Peer Supervision for Massage Therapists

Peer supervision is a fairly new concept for the massage profession. Supervision is not the kind of supervision that most think of - someone telling you what to do. Supervision comes from the psychology profession where psychologists and counselors are required to engage in supervision with a more experienced therapist to help them to deal with issues that arise in their practice or in their lives that affect their practice.

Peer supervision for the massage profession is a group of massage therapists (peers) that get together on a regular basis (usually once a month or once every 3 weeks or as needed) to provide support for whatever comes up in practicing massage. It can be used by self employed massage therapists or massage employees.

It isn't about getting someone to tell you what to do. It is about becoming more aware of the feelings that you have under various circumstances that come up in the general practice of massage and bodywork. Things like why/how do you help others and what is the real need behind the need to help or charging what you are worth and why it is difficult to enforce a cancellation policy. It is learning to become more confident in yourself so that you can do the things that you need to do to be successful.

The main premise of peer supervision groups is "No fixing, no saving, no setting each other straight". That phrase comes from something called the Circle of Trust developed by Parker Palmer.When massage therapists hear that they wonder what will they talk about then? The main objective is to just listen to each other and to let each other know that you have heard them. When people feel heard and understood, they usually can find their own answers to whatever they are dealing with.

The way a group works is the group sets the guidelines for meeting. A group is usually at least 3 people but not more than 8 people. Each meeting each participant asks for time based on their needs. While it is impossible to always allow everyone to talk, when one person talks the other people listening are usually the ones who actually get the most out of it. Many things that are talked about are common experiences.

Individual supervision sessions can also be helpful. The one on one situation may be needed when a massage therapist is faced with more stress than usual or they want to enhance their practice even more than just using the peer group setting.

I also offer one on one supervision session in person in the Seattle area or by phone or Skype as necessary for $120 per hour session. You can read more about me. I also offer email supervision with unlimited email contact for a month for $120 per month. Please contact me with your questions and to set up appointments or email help.

I also offer a peer supervision kit that is a manual to help you set up a peer group of your own. If you are in the Seattle area, you can come into my office with the group of people you intend to start a group with and I will help you set up the group and learn to actively listen. I can also come as needed to facilitate the group as needed for an additional fee.If you are not in the Seattle area, we can set up Skype Group phone calls to do the same.

I am also leading a few groups in the Seattle area from my downtown Seattle office that you can read more about on my clinic website at www.massageseattle.net

Please contact me for more information.

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