By Frank Merillat
Since this is a license renewal year for Florida and we have either completed or are planning to complete our CE requirements, a simple question occurs. How will this new knowledge and skills be added to my practice? Do I have a plan to work these learning’s into my massage sessions? Whether it is technique or linear information I need to find a way to put it to use or it will just disappear.
We all tend to be creatures of habit. When I go into a session with a client I want them to enjoy and find what is offered to be useful and beneficial. This often means I stick to the tried and true, in other words, what I know will work. This can make it difficult for me to try new things even if I was excited by the new information I picked up in my CEU class.
One of the things I try to do whenever I explore something new is make sure I work a piece of the new material into each session I do for several weeks after the class. I might explain to my client that I have learned some new ways to work with the body that they might find useful and are they willing to give it a try. Another way is to just try the technique and ask what the client thought about that. I can then explain why I thought it might be appropriate for this session. I have found over the years that most of my clients are open to new things if they are well explained and are appropriate for the situation.
This means that I have to be willing to engage my client in the process. Since I am a therapist who likes to engage and educate my client about the work that we do together, this can help them experience something new and also further their understanding of the body and how it works. It also allows me to get immediate feedback from my client about what I am doing. This allows me to effectively practice and adjust the new work until it becomes just another part of my bodywork repertoire.
So what is your plan to work the new learning into your practice? Do you have one? If I am not intentional about using what I am learning and am not willing to take a chance on something new, I will not grow. I may have missed an opportunity to deepen my practice. As someone who teaches the work I want you to put what you are learning into practice, try it and see if it fits for you.
Now if you have not already registered for or taken your required CEU classes, it would be a good idea to get it together. All CEUs have to be completed and reported to CEBroker before you can renew your license. Do not get caught short, have a plan and get signed up. As the deadline nears, classes may fill or be canceled leaving you without many options.
I have several classes scheduled you might want to explore. In July there is Getting Specific Shoulder on 7/20 and Getting Specific Neck on 7/21. In August there is Getting Specific Low Back on 8/17 and Playing With Feeling on 8/18. I will also be teaching two classes with Amanda Concha Holmes, Basics of Chair Massage on 8/24 and The Art of Presence on 8/25. Each of these listed classes offers 9 FL CEU credits and all offer an early registration discount. You can contact me directly for more information or to register via email fmerillat@mac.com or call 352 371-0743.
If my offerings are not to your interest, do check out the FSM website for many more options with quality instructors. It is wonderful to learn new things and grow!
