When speaking with Jen Wily, LMT she said her intent as a massage therapist was to provide her clients with Goldilocks pressure. In effect she wants the application of her pressure to be just right, not too much or too little. While this may seem like common sense, it is truly a wise statement, and it encapsulates a refined understanding of quality of touch.

Learn more about Shawn White, his approach to massage and the services he offers.

When I perform a massage I want each technique to have a fullness of touch, to be complete movements, I want to hold space for my client, and offer as Jen would put it, Goldilocks pressure. The way we achieve this is by empathizing with our client, we need to have some frame of reference to understand how they are feeling as we massage them.  We need to embody humility, by accurately assessing where we exist in the universe. In the application of touch this means knowing we are not the expert of our client’s subjective experience. Then we need to creatively navigate the situation so we may optimize our ability to communicate, while using our wealth of knowledge to provide them with an exemplary massage experience.

At the core of every massage is communication, we must open a clean and clear channel so they may share with us their wants and needs. Additionally, we must also actively work to dissolve the power differential. People have the tendency to allow others to push them in unwanted directions when there is a perceived degree of authority. As massage therapists we are healthcare professionals, and although we may be considered one of the lowest levels of this hierarchy, our knowledge and expertise may influence the decision making of our clientele. This often manifests when we share inaccurate and unresearched data that may negatively affect our client. This happens all the time, because many instructors in our industry are effectively the blind leading the blind and their lackluster teachings follow LMTs throughout their career. We ought to be encouraging our clients to question, think for themselves and research. This means you should refrain from making something up when a client asks you a question you don’t know the answer to. It also means you should present information with a lessened degree of authority by opening the doorway for other answers.

In essence providing our clients with Goldilocks pressure requires professionalism, attention to detail and the genuine desire to help another person feel delightful. We must possess the willingness to leave our ego at the door, be open to new ideas, and adapt to the needs of our client. At the forefront of our mind, we must be hunting for ways to heighten our ability to communicate and implement the wants and needs of our clientele into every session.