Just as a licensing jurisdiction can suspend or revoke a license because the licensee broke a law, a certifying agency can suspend or revoke a certification if standards and rules are in place and the holder violates those standards or rules.

Unfortunately, even if it is your day off and it’s nobody’s business, your professionalism could be evaluated based on off-duty appearance and behavior. This is not particularly fair but it is a fact of life. The up side of this is that you are your own walking advertisement. What you want to convey is all in your hands.

The author recalls a trip to Mexico in which she and a co-worker stumbled into a nightclub after an all day fishing trip, looking like something the cat dragged in and maybe laughing a bit too loud. Before the evening was over they had spotted not one but two separate clients.

Clothing says a lot about professionalism. For example, if providing massages to surfers, dressing for the beach should still have a professional tone, even if it is volunteer work. A sexy bathing suit would be inappropriate. Of course, even though others may be “letting it all hang out,” to use a sixties expression meaning without restraint, it is wise for the massage professional to maintain a higher standard. By the way, this is not suggesting that certain clothing has to be worn. White coats, for example, some would find hot and cumbersome and impossible to work in. Nor is a medical type setting required.

Notice how people who have been in the industry a while have gravitated to a theme. The author remembers a previous business and the individuals who worked there: Nancy liked the mystical aspect of massage. She had a collection of crystals and was strong on energy work. Liz was a seasoned bodybuilder whose knowledge and connections to the bodybuilding industry fed her business. Nick was a vegetarian who was also a distributor of natural supplements and did a therapy that has never been taught in a regular massage school. Cathy, a former nurse, gravitated to a strict medical theme. It was the best group the author had ever worked with. Each person had their own interpretation of massage and could still blend into other areas. We often took medical referrals and people like Nancy, with her mystical theme, never let it conflict with her responsibility to the doctor or patient. Therefore, in an industry such as this there is a lot of room for creativity as long as it is seasoned with appropriateness.

Massage has come a long way. The therapist’s behavior maintains this progress. When dealing with other professional, such as doctors, therapists should behave so as to continue to merit this respect. But the industry should also expect to be treated with such dignity by other professions. If this attitude is not forthcoming, the therapist may need to educate the other professional. In no circumstances should the therapist suffer disparagement of the massage or bodywork industry.

It has been the author’s experience never to prejudge or judge a person. It is usually surprising, in a most pleasant way, to discover what the person is really like after you get to know them. A therapist can get a lot of mileage from treating a client with respect, dignity and worth. Not being judged gives the client an opportunity to make a good impression, something they may not feel inclined to do if treated indifferently or badly. It makes them loyal and more connected to the therapist. A side benefit is the therapist can feel better for doing it, and is less likely to be too self-critical.

Imagine a physician mistreating a patient in such a way as to make them feel hurt or insulted. It is not likely to happen. The words “bedside manner” were not coined for nothing. The doctor is a person who had many years of college, medical school, internship and specialization. They hold the patient’s safety in their hands….and yet…they keep their bedside manner in check (If they’re smart).

The author was speaking with a friend the other day about a doctor the friend was planning to return to even though the doctor had done a botched job. “Then why go back to him!” I demanded. “Because I like him, he makes me feel comfortable and he’s a good guy,” she replied. Amazing!