A Perfect Match
You know when you have found the right therapist.
It’s in the connection that you begin to feel from your first contact with them, either by phone, email or perhaps when you walked into their establishment. With each interaction you feel comfortable, welcomed, valued, listened to, and understood. The massage addresses your concerns and you leave feeling so much better than when you came in.
But how do you find this perfect therapist in the first place? It seems that there are thousands of therapists in Portland alone. But how many are going to be a good match for you? And where do you even begin your search?
The number one best way, is to ask your friends and family. Do you know someone who has had a similar problem that you are facing? Ask them who they went to for help and what their results were. Do you have other trusted health care providers that you have received care from? They may have a connection with a great therapist that they could recommend. There’s nothing better than a referral. Heck, you could even ask your Facebook or other social networking community for suggestions, if you are so inclined.
If you don’t have luck with referrals you can search online. The obvious: Google, Yahoo, and craigslist. City Search and Yelp have the added benefit of reviews and ratings. When you are searching this way, you may want to be a little more thorough in getting to know the therapist, even before you come in for your appointment. Of course you want to ask the logistical questions such as location, price and types of massage offered, but here are some other questions you might try to get a better sense of who you are scheduling with.
Why did you decide to become a massage therapist?
How long have you been practicing massage?
What are your favorite types of clients to work with?
What kind of results do your clients experience?
How often do you get massage?
What other things do you do to take care of yourself?
If you have a particular concern you would like to address, be sure to ask what his or her experience has been, either personally or working with others, with similar conditions.
I would love to hear from you. Where do you go to search when you need to find a new therapist? What has worked best for you?
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