the years I've had students from the local community college contact me about receiving a massage. It was a course requirement for them as the were taking a basic massage therapy course. As time passed I noticed I was receiving texts from students about scheduling. Getting calls back were frustrating. As an older practitioner, I welcome all ages (over eighteen) to my practice. I'm figuring out how to navigate the changing world of communication without compromising my ethics for the sake of convenience and at the same time, respecting other modalities of communication. I'm definitely not ready for YouTube or TikTok!