Christine LeTourneau Graduated in May 2017
Irene’s – Why did you choose massage therapy as a career?
Christine – I have been interested in lots of different therapies basically my whole life. I was raised with herbal and other alternative therapies as mainstream. I Love essential oils! I have always believed in the power of touch. Going to school for massage just made sense, felt right. Irene’s – Where do you practice massage therapy?
Christine – I have an office in Romeo. My business is A Little Zen
Irene’s – What is the most rewarding part of your massage career?
Christine – My regulars. I have been seeing a lot of my regulars for years. I have watched them develop their health and well-being awareness. They have helped me grow into who I am. I could not have done it without them. I have a running joke – when a client tells me I’m an amazing therapist – I tell them that I wouldn’t be worth much without my clients. That I wouldn’t be a very good therapist if I was just massaging the table without anyone on it. Irene’s – Do you have a favorite memory from massage school?
Christine – One favorite memory? Wow, I can’t pin just one. The teachers were all amazing in their own way. Our class was pretty tight – we all had each other’s back to make it through. Picnics outside on school grounds. Commandeering the room between classes so we could all practice on each other. Study groups. All of it 🙂 Irene’s – What was the best class you took at Irene’s massage school?
Christine – Again it’s hard to pick just one. I really liked KT taping – It was a blast turning into KT tape mummies.Positional release – A lot came together for me in that class. I still use positional release a lot. Thai – It’s become important in my practice as well. Irene’s – What bodywork modalities or massage techniques do you find most effective?
Christine – Cupping is great, and so is cranial sacral. Passive stretching is amazing.Everyone has a different modality that works for them. I really enjoy designing massages around individual needs. MFR might be the best thing for one client and the worst for the next. It’s all about client needs. Irene’s – What was your greatest success with a massage client?
Christine – So many! I had a client that I saw one time who was going in for shoulder surgery. It was years ago. I can’t even remember what the surgery was for specifically. She came in as a referral from another client of mine. She didn’t really care for the idea of massage but was in a lot of pain so thought she’d try it. I didn’t see her again, didn’t think anything of it. She called me 6 months later to book another appointment. She said she didn’t see me for the past 6 months because she never had problems again with her shoulder after her massage with me and never got the surgery either. I do want to say I am not one of those therapists that push for people to avoid surgery completely. Sometimes it’s needed. But when I hear stories like that from clients it’s amazing! Irene’s – Where is the first place you worked after you graduated from massage school or how did you get started on your path?
Christine – My first job was at a chiropractor’s office. I then worked at a spa. I started my own practice because everywhere I worked, I felt that something was missing. I wanted to offer all the therapies that I worked so hard to learn, such as cupping. I felt the best way for me to express myself and offer the best to my clients was through my own practice.
Irene’s – What do you do for self-care to provide longevity for your massage career?
Christine – The gym but not to work out 🙂 I go straight to the sauna and steam room. I get my massages religiously. I also take full advantage of my BioMat and other therapies in my own office. At the end of the day, before going home, I sit back with a foot scrub under the red light and just Zen 🙂 Irene’s – To what do you attribute your success as a massage therapist?
Christine – I listen to my clients and very carefully tailored them to their individual needs.
Irene’s – What marketing do you feel has worked best to promote your massage practice?
Christine – I am so lazy at marketing. I have a FB and have free listings on Google and Yelp. I get some clients from there. Mostly word of mouth. Happy clients will rave about you to their people.
Irene’s – What do you feel was the biggest mistake you made as a massage therapist and how did you address it?
Christine – It took me a while to train myself to ask about rebooking right away. I think that it is a mistake not to ask about rebooking before they leave. Irene’s – What continuing education have you taken after graduating from massage school?
Christine – My most recent class was an AMTA class on billing insurance. I recently started taking Auto cases. Irene’s – Do you have any advice for new massage therapists?
Christine – Listen to your clients. Don’t give the same massages over and over. Also… You got this 🙂 Irene’s – What is the best way for massage clients to contact you?
Christine – 586-997-7753 text is besthttps://christineletourneau.amtamembers.com/