Hello, and welcome to my new blog. I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself and explain why and how I can be Your Massage Advocate.
For years, I have been in search of the “right” massage therapist for me both at home and abroad. I have found suitable massage therapists locally, but for some reason or another, the client/therapist relationship ended. In my search, I have asked myself, “How could my experiences benefit other therapists as well as our clients?” The answer finally came to me: I can be the advocate for practitioners and for clients. I can help them choose the right therapist/client arrangement for the right reasons.
I am not using this page to get more massage clients for myself. The purpose of this page is twofold:
- to educate the public on massage therapy and to give them a reference and guidance on where to go and what to expect from a good and decent massage, and
- to educate massage therapists in order to help them be better therapists and to improve their own practice.
So, who is Terri Freed? And how can I be Your Massage Advocate?
I, myself, am a massage therapist. I have been a body worker since the late 1980’s. Back then there was no certification for massage therapy and anyone could put out a shingle. And that’s what I did; I put out a shingle that had my name on it and the title “Massage Practitioner.”
At that time I mainly did energy work. I also was an aerobics instructor doing freelance classes for senior citizen groups and working at one of the top fitness centers in Baltimore. Having received massages, both energy and muscle work, from a massage practitioner and chiropractic work, I had a heightened sense of body awareness. I was feeling my hands being drawn to my client’s tight muscles that needed to be loosened. My kinesiology skills were not enough for me to feel that I was doing effective enough work for these clients. This prompted me to go to massage school.
I graduated from the Baltimore School of Massage in 1992 and began working as a massage practitioner fulltime in October of 1992. I phased myself away from being an aerobics instructor, but not before producing a Comcast Cable television program called “SilverTone” – an exercise program for senior citizens and people in rehab – and used my personal trainer certification to enhance my effectiveness as a body worker.
In 1994, I began taking classes in CranioSacral and Neuromuscular Therapies. Presently, I am still taking CranioSacral and other manual therapy courses as well as being a teacher’s assistant to enhance my effectiveness as a therapist. I give you all this background to make you aware of why I continue to search for the right therapist for me. I know what I want, and I will continue to search until I find the right fit for what my body needs at the present moment. And I can do the same for you.
Why am I qualified to be Your Massage Advocate?
I have:
- been working in massage related therapies since 1987 (for over 30 years).
- been getting massages on a regular basis since 1986 (for over 30 years).
- owned and managed a successful full-time massage practice since 1992 (for over 25 years) .
I understand the importance of quality massage work, which includes,
- the expertise of the therapist,
- the professionalism of the therapist,
- the cleanliness of the therapist and
- the therapeutic environment
I also understand the diversity of the clients.
- Terri has studied a multitude of modalities to assist each client with their personal needs.
I get massages from many different therapists and practitioners locally and around the country on a biweekly basis, as well as other healthcare, preventive treatments in-between my massages.
I interview therapists from whom I get a massage, and I often bring a guest who likes a completely different type of massage in order to get a different perspective on a particular therapist.
I come from the perspective of a more medical and clinical, therapeutic massage that some have compared to physical therapy.
The courses that I attend often times have a large number of participants who are physical therapists. I serve as a teacher assistant for many of these classes, to help improve and expand my skills and capacity as a massage therapist.
The content of my Your Massage Advocate blogs that follow – on a weekly basis – will vary, covering a variety of topics including:
- Explanations of the various massage modalities
- Reviews of massages that I have received
- Best places to look for and get specific types of therapy
- Questions and answers from you, my blog readers.
I look forward to being Your Massage Advocate.
