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January 23, 2006

Meeting A New Peer

I am meeting a new massage therapist in my community today. Apparently, we share several clients. I believe it is important for massage therapists to have good relationships within their own community even though they may be competing for clients.

First, no one person can be everything for their clients. Often, other therapists have techniques that may be more helpful for a particular client and referring them out is taking care of the client.

Second, on rare occasions, personality conflicts arise or boundary issues get in the way of the therapeutic process. It is the responsibility of the therapist to take the high road and refer this client to a therapist who may better suit the clients' needs.

Finally, a peer had to relocate a couple of years ago. She had created a network of therapists with a variety of skills. When she relocated she was able to match clients with therapists based upon their needs and personalities. I still have several regular clients from this therapist.

Posted by linda at January 23, 2006 8:00 AM