The New Generation Massage Therapist

Jamie
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The Massage Therapist Development Initiative is a platform for Massage Therapists and other Manual Therapists to learn more about research and becoming a more evidence-based practitioner. This is an opportunity to not only create a positive change in our profession but also for other therapists to create better outcomes in their practice and with their patients. 

  1. FEB 4

    The 3 Types of Movement Every Massage Therapist Should Be Using

    "But Jamie, I’m not a personal trainer. I don’t even have a gym in my clinic!" If you’ve ever felt like movement-based therapy is "out of scope" or requires fancy equipment, this episode is for you. Many of us were taught that our value lies solely in what we do to a patient on the table. But when we rely only on passive techniques, we miss the most powerful tool for building long-term resilience: Movement. In this episode, we’re debunking the myth that you need a CSCS certification to use exercise in your practice. I’m breaking down three specific types of movement that fit perfectly within a massage therapy scope—tools that don't just provide temporary relief, but actually retrain the nervous system and prove to your patients that they aren't "broken." Inside the episode, we discuss: The "Passive Patient" Problem: Why technique-only thinking is a fast track to therapist burnout and patient dependency.Adapted Movements: How to use "closed-chain" tricks (like the table-corner rotation) to bypass fear-avoidance and restore range of motion instantly.Isometrics as Analgesics: The science of why a simple 10-second contraction can reduce pain systemically, not just locally.Mindful Movement for Homecare: Why Tai Chi and Yoga principles are more effective than standard PT for chronic back pain—and how to teach them using three simple principles.This Week’s Challenge: You don't need a gym; you just need a shift in perspective. Pick one of these three movement types—Adapted, Isometric, or Mindful—and incorporate it into a session this week. Notice the shift in your patient's confidence when they realize what they are actually capable of. Instagram: Follow me @themtdc and send me a DM to tell me which movement type you tried this week!

    19 min

  2. JAN 20

    Teach-Back: the single habit that boosts adherence and reduces burnout

    "I did the work, gave them the stretches, and they still came back two weeks later with no improvement." If that sounds familiar, you aren’t alone. Most massage therapists respond to "difficult" cases by chasing more certifications and better manual techniques. But what if the lack of progress has nothing to do with your hands, and everything to do with the gap between what you say and what your patient actually hears? In this episode, we’re breaking down why communication isn't a "soft skill"—it’s the most important hard skill in your toolkit. We dive into the research of the Therapeutic Alliance and why creating a sense of safety is the only way to get a patient's nervous system to allow real change. Inside the episode, we discuss: The "Fixer" vs. "Facilitator" mindset: Why playing the hero is a fast track to burnout.The Science of Safety: Why a patient’s perceived safety predicts outcomes better than your specific modality.The Teach-Back Technique: How this one simple habit eliminates the "shame gap" and ensures your patients actually follow through at home.The CONNECT Protocol: An introduction to the evidence-based framework that shifts patient motivation from "helpless" to "capable."This Week’s Challenge: Don't just listen—take action. Pick one patient this week and use the Teach-Back Technique during your home-care wrap-up. Notice the difference in clarity and how it shifts the responsibility from your hands to their health. Resources Mentioned: [Link to Webinar Sign Up]: If you'd like to join the live presentation to get the full breakdown of the CONNECT protocol and 8 other evidence-informed communication strategies.Instagram: Follow me @themtdc and tag me in your Teach-Back success stories!

    21 min

  3. JAN 6

    That "research anxiety" you feel isn't burnout—it's Allostasis in action

    Have you ever scrolled through social media, seen a post about "pain science" or "evidence-based practice," and felt an immediate surge of defensiveness? Like everything you spent thousands of dollars and years of school to learn was being called a lie? In this episode, we’re getting vulnerable about the professional "identity crisis" that many therapists face. I share my own journey from being a modality-driven therapist who wanted to "hammer muscles and tear shit up" to someone who felt personally attacked by the shift toward biopsychosocial care. We dive into the science of Allostasis—a concept that explains why your brain treats new research like a threat to your survival—and why your resistance isn't a character flaw, but a biological protection mechanism. In this episode, we discuss: The "Personal Attack" Phenomenon: Why learning new science can feel like your $30,000 education was a waste.Homeostasis vs. Allostasis: A deep dive into how our nervous systems anticipate stress and protect our professional identities.The Power of Social Support: How finding a community of like-minded peers is the "secret sauce" to overcoming clinical burnout and resistance.The Myth of Starting Over: Why moving toward evidence-based practice doesn't mean throwing away your hands-on skills, but rather understanding why they actually work.Compassion in Clinical Discourse: Applying my mom’s favorite advice—"It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it"—to how we talk to colleagues and patients.If you’ve ever felt like the "pain science" world was the "tone police," or if you're struggling to bridge the gap between your manual skills and new research, this episode is for you. You aren't broken, you aren't behind, and your brain is just doing its job. “Your nervous system is protecting you from what it perceives as a threat. You don’t have to throw everything away; you just get to add to what you already know.”Connect with the Community: If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear your story. Send me a message for a no-pressure chat about your journey, or share this episode with a colleague who might be feeling the "allostatic load" of our changing industry.

    14 min

  4. 12/09/2025

    How Massage Therapists achieve better treatment outcomes without worrying about overstepping their scope

    Are you a massage therapist who feels in over your head or finds yourself avoiding crucial conversations about mental health with your patients? You don't have to keep feeling that way. In this powerful episode, we tackle the reality that your patients often carry more than just physical pain. We introduce a systematic and compassionate approach to navigating mental health discussions right in your treatment room—a method that is designed to build trust, honour professional boundaries, and significantly improve patient outcomes. This isn't about becoming a counsellor. It's about becoming a better massage therapist—one who is equipped to hold space for the whole person, not just their physical issues. Learn how to: Confidently approach sensitive mental health topics.Become the therapist patients trust with their whole health journey.Protect yourself from burnout so you can sustain your work for years to come.Ready to level up your practice? Find out more about the Mental Health First Aid course—a training specifically designed to equip you for these crucial conversations. The next live course is happening on December 14th! Join the waitlist now using the link in the show notes for early access before enrollment opens to the public. Because the patients who need you most are the ones carrying the deepest burdens. Equip yourself to meet them where they are. Click HERE to sign up on the waitlist Research paper reference: Taccolini Manzoni, A. C., Bastos de Oliveira, N. T., Nunes Cabral, C. M., & Aquaroni Ricci, N. (2018). The role of the therapeutic alliance on pain relief in musculoskeletal rehabilitation: A systematic review. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 34(12), 901–915. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593985.2018.1431343

    15 min

  5. 12/02/2025

    Are You Accidentally Harming Your Clients by "Staying In Scope"?

    Have you ever frozen mid-massage because a patient opened up about something heavy—trauma, grief, or deep anxiety—and you had no idea how to respond? In this raw and honest episode,I share the story I rarely like to tell: the day I completely failed a patient after he shared a horrifying moment from his past. I unpack a cringeworthy mistake I made—centering myself in his trauma—and explain why the conventional advice to keep "mental health out of your scope" is actually causing harm to both you and your patients. Inside this episode, you’ll hear: The Moment of Panic: I detail the intense story David shared and the immediate panic that caused me to shut the conversation down entirely.Unpacking the Failure: The specific, yet common, mistake I made by comparing experiences, apologizing, and ultimately rejecting the connection.Challenging the Old Belief: Why mental health conversations are NOT out of your scope of practice, and how avoiding them leads to guilt, exhaustion, and patient rejection.The Need for a Framework: You can't rely on empathy alone. I introduce the idea of a systematic approach—a set of steps that allows you to show up with confidence, compassion, and clear boundaries without overstepping.The Cost of Winging It: Learn how not having a system puts you at risk of burnout and professional liability, and prevents you from building the deep trust that leads to better patient outcomes.If you're tired of feeling guilty, unprepared, or burnt out by the emotional weight of your practice, this episode is your wake-up call. Learn More: Join the waitlist for Jamie's Mental Health First Aid for Massage Therapists course to get the framework that trades panic for presence: https://go.themtdc.com/mhfa-waitlist Next Week: Jamie discusses the time a patient had a full-blown panic attack on the table, and how the subsequent mental health conversations transformed their therapeutic relationship.

    13 min

  6. 03/31/2023

    Episode #29 Dealing With Burnout

    I think we've all seen changes in the past couple of years with the pandemic and other things going on. For the both of us, we experienced a significant amount of burnout, so we thought we'd share our stories as we're sure we aren't alone in the experience. And as always, check out our websites. www.themtdc.com www.ericpurves.com  and our emails:  jamie@themtdc.com hello@ericpurves.com

    40 min

  7. 09/28/2022

    Episode #28 With Great Educational Power, Comes Great Educational Responsibility

    Education, education, education. We constantly promote a better education for Massage Therapists and as those who teach continuing education courses we have a lot of responsibility to keep current with new evidence and research. And so do our associations. Our associations wield some great power in what can and is offered to their perspective memberships for continuing education. But are they all handling their responsibility well? If not, their members should demand better.   REGISTER HERE And as always, check out our websites. www.themtdc.com www.ericpurves.com  and our emails:  jamie@themtdc.com hello@ericpurves.com

    48 min

  8. 08/23/2022

    Episode #27 Myofascial Release And CLB, What Does The Evidence Say?

    As massage therapists, we often rely on learning new modalities or rely on many of the ones we learned in college as a way to help our patients. But does it really matter which modality we use? There are so many other factors that contribute to better outcomes when people come to see us, the modality we use while the person receives treatment matters less than we've been lead to believe. Let's start to worry less about learning new ways to touch people and start focusing on what we can do to get them back to doing the activities that are important to them. This is one of the things we teach in our upcoming courses in October. If you'd like to learn how to communicate better and incorporate more movement into your treatments you can join us by clicking the link below.  REGISTER HERE And as always, check out our websites. www.themtdc.com www.ericpurves.com  and our emails:  jamie@themtdc.com hello@ericpurves.com Referenced paper: Wu Z, Wang Y, Ye X, Chen Z, Zhou R, Ye Z, Huang J, Zhu Y, Chen G, Xu X. Myofascial release for chronic low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in medicine. 2021 Jul 28;8:69798.

    44 min
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The Massage Therapist Development Initiative is a platform for Massage Therapists and other Manual Therapists to learn more about research and becoming a more evidence-based practitioner. This is an opportunity to not only create a positive change in our profession but also for other therapists to create better outcomes in their practice and with their patients. 

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