12 People: One Family’s Story and Why Massage Therapists Need to Start Talking About Suicide
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 conversations
- Jamie’s personal story of losing 12 people to suicide — and what every one of them had in common
- Why suicide isn’t what most people think it is — and why that reframe matters
- Why it’s better to say something than nothing — every time
- The ALGEE framework from Mental Health First Aid and how it applies directly to your treatment room
- What the research actually says about asking someone directly if they’re thinking about self-harm
- Two real-life stories about asking the hard question — and what happened next
This 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.
- What's Wrong With This Person?" — Why That's the Wrong Question | feat. Matt Phillips - October 14, 2026
- The Most Powerful Thing You Can Say to a Patient in Pain - October 7, 2026
- The Treatment That Changed Everything — And It Had Nothing To Do With My Hands - September 30, 2026