Aftercare doesn’t mean after thought. And yet, this is very much the impression I’m left with, having recently assessed students taking their final practical exams. Client aftercare was tacked on at the end of the session because it’s on the syllabus, a GCMT (General Council for Massage Therapy) requirement. But shouldn’t we be offering more than the advice to ‘drink lots of water because the massage will have released toxins and you should flush them out’?
Why do aftercare? I’ve had many a massage, and been left to get dressed and pay on the way out. It’s as if someone said hello to me but forgot to say goodbye. Aftercare balances the initial consultation, and re-establishes the relationship that was set up while asking why the person wants a massage, taking a medical history, and so on.
Holistic massage claims that title on the grounds that it suits the individual and her massage needs within the context of her whole life. The first part of the session invites these factors into the room and good aftercare enables the client to take something away with her, other than the feeling of wellbeing or relief from pain, something that she can take into her everyday life and use there. Andrea, manager of an IT company, tells me how much she appreciates being able to slow down when she has massage. I write ‘slow down’ on a post-it to put on her bathroom mirror to remind her.
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