Is it best to specialise or have a variety of treatments?

[swingwig]

I am wondering if its better to specialise or to have a offer of treatments?

 

[Emilie Bennett]

I like to have a variety of treatments or I would get bored doing the same things all the time.

Fro the perspective of the cleint, a lot of people are coming for releif from a condition/situation, so that is probalby what they are focused on rather than what technique/process is used...what do you think ?

tigress

 

[Appevoikifece]

I've had clients ask if reflexology is "all" I do and others who thinks it's good to specialise because they don't see how you can do several different treatments as well as each other. In fact reflexology is not all I do, but that's another story.

So I guess the answer is yes.

 

[Charlie Wonka]

I think it's good to train in different treatments that complement each other.

Foir instance, a client may have a half hour neck, back and shoulder massage followed by a reflexology treatment.

Or sometimes, during an aromatherapy treatment, I may work on one or two reflex points during the foot massage. I also make an essential oil blend in lotion for the foot massage after reflexology.

So I can mix and match as appropriate.

 

[Fido]

I think it depends on the type of therapy. For example, I think it's healthy for massage therapists to offer a range of different types of massage and reflexology or for a hypnotherapist to be trained in NLP and EFT. However, I feel that when a therapist offers a very diverse range of therapies it shows they are the jack of all trades and master of none or that they have failed to build a business in any of them individually which makes me wonder how good they are in any of their chosen fields.

Example: A therapist based not a million miles from me offers hypnotherapy, NLP, EFT, Theta DNA Healing, Reiki, Reflexology, Indian Head Massage, Swedish Back Massage, Crystal Healing, Ear Candling, Bowen Technique and Kinesiology. I also know for a fact that she works full time in an insurance company and that her therapies are only a few hours per week despite the vast range that she offers. I get the feeling that each time she has failed to get a therapy business off the ground, she has merely added more therapies to "spread her bets" rather than excel in her therapy(ies) and learn how to market it/them correctly.

I also think that the more diverse your therapies, the harder it is to focus your advertising. I used to own a multi-practice centre which I gave up on as my therapists were very good in their fields as therapists but didn't have a clue how to advertise themselves and expected me to find all their clients (except one of them). When I switched to being a hypnotherapy/nlp centre only and the advertising became more focussed, as well as my overheads going down, the income went up dramatically.

 

[Georgina]

Hi SH,

I agree with Bannick with regards to becoming a jack of all trades and a master of none. I think in our profession it's easy to become carried away !!

I think part of the problem (and i've seen it again and again with therapists I know) is that Therapist A, attends a course, or offers a treatment, that Therapist B doesn't !! Therapist B thinks perhaps she might be missing out, and before you know it does the same course !!!

Specialising can mean different things ..... either in one or two therapies, or in a particular set of disorders. I practice Reflexology and Auricular Acupuncture. I have my Hypnotherapy exam in two weeks and am also learning counselling.

Much of my work is in sub-fertility & hormonal disorders, assisted ART (IVF, IUI) etc. Needless to say stress levels can run very high in my clients. My work up to this point, using Reflex and Acupuncture has been fantastic ... and my clients and I have achieved some great results. The addition of Hypnotherapy will take it to a new level, I hope !!! The point is I guess, I chose to do Hypnotherapy and Counselling to complement what I do already. Benefiting both my clients and my business.

Meridianmoon xx

 

[MommaYoga]

Another one that agrees with Bannick - it depends on the therapy. I think a range of various bodywork techniques can work for someone that does a form of bodywork (eg massage, IHM, reflexology, etc) and some techniques, you need something else, otherwise you start doing a non-standard way of doing treatments and still calling it by the traditional name because you're not trained in anything else (eg some people are very happy to have an IHM practice that is just done in a normal chair, when it starts being done on a couch it's getting a long way from what IHM is, people only trained in IHM seem to want to call it IHM still, people trained in another style of massage as well as IHM seem to be happy to call it a normal massage that includes some IHM techniques, similarly to how some massage therapists will do a short reflexology course, just to get some basic techniques that will enhance their foot massage).

Someone offering herbal medicine and massage you've got to wonder a bit what they are good at, someone that offers hypnotherapy and colon hydrotherapy you have to wonder about, there's got to be a bit of a sensible link (nutrition and colon hydrotherapy, you could understand).

Meridianmoon's way of deciding on the target market and getting the techniques to support that market is another way of doing it. You can be a one stop shop for a specialised market with a variety of techniques, trying to be a one stop shop for the general public is where you come across as a jack of all trades. A target market is a great way of getting clients, you just have to find them. eg a hypnotherapist/nutritionist that specialised in weight loss makes more sense than a hypnotherapist/nutritionist that speciallised in gambling issues (though there is probably a link, it's not a commonly associated combination). Which is what tigress said, clients are after a treatment for a condition, not a technique.

I started doing hot stone massage MANY years ago, no-one had heard of it, I'd say for the first 5 years the only people that made bookings were other therapists that were trying to decide if they wanted to train in it because they'd heard of it, it was only when the photos started appearing in magazines and any spa segment on a travel show on tv showed it that I had members of the general public making enquiries, and even then for a long time, it was mainly people buying gift certificates for someone rather than people ringing up and asking for a stone treatment. I've usually shifted people over to stone treatments after they've booked in for a massage and I will say 'stones would help with your xyz, do you want to try that next time?' I'll also add I am in a fairly religious right wing area and there is a lot of fear about stone massage! So it's probably not a good specialisation for this area, another point to consider!

Added: continuing education is VERY important - you need it, even if the course is not that good, networking with other people on the course is usually valuable. View continuing education as a way to enhance what you are doing, not a new speciality to add to what you do. You might decide that what you've learnt is so wonderful you want to specialise in it, but it should take more than one continuing education course to specialise in another technique....

 

[KAL]

Hi Spiritual Happiness

It's always a good idea to specialise AND have a range of treatments if that's what you want to do.

The most important thing is what you want so if you want to learn new treatments go ahead, but if the idea fills you with stress maybe leave it for now.

I always recommend therapist clients specialise, not in terms of the treatments offered but in terms of cleint base and problems solved. Target these people and offer them solutions to their main problems. This targetted approach is a successful way to build your practise.

That way if you learn new treatments, you continue to promote them to your client base and use them to attrract more of your target audience to you.

I hope that helps

In love, light and abundance x x x

 

[eutopia]

Hi ya

Very interesting thread as is it advantagous to specialise or not? After quite a few years in practising a variety of complementary therapies, I now specialise in Oriental Massage Therapies, and teaching Tai Chi & Qi Gong. It's all body and energy work based around the principles of Oriental Medicine. To understand Tai Chi for example, is understanding living, moving, breathing of the human anatomy. This then reflects into massage by looking at the body as a series of energy lines, muscles and fascia, that stretch across the entire body. Call it a matrix if you like. Studying therapies has helped my Tai Chi by understanding physiology and pathology, which may have a bearing on the students movement.

What I'm trying to say is that becoming a specialist, I've actually become a generalist. I treat more people by focusing on the techniques that resonants with me and my clients.

I do agree that there does seem to be a few jack of all trades types out there. If a therapist was advertising Hypnotherapy, Hopi Ear Candles, and Pedicure, I wouldn't go to them. But if it was Ayurveda, Thai Yoga Massage, and Indian Head Massage - that would be fine because of the similiar paradigms involved.

Cheers

RP

 

[Mearbonou]

Yes I am now doing more colonic and less massage etc.

When I finish my nutrition course next year I would prefer to focus on colonics and nutrition as both go hand in hand.

Getting to old to do heavy duty bodywork now, my old bones and muscles need a break!!

Patchouli

 

[Lisa G]

I know what you mean Patchouli about back breaking bodywork. I'm OK for quite a few more years, but as I get older I will probably train in Cranial Sacral Therapy or Acupuncture.

Cheers

Reiki Pixie

 

[ScreamEmoGirl!]

I also think that, for many of us, we evolve and develop our interest in CH and I know for myself I wish I had done this years ago.

But, I am a great believer in things coming to you when you are ready for it.

When I develop more in the colonic/nutrition side at least I know I can still always do the odd massage and reflex etc if needed.

Patchouli

 

[Ell. Ohh. Vee. Ee. <3]

Hi there everyone. This is a subject that has resonated with me recently. I became a Reiki healer nearly 11 years ago and was quite happy to do that for the next five years before feeling ready to do the Master/teacher course. That was three years ago. I was happy doing this for the next year and didn't feel drawn to any other therapy. Then I read the book 'Adventures in EFT' and was thrilled when I read a chapter towards the end of the book which said Reiki was a therapy that went well with EFT!! I then trained to become an EFT practitioner which I love and have now done for over 2 years.
I have no inclination to train to do anything else at the moment but I feel a bit under pressure as other colleagues have gone on to add a few more therapies to their list. I do look through courses but do not feel there is anything that I am drawn to so I suppose being a master of 'two' sits better with me than a 'jack of all trades'!

Love and light

reikiangel

xxx

 

[jevo25]

Overall I think it is probably better to specialise in a therapy, as it is very easy to fragment your time and energy. Having said that I have not really done this myself as I have quite an enquiring mind and I like to learn new things and follow where my interests take me. I have seen massage therapists skilled in a variety of massage treatments. I have also seen aromatherapists that cross over to herbal medicine - there is a logical link there - and vibrational medicine (i.e. flower remedies).

However, you have to be quite practical about these things and I have found that I can no longer do the number of aromatherapy massages daily that I did say 15 years ago. It is for this reason that I specifically trained in skills such as counselling, past life regression and astrology all of which do not involve a great deal of physical input (mental and emotional - yes), and I have always felt drawn to them.

I think it is also a personality thing too - some people are incredibly focused, driven and single minded and would possibly succeed at any task. Also action seems to follow thought and there is also I believe a right time for things, if things seem to work go with it and see where it leads you. I don't think you can be too prescriptive.



Luv Binah
x

 

[»Letter Fr?m /-\ Thief »]

I trained in what I cal 'traditional holistics - massage, IHM, hot stones, Hopi, Reflex, Reiki. I always wanted to specialise in reflexology and in fertility and pregnancy treatments and I have tailored my 'range' to include specialist courses in maternity reflexology for example. I need the others to keep my income going - for example most of my new (i.e. not referred or through specific maternity related advertising) clients come for a swedish massage and I can swiftly convert them to hot stones and reflexology because I am passionate about them, but if they hadn't come for the standard massage they wouldn't have come for the reflex, imo.

It was whilst doing the sub-fertility work in particular I began to look for something to help from the inside-out i.e a talking therapy to change the way my clients felt about their problems and Theta was perfect. I went on the ocurse with the intention of using it with sub-fertile couples and that is still the plan but I was aware commercially how may other problems it could help with. And of course commercially its much higher value than the holistics and personally I much prefer the work, and it is easier on the body compared to massage! My interest is such I'm looking into NLP and councelling but have to rein myself in financially!

80% of my work is reflexology which was my aim, but its still a nice break to do the odd IHM or hot stone, or even easier - a Hopi!

I do agree with Bannick about perceptions - I offer a lot and I have new marketing ideas all the time and I am guilty of when one thing doesn't work - on to the next. I am coming up to my 1yr in business anniversary and my new yr resolution is to be a bit more focussed - and start spending some money on advertising!

So in summary I think commercially it can help to have a range - and expand off on tangents but try and keep them related, unless you do find yourself going off down a path - maybe its meant to be?

Helen

 

[Donnleigel]

When you specialise, you will be better able to
speak the language of your target market.

You'll know more about their frustrations and
doubts, and therefore be better able to "meet"
them where they're at, and lead them to your
services.

Another benefit is that people will generally
perceive you as more of an expert when you
are specialised. And people will gravitate to
experts more so than general-therapists.

Just some food for thought.

 

[LowkeyedOne]

this post was from last July!!!