Scars

[Natalie Gorden]

Sorry i didn't know where to post this....hope it's in an ok place.
I want to trian as a holistic therapist but have an issue.....i used to self harm and have a great many scars on my forearms.
As most therapies use your hands as tools i just wanted to know i you think my arms would bother my clients?

This may seem a silly question, but it's on my mind so i thought i'd get it off my chest and then move on.

 

[Cristine joyce Cruz]

Hi SG

I know several therapists that have scars on their forearms due to previous self-harming. They just get on with it.

I understand what you mean about clients reactions. It doesn't matter want you do client can be bothered by all kinds of things. As male therapist, I have enquires from women wanting a treatment from a female therapist, which I happily do. It doesn't upset me, I have plenty of clients who don't care what I look like or my gender. A passionate, confident, and effective therapist will always get work.

It is amazing the silly comments I hear from clients. Yesterday a daughter of an elderly client expressed to me that she thought I was Ethopian. If you look at the Blue Lotus website below you can see I'm white caucasian (with some Russian/Asiatic blood in me, but also indigenous Cornish/English). I wasn't offended by this as someone with slightly darker skin (in the summer) and slim. This is an example of crap some clients dish out without thinking. It's just life.

If you really wish to do the holistic therapy course go for it!

Best Wishes

RP

 

[NoBodyyy]

Thank you so much RP. My scars have never bothered me, they're past of menow. It was a comment from an ex that put the question in my head. But i knew what he was up to (i left him due to abuse).
I'm most definately going to do the course. Starting with my A+P, i've found a provider and i'm applying asap.

Thank you again RP.
I really appreciate your kind words

Amy
xx

 

[Terry]

Hi Amy,

I personally wouldn't let it bother me if I was the "client" as I would wait until I'd had the treatment before determining if it was what I expected and whether it's done me good.

However, people will be people, full of their judgmental minds and you will no doubt get those who are bothered by it. Of course you can always look out for a clients reaction and be open and honest with them about it/talk to them about it. There's no need for you to justify anything to them, but if you can let them see that it is something from your past and you're now using your experience and training to help others after you have been able to help yourselves, then (certainly to me) that would be positive inspiritation.

If it concerns you at all, you could always wear long sleeves or some of that cover up make-up that I believe you can get (Don't ask me about make-up, I'm a bloke LOL! ), but that may not suit your therapy.

At the end of the day, if someone is that bothered they don't want to be treated by you then they're not the right client for you anyway. Let them go and take their judgements with them.

All Love and Reiki Hugs

 

[Pompal 09.]

I can understand where you are coming from with your concern. I do a lot of karate training and I seem to constantly have bruises on my forearms from blocking people's punches. When I first started training, I was really self-conscious about it and worried what my clients thought - I know I could explain that it was from karate and I wasn't being beaten up by anyone but I didn't see why I should have to explain plus I was only guessing what these people were actually thinking - no-one ever said anything to me.

I know bruises are only temporary and your scars aren't so it is slightly different but you shouldn't worry too much about what clients might be thinking. Like Energylz mentioned, you could wear longer sleeves if you are worried about it but I know this isn't always practical with massage - you could wear a long sleeve top while going through consultation and then once they are on the couch you can roll them up - they'll have their eyes closed by then so won't notice a thing.

I've had quite a number of clients who have self-harmed come to me for massage in the past - it might be something you could mention that you are knowledgeable about once you are qualified - many people who self-harm or have in the past are worried about massage therapists seeing their scars and can often put them off going for one in the first place so going to a therapist who has experience of it might be quite a comfort for them.

I wouldn't let it put you off training if it is something that you really want to do. It wouldn't put me off if i went for a massage and the therapist had scars all up their arms.

 

[barry g.]

My recommendation would be go have a treatment and see how much time, as a client, you can be bothered looking at the therapist's arms.
Most treatment rooms are not brightly lit, add most clients have their eyes closed most of the time, and think about how obvious your scars are, unless they are pointed out, compared with a big tattoo.
I have a HUGE, slightly keloid, scar that goes from behind one ear down to the front of my chest, I've short hair and don't bother to cover it up with make-up. The scar is over 10 years old, in all that time not a single person has bothered to ask about it; when I have pointed it out, (usually if someone says they are concerned about some scar, I'll say, "see how noticable this one is?") ALL have said 'I didn't notice that'.

 

[sienna]

Has anyone tried invicible for their scars?

 

[spicy]

I've used a many masseuse with scars. Usually from injuries, but they've never bothered me.