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EXCERPT: KEEP Keep in mind that a yakking practitioner is a major complaint of clients. Keep your talking to a minimum and keep it focused on the client. Don't bring up subjects unrelated to the massage. DON'T ASK QUESTIONS OR TALK IN SUCH A WAY THAT CLIENTS HAVE TO THINK TO RESPOND TO YOU Even though you want to educate your clients, you don't want to engage peoples' brains with long explanations, speeches, or stories. Don't ask them questions that take thought (except very early on in the session before they are deeply relaxed), such as, "How many times have you hurt this foot?" You don't want to get them involved in left-brain activities, such as counting or analyzing. You can ask them questions that involve the right brain, such as questions about feelings or sensations: "How does this feel?" or "How is this pressure?" Any questions you ask clients who are in an altered state should be no-brainers or, at least, no-left brainers. KEEP INSTRUCTIONS SIMPLE To avoid getting people to think, you want to keep instructions simple. For example, some people have trouble distinguishing between right and left, and most people, when they are deeply relaxed, have to think to remember which is which. It can be helpful just to tap lightly on the appropriate side and say, "Would you turn over on this side, please?" SAY THE OBVIOUS It's surprising how effective it can be to simply say what seems obvious to you. "You seem to be having a hard time letting go of your right hand. It's been in a fist for much of the session." You don't have to make up fancy explanations or add interpretations. Sometimes just bringing a bodily habit or pattern to a client's awareness makes a big difference. USE IMAGES THAT CONVEY THE POSSIBILITY OF CHANGE You want to let clients know that they can get better, not give the idea they are stuck in an uncomfortable condition. As an example, rather than saying, "This shoulder is like concrete," you can say , "This shoulder joint seems to need more flexibility." Or if an area doesn't have much movement in it, don't say that it looks dead. You can say that it looks "quiet," "asleep," or "as if it wants to move." |
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