By: Massage Therapy Media
The profession of Massage Therapy has some of the greatest people in the world…I truly mean that. As a population we are caring, empathetic, patient-centered health and wellness providers that focus all of our attention on creating a safe, welcoming environment that garners trust and makes our patients feel empowered. I am so proud to be a part of this community and to be offering a service to the general public that is so important and needed. As wellness professionals we know that it is equally important to take care of ourselves in this profession because we cannot pour from an empty cup. One of the things I’ve come to realize in the last couple of years is that a human’s need for connection and support is one of the primary components of wellbeing. Isolation is a quiet villain when it comes to our mental health and growth as people and as therapists.
We work a lot in isolation. Yes of course we have our amazing patients but there can be little to no time to connect with the Massage community other than on social media which sadly can often be toxic. Our MTM team strives for community and one of our goals for 2022 was to expand the community. There are over 15,000 Massage Therapists in Ontario but that’s just one place! We should also be connecting with our colleagues across the provinces and internationally as well. There are so many fantastic therapists to connect with and learn from when you actually make a point to do so. We believe in leading by example so we decided to take our team on the road…errr up in the air.
In Spring of 2022, two members of our team went out to a conference in Saskatchewan. Massage Therapy Media hadn’t launched yet but we went with our MTM shirts on and met with some really passionate Massage Therapists from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The 2 days there were eye opening and we made some lasting connections. Those connections got us invited to the Canadian Massage and Manual Osteopathic Therapists Association (CMMOTA) Fall conference.
We had a booth on their trade show floor surrounded by continuing educators, product distributors, Canadian companies that manufacture equipment, insurance providers, and other businesses that are ancillary to our profession and help us to run our businesses smoothly. The energy on the trade show floor was palpable. The exhibitors were all visiting each other’s booths to learn the stories of the other companies, the educators were exchanging information so they could help to promote each other’s Continuing Education courses, and we were all, for that day, a team with one goal in mind. We were all there of course to promote our respective businesses, but more importantly we were there to connect with and support the hardworking RMTs who came out to the conference to learn. It really felt like there was no competition but rather a community of people asking “how can we support each other” and it was beautiful. You can get a little taste of the energy at that trade show here.
Conferences are a fantastic way to connect, get the education you need for your college and association requirements, and to reignite the passion for Massage Therapy. We all go through lulls in our life and in our career. It’s natural. Being surrounded by those who truly understand you, have common interests and goals, and share a like-minded approach to therapy is so powerful in reminding you why you do what you do. I cannot express in words how on fire and energized I am each time I leave a Massage conference. As you may know, Massage Therapy Media is producing the Canadian Massage Conference happening in a week at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North. We are shaking things up this year with the goal being to reignite you all and bring the Massage Therapy community together. We will also continue to travel to the other provinces to support the various associations with their conferences by bringing them to you on our industry news page. As a Canadian Massage Therapist, I was confused how I hadn’t heard of a National Association like CMMOTA until last year. Our hope is to continue to showcase and highlight all that is great in our profession and to continue to bring it to you! If you aren’t one to take a lot of continuing education throughout the year, in person conferences might just be for you! You can see a lot of variety with educators and learn a lot in just a couple of days. It’s really great for those who don’t want to sit into one course for multiple days. It also allows you more networking opportunities and a chance to learn about new businesses and SHOP!! Trade shows are the way to go when you want to try new products or stock up on old faves. Vendors almost always have the best deals at large conferences and it’s a perfect opportunity to save some cash.
I hope that you all get out there and check out all of the cool stuff that happens in our Massage Therapy community. We will keep as much coming to you as possible on our MTM platform especially in our Industry News section. In the meantime, use this platform to get the most out of the Massage Therapy profession.
Comments