Ticklish Clients

[Guess]

Hello Friends,

I have just started on my Indian Head Massage Diploma training, and I'm just getting to grips with the massage routine.

Like all good students, I'm practicing like crazy and my confidence is growing steadily.

So here's the thing: - I gave my husband his first Indian Head Massage a week ago and he was amazingly ticklish. Now my husband is a man of generous proportions so I initially thought that I just needed to apply more pressure. This solved the problem when I was massaging his upper back and arms.

But when it came to working on his shoulder and neck muscles he was nigh impossible! In the end, I just told him to take a deep breath whenever he felt ticklish and we were able to complete his shoulders and neck this way. Fortunately his face (he's got a beard so I did initially dread it!) and head posed no problems and he enjoyed the experience in the end.

We talked about his reactions after the massage and we concluded that it's because I'm his wife!! I'm going to give him another IHM later this week, and I expect it to be a lot better (for me!)

But it has made me think - what about clients who are just naturally ticklish? Or would they just not present themselves for massage? How should I overcome any future ticklish clients?

I look forward to hearing of your own experiences and suggestions.

Love and light.

Y xx

 

[NeverMind888]

i have always been told that when somewhere is ticklish you apply a little more pressure.... I am sure your tutor will have some tips on this too
Best of luck in your studies x

 

[Rhianna]

some people are beyond help - my 8yr old daughter starts laughing the second I lay hands on her - I thought that more pressure would help but it didnt, I was using nearly as much pressure as I do for my Husband and she was still laughing and wriggling. She was exactly the same when a friend of mine massaged her.

I did wonder if it was because she didnt actually like being massaged but she does and is always asking for a massage. I just ignore her now and massage where she is not wriggling

 

[Sarahlol]

I had a client for a full body massage and she dozed off. I started on her feet and she immediately woke up with a shrill of a laugh. She scared me to death!
I did her feet so quickly because she just couldn't stop laughing!

 

[fubujor]

I think any therapy is difficult when you know the person well. My wife is a hopeless case for me as a hypnotherapist unless I don't tell her that I am hypnotising her and just explain that I am "helping her with a relaxing visualisation".

The problem with practicing on someone who knew you before you were a therapist is that they see you as the person, not the therapist.

A few weeks ago I started treating the daughter of another hypnotherapist (and I've treated other hypnotherapists) and like her mother said when she booked her in "well, she hears her mothers voice, not the therapists voice".

I would guess the problem is similar with any therapy, including massage and I would assume the person would make an effort to excert more control over any tcklish tendencies when with a therapist they don't know. Having said that, if anyone touches my feet they will probably be kicked in the face and that reaction is completely involuntary!

 

[ariel]

Hello Friends,

Thanks for your feedback, it's been really useful. Beautystudent, I will definitely raise it with my tutor when I'm next in class.

I think it's as Bannick says - My husband knows me so well and probably needs to adjust to seeing me as his therapist.

Thanks again - I knew you'd all have great stuff to contribute!!

Love and light.

Y xx