InTouch

Recent economic times and the resulting consumer belt tightening have challenged all of us to identify and focus on untapped opportunities. For instance, a current consumer trend is to move the entertaining hub back home...

August is traditionally the big vacation month. For families, it's the month to get away with the kids before they go back to school. With continued uncertainty about the economy, however, a "staycation" is the popular new way to get that much needed break...

If you're thinking about billing insurance for massage therapy sessions, you may be wondering "Where Do I Start?" The answer may depend on your current skills and licensure. As a start to bill insurance you need to be proficient at SOAP note charting and have an understanding of the intricacies of medical massage (for example, knowledge of muscle origins, insertions and actions, Orthopedic Assessment, myofascial release and neuromuscular therapy)...

We're hearing from more and more massage therapists who are extending their service offering to include body treatments, in particular wraps and scrubs. This trend has been growing steadily over the past two years in response to clients' increasing awareness of the benefits of these treatments to aid healing and hydrating...

Green tea has long been known for its antioxidants that help protect the body from the damaging effects of free radicals. It is now being promoted to clients in skin care as beauty is not skin deep... it's all the way to the cell...

Any plans for the summer? If you haven't already booked something, here's an idea. Why not explore some of America's historic hotels. Many of them are both spa resorts and hotels so you not only can relax, you also have an opportunity to find out about new special spa treatments that you may want to incorporate into your own service offering...

I have always been invested in improving the value of my services by fine tuning my client's experience. In the last year it has become my priority to ensure client retention by increasing the relevance of their sessions. To be relevant is to provide meaningful services that meet your client's needs when they need them the most...

The community spirit is never stronger than on the 4th of July. My neighborhood has a number of events planned and I will try to participate in some of them, and where possible, take my dogs along. They are pretty patriotic pups and love the crowds and the chance to meet some other canine pals. Be careful if your community has fireworks and you have pets. The noise can really frighten them...

Recently I attended The Alliance for Massage Therapy Education's first annual conference in Park City, Utah. While there I attended a workshop presented by Kevin Pierce to discuss the Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge...

In case you did not know it, this week is National Men's Health Week. The purpose is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. So it's no coincidence the week is celebrated leading up to Father's Day - after all, keeping dads healthy both in mind and body is what we all want...

How many times have we heard a client say, "I would love it if I could get my...(husband, son, dad) to try this." Usually one of the things that keeps these men out of the treatment room is fear of the unknown. My solution is the buddy system, which allows me to service two people in the same room, at the same time...

Are you incorporating the changing seasons into your spa's ambiance and decor? Many spas do and it can be a great boon to marketing - not to mention customer satisfaction. June, for example, is a perfect time for a sunny, hint of the tropics makeover to brighten clients' spirits. It's not hard to do. For starters, you can easily enhance the look and feel of your spa by placing flowers in brightly colored vases throughout...