Newsletter

This Month's Speaker.....Teresa M. Matthews, LMT …..”How to Stretch Your Client (2CE’s)

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Teresa M. Matthews, LMT, CPT, is a Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Personal Trainer, National CEU provider, owner and instructor of the Arlington School of Massage and Personal Training in Jacksonville, Fl. She is a World Champion Athlete with over 25 years in the fitness industry. Teresa is the Sports Massage Chair for the First Coast FSMTA and a Sports Massage Instructor for FSMTA. She is the president and founder of Health, Wellness & Fitness Professionals, Inc., a business specializing in massage and fitness products and services. As a Thera-Band instructor, she has traveled nationally teaching self-care/wellness classes. Teresa also produced DVDs on Stretching and Strength Training. For more information on CE classes, DVD Sales, Massage School or Personal Training School, Feel free to contact Teresa Matthews at (904) 745-1688 or email HWFP@aol.com

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All the Christmas Cheer is behind us and the New Year is before us – I hope that everyone had a wonderful

Our chapter Christmas Party was a fun time with great food and door prizes – thank you to everyone who

could make it. It was so nice to share that personal time with each of you. I would like to express my gratitude

to those who gave me a special gift. A much appreciated surprise!!We had 31 who attended – one of them being our

chapter’s very first President, Deb Wemple – she is one of the reasons we are here today and I personally

thank her for the dedication to preparing the way for me in growing our chapter.

FLAGLER/VOLUSIA CHAPTER IS THE BEST and it’s all because of each one of you!!!

This meeting we will have our Annual Biz Meeting before the presenter – so prepare to get their earlier and be

part of the annual meeting. We have a surprise announcement for all of you!!

I will be attending the State Quarterly Meeting on January 10 & 11^th at the Omni Championsgate Hotel in

Orlando – the 2009 Convention Facility. I will report any new information to you.

**MOSI will be having a special exhibition of Body Worlds 3 – displaying 200 human specimens which will

explore each body system told through “The Story of the Heart”. A unique anatomy and physiology

experience. For those who went to the Body Exhibit – you know how awesome it was – If enough people

and guests are interested, we can try to arrange a bus trip to Tampa and get special group rates. RSVP your

On a personal note: an inside view of why I go the extra mile for the chapter is because I see the importance of

keeping us out in the public eye and on the forefront of massage. In October I was on vacation and got a

voicemail on Friday needing chair massages starting Monday. I took the time away from my family – I was with

my sister at the hospital as she received radiation treatment. It took several hours to contact some members

to see who could work this – fortunately I reached some committed lmts, called the event director and set it up

while on vacation in CT. Recently I received a call to do a first time event in Florida – it was a 200 mile relay

run from west coast of Fl to Daytona Beach. Again, I was able to make a last minute contact with some the

mature and committed sports team and set it up – it was imperative that we got ourselves involved or

someone else would. When last minute events come across my path, and if I know we can do it, I will always

spend the time (usually endless hours) to help others get out there to promote themselves and/or our

chapter – sometimes they get paid and sometimes not. A lot of my choices go to those who have volunteered

their time without complaining –also those who will represent us in a professional manner; so when an

opportunity comes to chose the lmts to earn money, well that’s a no brainer as far as I’m concerned.

Dedication, and Professionalism are two of the imperative traits I look for. Another event was the Indoor

Football Team – I worked very hard, spending numerous hours getting involved with the first team, proving

our abilities and getting our name in the public eye. We did this for 4 years on a volunteer basis – trading out

for signage and announcements – I was very selective who would work this, why? Because some people

only have their own interest at heart and could give us a bad rep or step on others who volunteer. I am so

thankful that I pursued the football agenda because , as you may have heard, they are not having it in Daytona

this year and maybe not next. Our chapter got to work for 4 years with the teams! Trust me, there are many

others who will jump in and take the opportunity to get recognition in the communities. So the push to Seize

the Moment can pay off. The dedication takes a lot of time and energy, but as your president, I want to do the

best to keep our chapter and the massage profession in the public eye with the respect it deserves.

My sincere thanks to everyone who participates in volunteering their time for our chapter – our Board,

committee chairs, helpers at the meetings and those who are willing to give their time to help in events – paid

I look forward to seeing you on January 14^th – please note the special time for this meeting due to Annual Biz Meeting.

Till then keep on believing in yourself and the massage profession while helping the clients to reach toward

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1^st VP Report, Mark Bigelow, LMT

What Shape is Your Practice In?

Last week I had the pleasure to meet David Lang, a long-time chapter member who could fit me into his schedule to do some therapy on my neck and upper back. He has an office on Ridgewood and carries a full schedule of clients 6 days a week. He has been in that location for 13 years and takes few new customers, working solely from a repeat client base built up over many years. The opening that I filled in his schedule was offered to another person first on his cancellation list. I was fortunate to get in. He has a masters hands and is the sole support of his family through his very successful massage practice.

I salute him.

So why then, do some therapists do so well when so many others cannot make a living in this profession? Oh, did I forget to add the fact that David is legally blind?

I have been in this profession for 23 years this month. What I have seen happen over that time is that therapists sometimes focus on modalities that have a limited audience in the public arena. There are some modalities that are extremely difficult to market because the public has no knowledge of what you offer, nor its possible benefits. Seminar promoters who dream up a new modality can sell most anything to some massage therapists if they are charismatic enough. I have seen seminar instructors who cannot make a living at their own modality – they make a living selling seminars about that modality to other therapists who later find out the public just isn’t buying it.

Take a good look around you at the therapists who have done well. Ask them how they did it. Notice the modalities they focus on.

I was told by a male member of our own chapter once that men just cannot make it as massage therapists. Perhaps he will meet David one day. This fellow focuses on a modality that I have never seen any therapist really make a living at and is obviously frustrated. When his beloved techniques are incorporated into a Swedish massage, the client may love them and want more at a later time, but as a stand-alone product, his chosen modality with its strange name probably does more to scare people off than it does to impress them. People usually need to have a mental concept of what you are going to do to them during a therapy session before they come in or they are just not going to come. People fear the unknown. They will not be driven by curiosity to call you.

I know many successful therapists, male ones included, and there is a common thread that binds them. Offer what the public will understand, return your phone calls promptly, and give people their monies worth by doing the best work you possibly can on each and every client. Don’t be a lazy therapist. Clients are smart too, and they must have perceived value in your session with them or they are just not coming back.

Be honest with yourself and analyze where you currently are in this profession. Where would you like to be at the end of this new year? What steps do you have to take to get there? Don’t be afraid to ask for some mentoring by those you admire.

Be well, and Happy New Year to you.

CE Hours at Chapter Meetings

At a meeting of our chapter board recently we discussed the situation of late arrival to chapter meetings and its relation to the CE hours awarded to the attendee. We do not want to discourage anyone from attending who cannot get there on time. Neither can the speaker award two hours to those who come in much later than all others.

A CE provider can award hours to participants in any amount from the total approved by the State for that class or any portion thereof. So…..

It was decided then by your board that those who arrive more than 10 minutes after the speaker starts will be awarded one CE hour by the speaker. Ten minutes seems to be the standard at other chapters around the State and we will adopt that rule also.

Moises and Karen are in charge of registration. We must leave it to their fair judgment when the speaker started and what time you arrived. We hope to have no disputes over whether it was 9 minutes or 11 minutes late that someone arrived. You will still receive at least one CE hour for attending. We hope this is fair to all.

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Don’t miss this great opportunity with Teresa! She is a National CE Presenter, Licensed Sports Massage Therapist, Certified Personal Trainer, and owner/instructor of the Arlington School of Massage & Personal Training in Jacksonville, FL. She is a World Champion Athlete with over 25 years in the fitness industry. Teresa is an instructor for Thera-Band Academy resistance bands & produced her own DVDs on Stretching and Strengthening.

Space is limited, Register by mailing a $50 deposit to: (or call with credit card)

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As a Licensed Massage Therapist with Haven Hospice, you can provide comfort and relaxation to patients through Palliative Massage. Our DeLand office has an opening for a part time (20 hrs) position.

For further information or to apply on line visit our website at www.havenhospice.org or email resume to employment@havenhospice.org

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FSMTA Board Members

Lynn Hupp Exec. Director 407-628-2772 or toll-free 1-877-376-8248 or 1-877-FSMTA 4 U.

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