Breakthrough Massage Academy

Confidence isn’t chased or wished for. It’s embodied. That’s why it’s uncomfortable to reach.

If you speak quickly ➡️ slow down
If you over explain ➡️ talk less
If you want to gain trust ➡️ listen more

Massage Therapy confidence comes from professionalism, ethics, and understanding.

Just because you graduated doesn’t mean you should seek massage CE certificates like stamps on a bingo card.

Here’s 3 ways “collecting certificates” can actually hold new massage therapists back →

Your CE should change more than your résumé. The disadvantage isn’t having certificates; but rather it’s approaching CE as certificate collecting instead of skill building.

1. Taking a course just to cram in your credits often comes from a rushed decision rather than a thoughtful one.
→ You end up choosing based on what fits the deadline instead of what would actually strengthen your treatments or practice.

2. Collecting techniques without enough time to integrate them can leave you knowing a little about a lot, but confident in very little.
→ Taking the course isn’t the same as becoming comfortable enough to use what you learned with real clients.

3. It can teach you to look for the next modality instead of developing the skills you already have.
→ New grads don’t always need more techniques. It’s more beneficial to gain more practice, better clinical reasoning, and a deeper understanding of when and why to use what they already know.

So, new massage grads, treat your CE’s as personal extensions of your practice instead of what’s cheapest, what’s shortest, or what “everyone else offers”.

SATURDAY STORY: So Apparently I Had to Tell People I Existed

Last Saturday I left you with 21-year-old me sitting in a massage room waiting for clients to magically appear.

Eventually I realized if they weren’t coming to me, I had to be brave enough to go to them. However, there was a problem and it was that I was painfully introverted, an over-thinker, and a perfectionist.

I remember in high school I could practice a speech for HOURS and still stand in front of a class of my peers, ( most of which my friends) and still tremble when I had to speak.

Now how was I supposed to walk up to complete strangers and convince them to book a massage with me? I hated the thought of future rejection.

So, I started small and actually HANDED OUT the business cards I’d paid for instead of letting them sit on my desk waiting to market themselves. I made brochures, postcards and flyers. None of them matched, they were a brand designers nightmare. I thought each massage service needed its own theme 😅

Then I decided I would take flyers to local schools for the teachers and started with one of my previous schools. I sat in my car for 10 minutes trying to convince myself to go inside. Eventually I did, and walked up to reception, stumbled through what I wanted to say, handed them my flyers and escaped back to my car to cry.

I was convinced I’d completely botched it. Looking back now, I wish I could sit beside that 21-year-old and say “Good for you! You were terrified and you went inside anyway.”

I decided talking to strangers was awful, so unfortunately my next marketing idea was considerably more expensive. Why not let a newspaper ad do it for me? I spent $400 and only got ONE phone call but zero clients. 😂

Eventually a few people did start finding me and those first few clients became gold. They came back, believed in me, and even told a few of THEIR people about me. Here’s where things began to change. I didn’t become an extrovert and I didn’t suddenly become good at marketing.

I just slowly became more willing to let people in on my journey.

When you first started a massage, did putting yourself out there, scare you?

Sign ups for Certified Cupping Therapist: Level 1 will be open next week!

👀Watch for my announcement when the link drops.

This class always sells out FAST!

October 17 & 18, Lethbridge, AB.

All registered therapists welcome, whether you’re new to cupping or looking for an updated refresher, new perspective, or advancing your client confidence.

There’s not point in sugar-coating it. This work IS different than a 9-5.

And sometimes it can flat-out suck.

And yet other times it’s the most rewarding and beautiful career. Both these things can be true. But they usually don’t exist in the same moment.

Continuing education is also meant to continue growing a community. If someone needs a lift this week, or just to simply know they’re not alone in this career, be sure to check in. Be kind. Say hi.

The work gets easier when we know others go through the same things too 🤍

2 therapists can offer the exact same service.

Let’s take a 60-minute therapeutic massage for example. It’s the same price, same treatment goal, and even the same clinic.

Their approaches can even be similar but clients will still strongly prefer one over the other because of trust, personality, communication, treatment style, presence, and how that therapist makes them feel.