LMT Master Resource List
Starting with Why
Begin your journey with IMMERSE by discovering our mission and core values. Watch/listen to our video below to get started now!
We are thrilled to welcome you to our community at IMMERSE Modern Massage! We selected you based on your exceptional qualities and dedication to creating a nurturing environment where people can thrive and receive excellent service.
To get you started, we have a comprehensive onboarding course with all the information you need to excel in your responsibilities here, and it won’t take more than 2 hours to complete all the onboarding videos.
Welcome aboard!
Acknowledgement & Receipt of Employee Handbook *
This step is required before your first day. Please upload your license and sign your employee handbook by clicking here.
Acuity
Acuity our full service calendar, online booking and point of sale system. It’s where you’ll check your appointments when you’re booked.
To download the app and get started, click one of the links below:
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.acuityscheduling.app.android&gl=US
Apple Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/acuity-scheduling-admin/id1179146771
Gusto
Our company Inner Expression Wellness, LLC doing business as IMMERSE Modern Massage uses Gusto for payroll. We will send you an invite to onboard. Gusto sends your W-2 at the end of each year digitally. Payroll is every two weeks on Friday unless in case of a business holiday, and the pay cycle ends the Sunday before the check is due.
Slack (Group Chat)
At IMMERSE Modern Massage, we use Slack as group chat to stay connected, organized, and on top of everything.
Here’s a quick overview of the key channels we use:
#general-questions: Have a question? Ask it here! This channel is for anything that doesn’t fit into the other categories.
#leadership: This is where our leadership team discusses important updates, strategies, and any top-level decisions that need attention.
#lmt-reminders: Use this channel to keep track of important reminders specifically for Licensed Massage Therapists (LMTs). This might include upcoming appointments, schedule changes, or anything relevant to your day-to-day work.
#massage-therapists: A space specifically for massage therapists to discuss work-related topics, share tips, and collaborate on best practices.
#random-stuff: Share anything fun, interesting, or just for laughs here. This is our space for casual, non-work-related conversation.
#team-building: We use this channel to discuss and plan team-building activities, share ideas for events, and keep our team spirit strong.
#things-we-need-time-off-requests: If you need something for work or want to request time off, this is the place to post it.
Slack helps us stay connected and ensure that everyone is on the same page. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need help getting set up!
Commission Pay:
For services, you receive 33.3% of the service plus tips. For example, if a session lasts 60 minutes, you will earn approximately $50, and for a 90-minute session, you will earn about $62.50.
Packages / Memberships & Plans of Care:
When you sell a package you receive an extra 10% commission of the package or membership price, added to your paycheck for that pay cycle. You will receive a recurring 10% for every paycheck that client books with you each month.
Calendar & Client Management
Checking Out & Booking Appointments on Acuity
Checking Your Calendar & On Being “On Call”
We have a 3-hour wait time for appointments. So, if you don’t have any appointments, you are on call. Clients can only book online with at least 3 hours notice to the therapist, otherwise we will call you to ask if you can come in sooner. When a client confirms their booking, therapists will get an email.
Checking out Clients Who Already Have Packages
Taking Extra Time w/ Weighted Blankets – Setting a Massage Table with a Weighted Blanket
Using our weighted blankets take extra care and attention. When you are flipping clients over after being supine or prone. be sure to secure the four edges of the blanket’s and pay attention to make sure the blanket doesn’t fall off the client.
After the client is successfully flipped over, be sure to redistribute the weight evenly between the four corners of the blanket over the table to ensure effective draping and comfort.
Hot Towel Aromatherapy Protocol
Lighting
Plans of Care are by far the very most important part of your training, and may require the most coaching. Be patient with yourself learning this process, and don’t hesitate to reach out for help! It’s very simple once you understand the process.
Phase 1: Eliminate Pain and Discomfort
- Identify Goals, and Speak to their “Why”
- Assessment
- Plan of Care
- Weekly Massage
- Stretch Recommendations
- Self Massage Recommendations
- Postural Awareness
In Phase 1, we try to quickly identify the root cause of our clients discomfort and create a plan of care to help them out of discomfort as quickly as possible by advocating for regular stretching, self massage and daily postural awareness
Phase 2: Fix The Root Issue
- Pass The Threshold For Pain
- Continue To Work On Postural Awareness
- Strengthen Synergists
- Work Up and Down The MSK Chain
In Phase 2, the client is relieved of pain, and we fortify their progress with strengthening movements. By persistently massaging the tight, tense problem areas and suggesting strengthening exercises for weaker areas to enhance their posture (acting synergistically with the main areas we were stretching previously), we can effectively and rapidly eradicate the underlying cause of their pain, and prevent it from recurring in the future.
Phase 3: Bulletproof Their Progress:
- Maintenance
- Protect their progress
- Prevent future injury/flareups
- Help them be their best self by enjoying the activities they love the most
In Phase 3, we aim to maintain our client’s progress by preventing injury, maintaining their progress and helping them be their best self.
Typcaily we see monthly massage works best for people, but if they are well resourced, quarterly or as needed massage can be good for some people.
Watch the videos below to get started creating SUPERSTAR treatment plans for your clients.
Plan of Care Presentation Example 1:
Plan of Care Presentation Example 2:
Pre-Treatment Assessments
(The Gold Standard of Clinical Massage & Effective Treatment Planning)
Why We Assess Before We Treat
Before a client ever lies down on the table, assessments such as range of motion and postural assessments are vital for building trust and creating your daily / long term treatment plans. These assessments should take 6-8 minutes and no more than 10 minutes during their first session and helps us also do much more effective work.
The Two Types of Assessments:
- Range of motion assessment measures mobility, and pin-point where people’s pain is coming from, while
- Postural Assessment looks at the bigger picture of body alignment.
These assessments help therapists understand clients‘ needs, tailor treatments, and foster trust.
By using these assessments, therapists can develop highly personalized treatment plans for both same-day and long-term plans. This thorough approach instills confidence in clients, strengthens the therapeutic relationship, and increases the likelihood of positive outcomes.
These are two quick assessments that can be done for the neck and shoulders to check in on restrictions. Note: the power in their simplicity. Some people feel these assessments in very different places throughout their, neck, shoulders, and arms, which makes it an extremely effective tool.
Future Video: (Insert Palpation video here – lumbar-to core)
Future Video: (core strength assessment – transverse abdominis – cough)
Lumbar Body Awareness Exercise:
Just to emphasize how heavy your head is, and how heavy it can weigh on the entire back:
Neck & Shoulder Care
We can’t diagnose or claim to treat medical conditions, but we can assist individuals by helping them eliminate pain and teach them how to prevent it from occurring in the future
Within the Oregon LMT Scope of Practice, we can “suggest new possibilities for movement” but not prescribe movement patterns, regimines, or routines.
Common Issues
Your neck is an incredible part of your body, but sometimes, our necks can experience a few problems.
Let’s learn about three common neck issues: text neck, upper cross syndrome, and kyphosis.
Text Neck
First we have text neck.When we spend too much time with our heads bent forward, it puts a lot of strain on our necks.
In fact, every inch forward your head is, it DOUBLES the tension on your upper back, neck and shoulder muscles/ starting with about 25 pounds!
So for these folks, remind them to take breaks, look up, and keep devices at eye level to avoid text neck.
Upper Cross Syndrome
Next, let’s talk about upper cross syndrome.
Imagine you have super tight chest muscles and super weak upper back muscles. Well, that’s what upper cross syndrome is like.
When we slouch or have poor posture, our chest muscles get tight and our upper back muscles get weak. It’s like a battle between the two!
This can lead to horrible neck and shoulder pain.
So, try to run them through some postural awareness, teach them how to sit up straight with some of the postural awareness, stretches and exercises offered here by stretching their chest and strengthening their backs.
Kyphosis
Lastly, we have kyphosis, much like upper cross. It’s a condition where the upper back becomes rounded and the shoulders droop forward.
The pressure can travel down their back causing low back pain.
Sometimes, it can happen due to poor posture, but other times it might be caused by certain medical conditions. If you notice someone with kyphosis, be understanding and remember that they may need special support. And for yourself, it’s important that they maintain good posture, exercise regularly, and take care of their back and neck.
Remember, taking care of your neck is important for your overall well-being.
So, let’s keep our heads up, be mindful of our posture, and take regular breaks from our devices. Your neck will thank you!
Importance of Neck and Shoulder Posture Awareness
Have your clients ever experienced neck and shoulder pain?
Head posture plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy alignment and reliving neck, shoulder, and upper back discomfort.
By consciously drawing our head back over our heart and torso properly, we can reduce a tremendous amount of tension in our back and neck.
<p>add self massage traps + pin and stretch + life hack</p>
Qi Gong / Nerve Flossing:
This is also a great assessment tool for pre and post session!
Bruegger’s Release:
This can be done standing, or sitting.
Shoulder Away From Ears Stretch:
Low Back & Hip Care
*While we can’t diagnose or claim to treat specific medical conditions, we can help people get out of pain and show them how to stay out of pain.
Within the Oregon LMT Scope of Practice, we can “suggest new possibilities for movement” but not prescribe movement patterns, regimines, or routines.
Small Muscles Doing Big Jobs
Tiny Muscles In Chronic Tension/Spasm
Low Back Pain can often manifest from a weakness in the hips, where the smaller muscles (piriformis, gluteus medius/minimus) try to take over for bigger, weaker muscles – causing tensison and pain.
Tight piriformis/ Gluteus Medius taking over for lack of tone in bigger muscles of the hips such as gluteus maximus:
Counterbalancing, Front To Back, and Side To Side
When The Low Back is Too Strong, and Core is Too Weak
Most lower back pain comes from tension in the lumbar, erector spinae muscles, QL, etc, and a lack of muscle tone in the core, transverse abdominis, etc.
Lower back pain often manifests when the lumbar muscles are TOO STRONG.
One way to counterbalance this can be by strengthening the hips and core/abdomen to offset any tensison in these areas.
The abominals when weak, can cause unnecessary tension in the lumbar, Longissimus. They are synergists of spinal flexion and extension.
Lack of core strength can also cause tension in the hip flexors, such as rectus femoris, and psoas.
Video for quickly assessing and treating psoas tension below:
Importance of Neck and Shoulder Posture Awareness
Have your clients ever experienced neck and shoulder pain?
Head posture plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy alignment and reliving neck, shoulder, and upper back discomfort.
By consciously drawing our head back over our heart and torso properly, we can reduce a tremendous amount of tension in our back and neck.
Fun Fact:
Every inch forward your head is from the midline, it doubles the pressure applied to your upper back and neck muscles.
That means:
1 inch forward from the midline adds 50 pounds of pressure to your upper back, neck and shoulders
and 2 inches forward from the midline adds an astonishing 100 pounds of pressure!
You can see how quickly this can add up over time for someone sitting at a desk.
One Simple Fix:
When we remind our clients to be aware of their posture in all of their daily activities, we can give power back to them, empowering them between sessions. With proper alignment, bringing the head over the heart, and the heart over the hips, most issues can be healed.
When coupled with weekly massage, this simple awareness heals most neck and shoulder problems.
Later on in treatment plans, after the neck is released from its unnatural holding position, it is helpful to begin and strengthening the upper back and back of the neck to fortify their progress. We will continue on with exercise recommendations later on in this section.
Effective Psoas Assessment and Treatment:
Peanut Roller Glute/Piriformis Self Massage
Dead Bug Core Strengthening Exercise:
The most posturally restorative core exercise
Gratitude
We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your completion of the employee training at IMMERSE Modern Massage!
We deeply appreciate your dedication to expanding your knowledge and skills in alignment with our mission and core values.
From the comprehensive plans of care we provide, to exceptional concierge service, assessments, and self-care recommendations. Each module has equipped you with invaluable tools for success.
Your commitment to delivering personalized experiences and expanded education is certain to assist your career growth and our clients’ satisfaction.
We are thrilled to have you as part of our team and eagerly look forward to hearing about your success at IMMERSE Modern Massage.
Thank you once again for your unwavering dedication to your craft and to the people we serve.
Warmly,
Mason
Owner, IMMERSE Modern Massage
