Shadowing Practice: Massage Tutorial: Talking to Clients On the Massage Table - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

C1
- Hi, I'm Ian Harvey, massage therapist.
⏸ Paused
70 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
- Hi, I'm Ian Harvey, massage therapist.
2
Today we're going to talk about how to talk to your client on the table, why we would want to do this, what the circumstances would be where it would be appropriate and why it can be useful.
3
This is something that I started to do when I was working at one of those big box massage franchises and we only had ten minutes between clients.
4
You had your 50 minutes, your 10 minutes, and then your next client slammed all together and that wasn't a lot of time to do anything like say hello or even introduce yourself.
5
So what I started to do was take some of the things that I would put after the massage or before the massage during the massage, during the session, and I found that there were some benefits to that, some benefits to educating the client about their own body while they're on the table that you just can't get by trying to, you know, jam a whole lot of information after the massage when there's no teaching aids.
6
And I know you could have a chart on the wall but there's nothing like talking to your client about their muscles while you've got your thumbs sunk into an interesting point.
7
For instance, while you're working on a client's rotator cuff you can tell them what the heck a rotator cuff is.
8
Most people don't know that their rotator cuff is a group of muscles because no one ever explains that.
9
It just sounds like a cuff.
10
By taking a moment to explain what you're doing and why you're doing it, that can bring the client more in touch with their own body, kind of gives them an idea about what's going on in an area that may have been mysterious or even scary, if they've been hurt there.
11
It also brings them on board with your treatment plan and with your reasoning.
12
If we stay opaque and it's difficult for a client to tell why we're doing what we're doing, sometimes it can seem like we're wasting their time.
13
They don't know why we're working back here when they've got pain up here.
14
They don't know why we're interested in their hips when the pain is in their low back.
15
So by giving them this extra information by showing them with our hands that there can be a correlation between these two points, we can bring them on board with why we're doing what they're doing.
16
And that can have some interesting results.
17
First of all, it can increase their satisfaction as a massage client by knowing what we're doing and why we're doing it it can make them feel like they're a partner in their treatment, which is how I always want it to seem.
18
Second, by bringing them on board, that can increase their compliance with homework and by bringing them on board with our thinking like this that can be more effective than just saying go stretch or go use a foam roller.
19
We're telling them the why of it.
20
By telling them a little bit extra, that can be enough to make them think, hey, this might be worth doing more of.
21
Now, a big disclaimer, one thing that I don't wanna do while I'm working on a client and they're kind of at my mercy, this person is here, they're trusting you with their body, what I don't want is to stigmatize them.
22
I don't want to talk to them or frame things in such a way that they leave with a complex or with new worries about their body.
23
So, I talk about this in my knot video, the reason why I don't really like that term is because people can kind of carry it around with them for the rest of their lives.
24
Oh, I have knots.
25
So when you're telling them what you're feeling, make sure to frame it in a way that is accepting and normalizing.
26
And contrast that with, wow, you've got the tightest shoulders ever.
27
That's not what I wanna tell my client.
28
Some people like hearing things like that because they think of it as a competition but, for other people, that will make them worried, that will be something that they think about for a long time.
29
So when I talk to people about their body, especially while I'm in contact with it, realize that that is a vulnerable moment, that that is a time of trust, and I want to give them a window into their body without making it seem scary or weird.
30
And, on that note, just realize that it is possible to overload a client with information.
31
I don't want to be explaining things or talking about things for any more than a few minutes in any given session, especially if they're not responding.
32
If the client isn't asking questions, if they're not interested, then I will absolutely revert back to silence and just go about the massage.
33
But if the client is interested, if they've got specific disfunction or pain that they're very interested in learning more about, then I'll happily spend more time than that.
34
Just realize that you don't need to spend your entire 60 minutes doing this.
35
Let your client lead the way, as far as how much talking is going to happen during any given session.
36
Here's some examples of some things I might talk to the client about during a massage.
37
For instance, if I'm working with a client who has shoulder problems, they've got shoulder pain, they've got limited range of motion, while I'm working with this rotator cuff, I will take the opportunity to tell them a little bit about it.
38
Now, Aly, do you feel anything there?
39
- [Ali] Yep.
40
- Okay, so sometimes I can be as non-specific as that but sometimes I have to let people know what I mean by that.
41
In any case, once I have learned that they are feeling something in this area I'll tell them a little about it.
42
So, this is one of your four rotator cuff muscles.
43
This one turns your arm outward.
44
It's called the infraspinatus.
45
And just in the past, I've seen a lot of correlation between tightness here and pain on the front of the shoulder.
46
So this is something that I'd like to work a little bit more with as we go forward.
47
And once I've just given them that little bit of information, I can stop there or I can tell them a little bit more about these other muscles and how they are related.
48
Some other areas where it can be useful to talk to your client about their own body is where there's a relationship between dysfunction and pain that they might not immediately find intuitive.
49
So if someone tells me about their low back and they've given me permission to work with their hips, I'll let them know that what I'm sinking into right now is the gluteus maximus and there can frequently be a relationship between tightness here and tightness and pain in the low back.
50
So as I'm working, let me know if you ever feel any referred pain into this other area, okay?
51
- [Aly] Okay.
52
- And it can also be useful when you're working with areas that might not commonly be worked by other massage therapists.
53
So if I'm working with this hip region and I come around to the side and I'm making contact with gluteus medius, it can be useful to let them know why this area can be a little bit more intense, a little bit more sensitive.
54
And just let them know what you're working on.
55
And I like to throw out a little bit of information when I'm working with or planning to work with unusual muscles.
56
So again, these are areas that other massage therapists might not necessarily work with, but these are also muscles that can be a little bit emotional.
57
Muscles that can be kind of intense.
58
So I like to, one, let them know more about their own body, but two, this is also important for getting informed consent.
59
By letting them know where I'm working and why, they're better able to say, I don't want contact there.
60
For instance, if I am working with someone's jaw and I think that it might be important to work with their SCM as well, I like to let them know a little bit about that.
61
Aly, I'd like to work with a muscle on the front of your neck, it's this ropy guy right here.
62
This can feel a little bit weird but if it feels at all like choking or anything like that, please let me know, okay?
63
- Okay. - All right.
64
All right, so that's how I go about it.
65
Let me know what you think down in the comments.
66
Let me know if you do much talking during a session and how you go about it.
67
Let me know if you're planning on trying any of this and if you've got any concerns about doing so.
68
Thanks, as always, to my Patreon supporters.
69
Consider subscribing and I'll see you next time.
70
(ukulele music)

Download App

AI scoring for every sentence you speak

Scan To Download
Scan To Download
Download on theApp Store
Get it onGoogle Play
TRENDING

Popular

Why practice speaking with this video?

Engaging with the video "Massage Tutorial: Talking to Clients On the Massage Table" provides an excellent opportunity to practice speaking in a real-world context. In this video, the speaker Ian Harvey, a massage therapist, emphasizes the importance of effective communication with clients during a massage. This context is valuable for English learners as it showcases not only vocabulary related to anatomy and massage but also how to convey complex information in an accessible way.

One of the primary benefits of practicing with this video is gaining insights into how to explain concepts clearly and empathetically. As Ian discusses different aspects of working with clients, learners can observe how he tailors his speech based on his clients' reactions and interest levels. This adaptability is a vital skill in any conversational setting, making this video an excellent resource for those wishing to improve English pronunciation and fluency while discussing specialized topics.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

The speaker uses several grammatical structures and expressions that are particularly informative for English learners. Here are a few examples:

  • Conditional sentences: "If the client isn't asking questions, if they're not interested, then I will absolutely revert back to silence." This structure teaches how to express conditions clearly.
  • Present progressive tense: "I'm working with a client who has shoulder problems." This form is commonly used to describe ongoing actions, essential for effective communication.
  • Imperatives: "Let me know if you ever feel any referred pain." This can be an effective way of inviting conversation and making requests during discussions.
  • Providing explanations: "This is one of your four rotator cuff muscles." Notice how the speaker introduces information, which can serve as a model for learners to follow in presenting facts.

Practicing these structures can enhance your conversational skills, especially within specific contexts. Try incorporating these patterns into your own shadow speech exercises on a shadowing site!

Common Pronunciation Traps

While engaging with the video, English learners might encounter certain pronunciation challenges:

  • Technical terms: Words like "rotator cuff" and "infraspinatus" may be difficult for non-native speakers. Practicing these terms through shadow speech can build confidence and mastery.
  • Emotionally charged vocabulary: The phrasing "tightest shoulders ever" may prompt varying emotional responses. Understanding the subtleties of such expressions can lead to more nuanced speaking.
  • Contractions and reductions: Ian often uses contractions, such as "I'm" instead of "I am." This informal speech is commonly used in everyday conversations, making it essential for learners to practice in order to sound more natural.

By focusing on these pronunciation traps, you can better align your speech patterns with common conversational practices. Use the video as a guide to learn English with YouTube effectively, enhancing both your vocabulary and pronunciation skills.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

☕ Buy us a coffee