Massage: A Career At Your Fingertips, 5th Edition
Acknowledgements
Introduction: For the novice, for the massage or bodywork student, for the practitioner
Introduction to the Fourth Edition
Chapter 1: Is A Career In Massage For You? First item, money; second item, drive and motivation; third item, commitment; still interested?
Chapter 2: The Massage and Bodywork Field: Its Time Has Come What is massage, anyway? "Bodywork" and massage; definitions; recent growth of massage; factors involved; what does the future hold? People's barriers to massage.
Chapter 3: Current Professional and Political Issues What is at stake? Governmental regulation of massage; why regulate the practice? Why some oppose attempts to create regulation; licensing, certification, registration; a brief history of the National Certification Exam; suggestions for the future
Part II: Career Options, Strategies and Tactics
Chapter 4: Your Career in Massage Or Bodywork -- Let's Get Organized Common misconceptions; typical career paths; elements these career paths have in common; main causes of career failure; the golden keys to career success; make a commitment to strengthen your weaknesses
Chapter 5: Career Options in Massage Kinds of massage; types of clients; settings for the practice of massage; legal relationships
Chapter 6: Career Strategies Investigating the field; going to massage school; choose your approach: permanent part-time, cautious exploration, planned transition or total immersion; create a business plan and follow through
Chapter 7: Marketing Yourself as as
Massage Therapist
section one: preliminary
questions: Are you ready? How long do you expect
this to take? What's your plan? Sample business plan; create your business plan.
section two: nuts and bolts of marketing for massage and
bodywork:
Person-to-person techniques:
demonstration/lecture; free introductory massages; discounts to clients
for referrals; chamber of commerce; on-site promotions; join organizations.
Person-to-paper techniques: flyers and business cards;
direct mail advertising; yellow pages, newspaper coverage of you and your
practice, placing ads in newspapers.
Broadcast media; internet
marketing for massage; gift certificates as marketing tools; mutual marketing
opportunities; etherial marketing techniques; fostering repeat business; sources
for further information
Chapter 8 Opening A Massage
Office Governmental requirements: licensing laws;
zoning requirements; health department; police department and fire department
requriements; local business taxes.
Practical requirements:
assumed name certificate; business bank account; stationery, business cards and
other printing needs.
Business decisions: financial and
professional readiness; location; negotiating a lease; taking credit cards;
furnishing your office; telephone reception; caller ID.
Checklist
for office opening.
Opening a group practice.
Buying an existing
practice.
Part III: Sex, Gender and Touch
Chapter 9: Sex and Massage Section one: clients who want sexual massage; understanding the big picture; screening new clients; one therapist's story. Section two: therapists who have sexual feelings toward clients
Chapter 10: For Men Only The challenge for a male therapist; the male as pursuer
Chapter 11: Working With Survivors of Childhood Sexual or Physical Abuse Childhood abuse and the damage that results; the intake interview; during the massage; one survivor's experience with massage
Part IV: Business, Practical and Legal Information for the Practitioner
Chapter 12: Business Basics and Practice Pointers Steps you can take toward professionalism; what to expect from clients; pricing your services
Chapter 13: Ethics and Boundaries Fundamentals of ethics; confidentiality; integrity in your business practices; boundaries; dual relationships; power imbalance in the therapeutic relationship; romance and dating; supervision; transference and counter-transference
Chapter 14: Staying Healthy in a Demanding Field Tips from experienced professionals
Chapter 15: Laundry and Linens Hire a service vs. do it yourself; choosing a laundry service; finding suppliers of sheets and towels; choosing sheets and towels; tips for do-it-yourself launderers
Chapter 16: Professional
Associations -- Profiles
General membership
associations: American Massage Therapy Association; Associated Bodywork
and Massage Professionals; International Massage Association; International
Myomassethics Federation. Specialized membership organizations:
American Oriental Bodywork Therapy Association; American Polarity Therapy
Association; Association of Holistic Healing Centers; National Association of
Nurse Massage Therapists; volunteer opportunities for massage.
Chapter 17: Insurance Why buy insurance? Kinds of insurance available to the professional bodyworker: professional liability, business liability, casualty insurance, disability insurance, health insurance
Chapter 18: Laws You Should Know
About and State Regulation of Massage
Section one --
Laws You Should Know About: federal, state, county and local
governments; county and municipal professional licensing laws; other local
requirements; business licenses; zoning laws; local taxes; fictitious name
certificate; taxpayer ID number; business identitiy; contractual relationships.
Section Two -- State Laws Regarding Massage: Alabama,
Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, D.C., Florida, Georgia,
Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New
Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia,
Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin.
State Licensing
Chart
Chapter 19: Income Taxes The big picture; deductions are beautiful; what can I deduct? Business use vs. personal use; documenting deductions; schedule C; business use of your car; depreciation; estimated tax payments; hiring an accountant; getting further information
Chapter 20: Scientific Research on The Benefits of Massage Summaries of recent research studies by AMTA Foundation, National Institutes of Health and Touch Research Institute
Chapter 21: Reimbursement For Your Services by Insurance Companies Advantages and disadvantages; your role in the health care system; professional arrangements; one procedure for billing insurance companies; the battle of the forms; record-keeping for insurance clients
Chapter 22: Keeping Client and Financial Records Tax records, client records, records of business activity; sample forms
Chapter 23: Managing Your Money; Some Ideas on Financial Planning Savings; long-range planning; kinds of savings plans; tax-sheltered savings plans; kinds of retirement plans; IRA; SEP; Keogh
Part V: Sources of Equipment and Information
Massage tables and Chairs
Massage Supply Stores and
Catalogue Services
Miscellaneous items -- sheets, uniforms,
brochures, detergents, ointments, accessories, table selections
services
Record-Keeping and Insurance Billing
Services
Magazines, Newlsetters, Journals and Books
Part VI: Bodywork Organizations
and Trainings
64 modalities with
descriptions, where to study and contact information
Part VII:
How to Find and Choose A Massage School
Index
home page / reviews / state
laws / about the author / faq / ordering information /
links