What Matters
September 22, 2026 Author: Renée
I've spent the entirety of my 17 years as a massage therapist learning how to touch people safely. Beyond massage school, the continuing education I have sought has focused as much on populations and pathologies as on techniques. Proper technique is really important–when providing manual lymphatic drainage, for example. And when working with a frozen shoulder or a stiff neck, knowing the anatomy of the region is paramount. It keeps the client safe, and improves efficacy tremendously.
But what my heart and my hands tell me, day in and day out, is that what matters just as much as what I do is how I do it. How gently I approach a person who is hurting and scared to be touched. How delicately I draw out the information that I need to know in order to keep them safe, while protecting and preserving their dignity and privacy. How I explain to them, gently and patiently, the approach that I think will provide them with the results they are hoping for, while encouraging their feedback about how that plan will be implemented. How I obtain ongoing informed consent, ensuring that my client is present with me and not dissociating. All of these are just as important to being an excellent massage therapist as knowing the anatomy and the techniques. It doesn't matter how much I know or how good I am at what I do, if my client does not feel safe in the receiving.
