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 […]

“If you move, your disc will bulge.” “Your pelvis is out of alignment.”As massage therapists, we often use language intended to help, but we might actually be planting seeds of fear. This fear of movement, or kinesophobia, is one of the biggest drivers of long-term disability. If you find yourself constantly adding new manual modalities to your toolkit because your persistent pain patients aren’t getting better, it’s time to challenge the idea that another technique is the answer.In this episode, Jamie Johnston explores the shift from passive treatment to active, lasting outcomes through Graded Exposure. Learn how to move beyond […]

“I’ve tried every technique and every modality, but they’re still not getting better.”If you’ve ever felt this frustration, you aren’t alone. When a patient is stuck in a cycle of persistent pain, our instinct as massage therapists is to chase the next certification or find a “magic” hands-on tool. But what if the problem isn’t your toolkit? What if the problem is the patient’s belief that their body is broken—and the solution is showing them otherwise?In this episode, Jamie Johnston breaks down why movement is the most powerful educational tool you have. We aren’t talking about just “prescribing exercises.” We […]