The New Generation Massage Therapist

Jamie Johnston
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Weekly

Moving beyond modalities to build resilience. Are you tired of the "fixer" trap? Most massage therapists are taught that their value lies solely in their hands—that if they just learn one more modality or take one more certification, they’ll finally have the "magic bullet" for their patients' pain. But this cycle often leads to two things: patients who remain passive and therapists who end up burnt out. Welcome to The New Generation Massage Therapist Podcast. Hosted by Jamie Johnston—massage therapist, firefighter, and educator—this show is dedicated to shifting the industry standard from passive "tissue manipulation" to evidence-informed, biopsychosocial care. We challenge industry norms and dive deep into the topics that many in our profession have long avoided: pain science, mental health, and the therapeutic power of movement. Each week, we explore how to: Shift your identity from a "fixer" to a facilitator of change.Master human skills like mindful communication and crisis intervention to build a stronger therapeutic alliance.Incorporate movement (without needing a gym) to prove to your patients that they aren't "broken."Retrain the nervous system to help patients with persistent pain find lasting results.Whether you are a seasoned RMT/LMT or a student just starting out, this podcast provides the practical, research-backed tools you need to build a more effective practice and a more fulfilling, sustainable career. It’s time to stop chasing certifications and start building resilience.

  1. 5d ago

    Do No Harm — The Psychology of What We Say (Are We Mental Health Professionals? Part 2)

    Send us Fan Mail Most of us were never taught that our words could make our patients worse. But the research is clear — the language we use in the treatment room produces real, measurable outcomes. Not just emotionally. Neurologically. In Part 2 of the Are We Mental Health Professionals? series, we're diving into one of the most underappreciated concepts in all of healthcare — the nocebo effect. And once you understand it, you'll never hear your own language the same way again. In this episode we cover: What the nocebo effect is and why it matters for every MSK practitionerThe four specific ways placebo analgesia is increased — and what that means for how you show up in the treatment roomThe most common nocebic phrases in our profession and what to say insteadHow to handle patients who arrive convinced their rib is out — or carrying fear-based language from a previous practitionerWhy your brain is a prediction machine and how that changes everything about clinical communicationThe difference between clinical reassurance and false reassurance — and why it mattersThe affective and cognitive reassurance framework and how it reduces anxiety and pain catastrophizingWhy language is not separate from treatment — it is treatmentWhether you've been in practice for two years or twenty, some of this is going to make you uncomfortable. That's the point. This isn't an indictment — it's an invitation to start doing things differently. Part 3 of the series is coming soon. 🔗 Sign up for the Mental Health and Psychological First Aid waitlist: [CLICK HERE] Support the show

    36 min

  2. Jun 23

    Are We Mental Health Professionals? Part 1: "The Hidden Half of Every Treatment"

    Send us Fan Mail Are we mental health professionals? It's a question that might make some of you uncomfortable. And honestly, that discomfort is exactly why it needs to be asked. Because most of us are already influencing our patients' mental health every single session. We're just not being intentional about it. In Part 1 of this three-part series, we lay the foundation — the hidden half of every treatment that nobody taught us about in school. We look at what the research actually says about massage therapy's effects on anxiety and depression, why the therapeutic relationship may be the most clinically significant thing happening in your room, and how understanding your patient's mindset changes everything about how you approach a session. In this episode: What the research actually says about massage therapy and mental health — including where there's genuine debate and where the evidence is strongWhy there's no neutral in a patient interaction — you're always either mitigating distress or inadvertently making it worseThe therapeutic alliance — what it is, why it's a clinical prerequisite, and how to build it before your hands are even on the patientActive listening and non-verbal communication — the tools that lower anxiety before a word of treatment beginsFixed vs. growth mindset — why identifying which one is in your room changes your entire clinical approachHow to build self-efficacy in a fixed-mindset patient in a single sessionWhy your growth-mindset patient's biggest enemy might be their own motivation This is the series I've been wanting to do for a while. I hope it shifts something for you. 🔔 Want to be the first to know when Mental Health First Aid and Psychological First Aid courses open? Join the waitlist → [HERE] 🎙️ Enjoying the podcast? Subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this resonated with you, leaving a review helps other massage therapists find the show. ⭐ Support the show

    17 min

  3. Jun 17

    Shared Decision-Making: Putting the Patient Back in the Driver's Seat - With Walt Fritz

    Send us Fan Mail As our profession pushes toward patient-centered care, one thing is becoming clear — the old clinician-as-the-expert model isn't serving our patients the way we think it is. In this episode, Jamie sits down with Walt Fritz — a physical therapist with nearly 40 years of experience and someone who famously walked away from a prominent role in the myofascial release world to publicly question the narratives he'd built his career on. They talk about shared decision-making, informed consent, power sharing in the therapeutic relationship, and why the "soft skills" might actually be the most important skills we have. In this episode: Why the clinician-as-the-expert model is failing our patientsHow the language we use (like "releasing fascia") affects informed consentWhat shared decision-making actually looks like in a treatment roomThe concept of *metatherapy* — and why how you apply a technique matters more than the technique itselfHow to give patients a range of treatment choices including home care, frequency, and movementWhy the "micromanaging patient" is actually your greatest assetCarl Rogers' 1957 paper and what psychotherapy figured out 70 years ago that manual therapy is still catching up toWhy Walt calls these "human skills," not soft skills Whether you're deep into manual therapy or just starting to question some of the narratives you were taught — this conversation is going to make you think differently about the person on your table. Safety video Walt Referenced can be found by clicking HERE References:  Helou, L. (2017). Crafting the dialogue: Meta-therapy in transgender voice and communication training. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 2(10), 83-91. Cerritelli, F., Chiacchiaretta, P., Gambi, F., & Ferretti, A. (2017). Effect of continuous touch on brain functional connectivity is modified by the operator’s tactile attention. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 11, 368. Rogers, C. R. (1957). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change. Journal of consulting psychology, 21(2), 95. 🎙️ Enjoying the podcast? Subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this conversation helped you, leaving a review helps other massage therapists find the show. If the New Generation Massage Therapist Podcast has been part of your growth as a therapist, consider supporting the show. For as little as $3 a month you help keep this content free and accessible for massage therapists everywhere who are ready to lead. Support the show

    52 min

  4. Jun 9

    12 People: One Family's Story and Why Massage Therapists Need to Start Talking About Suicide

    Send us Fan Mail We've been told a lot of things by our regulatory bodies about what we should and shouldn't do in our treatment rooms. But there's one area where I think we've been steered in the wrong direction — and that's mental health conversations. Of all the musculoskeletal professions out there, our patients open up to us the most. They're on our tables for an hour, relaxed, vulnerable, and trusting. And yet we've been consistently told to shut those conversations down and hand them a referral card. This episode is about why that needs to change. ⚠️ *Content warning: this episode discusses self-harm and suicide. Please honour where you're at before listening.* In this episode: Why massage therapists are uniquely positioned to hold space for mental health conversationsJamie's personal story of losing 12 people to suicide — and what every one of them had in commonWhy suicide isn't what most people think it is — and why that reframe mattersWhy it's better to say something than nothing — every timeThe ALGEE framework from Mental Health First Aid and how it applies directly to your treatment roomWhat the research actually says about asking someone directly if they're thinking about self-harmTwo real-life stories about asking the hard question — and what happened nextThis is the conversation our profession has been avoiding. It's time we stopped. 🎓 Want to feel genuinely equipped for these conversations? Jamie teaches both Psychological First Aid and Mental Health First Aid. Sign up on the waitlist: https://go.themtdc.com/mhfa-waitlist 🆘 In crisis or know someone who is? Call or text 988 (Canada & US) — someone will answer. Here is a link to find a helpline anywhere in the world https://findahelpline.com/ ☕ Love the podcast? Help us keep this content free and accessible for massage therapists everywhere. Support the show

    14 min

  5. Jun 2

    Building A Sustainable Practice with - Mike Reoch

    Send us Fan Mail We didn't learn this in school — but we probably should have. In this episode, Jamie sits down with friend and fellow RMT Mike Reoch to talk about something most massage therapists are never taught: how to actually build a sustainable practice. Mike has been a massage therapist for 18 years, worked in seven clinics across five cities, and now runs a thriving clinic in Kamloops with his wife — and he has a lot to say about what actually makes a practice work long-term. In this episode we cover: Why BC isn't actually saturated with RMTs — and what the numbers really sayHow to stand out when every therapist's bio sounds exactly the sameFinding your ideal patient avatar and why niching down actually grows your practiceThe danger of building your practice on one referral source — and how to diversifyWhy "sales" doesn't have to feel gross — and what good sales actually looks likeMike's new course, *The Honest Practice Blueprint*, and why he built it for newer RMTsWhether you're just starting out or feeling stuck in your current practice, this conversation is full of practical, honest advice that nobody taught us in school. 🎙️ Enjoying the podcast? Subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this conversation helped you, leaving a review goes a long way in helping other massage therapists find this show. If the New Generation Massage Therapist Podcast has been part of your growth as a therapist, consider supporting the show. For as little as $3/month you help keep this content free and available for massage therapists everywhere who are ready to level up Support the show

    1h 8m

  6. May 27

    The Cost Of Caring

    Send us Fan Mail We've spent three episodes talking about your patients' nervous systems. This one is about yours. If you're showing up for complex, trauma-affected patients with skill and sensitivity — you're absorbing something in the process. That's not a weakness. That's the cost of caring. And it puts you directly at risk for compassion fatigue. In this final episode of our four-part series on trauma and the nervous system, we turn the lens around and talk about what this work actually costs us as therapists — and more importantly, what we can do about it. In this episode we cover: The two distinct components of compassion fatigue — secondary traumatic stress and burnout — and why understanding the difference mattersThe Job Demands-Resources Model and how it explains why so many therapists feel depletedHow your own HPA axis responds to chronic stress in the same way your patients' doesThe three core psychological needs that research shows protect against burnout: autonomy, competence, and relatednessWhy protecting yourself isn't selfish — it's clinical The work you do matters. And it requires a version of you that has something left to give. 🎓 Ready to build everything from this series into a real clinical framework? Fundamentals of Therapeutic Movement for Trauma-Competent Therapists is now open — everything we've covered across these four episodes, plus the practical tools to put it into action in your treatment room. 👉 [https://go.themtdc.com/ftm] ☕ Love the podcast and want to help keep it going? You can support the show for as little as $3/month — every contribution helps us keep creating free, evidence-based content for massage therapists who want to lead: Support the show

    11 min

  7. May 19

    Trauma Informed Care In Practice

    Send us Fan Mail "Your patients don’t respond to a technique. They respond to safety." Why do some patients instantly brace when you touch them, while others fail to relax no matter how gentle your manual pressures are? In this episode, Jamie Johnston cuts through the academic fluff surrounding "trauma-informed care" to deliver a highly practical, clinical protocol for the treatment room. When a patient has a history of trauma or persistent neurological pain, your treatment table isn't just a physical space—it can be a sensory minefield. Jamie introduces a concrete framework designed to transition your practice from protocol-based treatment to neurocentric, psychologically sensitive care. Learn how simple structural alterations, language adjustments, and patient autonomy can completely down-regulate a sympathetic nervous system stuck in "survival mode." Inside this episode, we break down: The 5 Pillars of Trauma-Informed Care: Safety, Trustworthiness, Choice, Collaboration, and Empowerment.The Myth of Assumed Consent: Why the standard "intake signature" fails your complex patients and how to implement explicit, ongoing dialogue instead.Flipping the Script on Authority: Shifting your clinical dynamic from doing a treatment to a body to facilitating recovery with a human.The Clinical Emergency Plan: Exact communication steps and grounding cues to use when a patient experiences disassociation or a flashback on your table.Small Choices, Massive Wins: How giving clients control over simple variables (like which limb to treat first) restores the biological autonomy that trauma steals away.Go Deeper: Evolve your clinical approach with Jamie’s targeted mini-course, From Fear to Functional. Turn these neurobiological concepts into real-world treatment protocols, master graded exposure frameworks, and learn how to manage complex pain cases with total confidence. Available now for just $37 at the link below! 👉 Enroll in From Fear to Functional ($37): [Click Here] Support the show

    15 min

  8. May 12

    Trauma Across The Lifespan

    Send us Fan Mail "It's not a mechanical problem. It's a biological debt." Why do some patients plateau despite perfect manual technique? In this episode, Jamie Johnston dives into the structural and neurological changes that trauma leaves in the body—long after the distressing event has passed. We move past the philosophy of trauma-informed care and get into the hard science: how childhood trauma alters gene expression (Epigenetics), why adulthood stress creates a "physiological overdraft" (Allostatic Load), and why your geriatric patients lack the "biological bounce-back" they once had. This isn't just about being "nice" to your patients; it’s about understanding the specific biological mechanisms that drive persistent pain. Inside this episode, we discuss: Epigenetics & The NR3C1 Gene: How childhood trauma can "switch off" the body’s ability to build cortisol receptors, leaving the stress response running indefinitely.The Allostatic Load Bank Account: Why complex adult patients are often living in a state of "overdraft" where every minor injury tips the system into widespread pain.The Geriatric Nervous System: Why aging naturally raises baseline cortisol and damages the hippocampus, making calm clinical environments a biological necessity.Red Flags for Referral: Recognizing when a child or adult needs psychological support beyond the manual therapy scope.The Power of Presence: Practical ways to restore the sense of control that trauma takes away through choice, routine, and predictability.Go Deeper: This episode is a preview of the frameworks found in Jamie’s focused mini-course, "From Fear to Functional." Designed specifically for manual therapists, this course helps you turn these neurobiological insights into concrete clinical decisions.  Access the course for just $37 via this sign up LINK Support the show

    15 min
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About

Moving beyond modalities to build resilience. Are you tired of the "fixer" trap? Most massage therapists are taught that their value lies solely in their hands—that if they just learn one more modality or take one more certification, they’ll finally have the "magic bullet" for their patients' pain. But this cycle often leads to two things: patients who remain passive and therapists who end up burnt out. Welcome to The New Generation Massage Therapist Podcast. Hosted by Jamie Johnston—massage therapist, firefighter, and educator—this show is dedicated to shifting the industry standard from passive "tissue manipulation" to evidence-informed, biopsychosocial care. We challenge industry norms and dive deep into the topics that many in our profession have long avoided: pain science, mental health, and the therapeutic power of movement. Each week, we explore how to: Shift your identity from a "fixer" to a facilitator of change.Master human skills like mindful communication and crisis intervention to build a stronger therapeutic alliance.Incorporate movement (without needing a gym) to prove to your patients that they aren't "broken."Retrain the nervous system to help patients with persistent pain find lasting results.Whether you are a seasoned RMT/LMT or a student just starting out, this podcast provides the practical, research-backed tools you need to build a more effective practice and a more fulfilling, sustainable career. It’s time to stop chasing certifications and start building resilience.

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