Sometimes, I'm lost....

[:: G e r r y ::]

I work at a gym, so many of my massages are injuries or soreness. In my year I've been working there, I've given about 10 total relaxation/swedish massages.

My massage today was interesting. My client was new to the gym. While she was filling out the health intake, she told me she's had many many massages. She said nothing really bothered her, and that she just wanted a nice relaxing massage.

As I was massaging her neck, I noticed a lot of tightness and trigger points. I started working to break it all up. She said I was going too deep. Later, when I was massaging her arm, she stopped me, "Ok, a few things. First of all you aren't using enough oil. Also, you're probably great at working on pressure points, but all I want is to relax. I don't mean to be a Female Dog."

"No, I appreciate your feedback, thank you." I continued the massage with just swedish strokes. I felt like I wasn't giving her everything I could, but it's what she wanted. Passing over trigger points and contractures is torture.

Sometimes I just don't know what people want. I try to ask my clients what their goals are, and what they want as far as pressure, focus, and comfort. I feel like bombarding them with questions, while it may be very helpful to me, takes away from the relaxation of the massage.

What do you do to help figure out what your client wants? Are there certain questions to determine things like modalities?