Massage Feedback

Create a safe learning environment and encourage personal growth as you learn 5 tips for giving massage feedback.

Be Open To Feedback

Every massage is an opportunity to develop, grow, and become a more proficient massage therapist. Feedback is your most valuable tool, but to receive it, you must be open to listening to what others have to say.

Hearing critical feedback, especially about a massage that you just performed, can be difficult because giving a massage requires a modicum of vulnerability.

It can hurt to be criticized when vulnerable, especially if it is unexpected. Emotionally, it’s like someone smacking your back when you have a sunburn. Many people respond poorly to any hint of dissatisfaction. To develop your touch and massage skills, you need to self-regulate when you’re confronted with criticism.

Listen to every positive, neutral, and negative comment someone has to say about your massage. Reflect on how you helped your client feel heavenly and where you could improve. No one is perfect; there is no such thing as the best massage therapist. Everyone can improve in one way or another.

If you believe your hands are God’s gift to humanity, or are the best massage therapist there is, you have placed yourself at the top of the mountain. Once at the mountain peak, there is only one way to go.

Give Feedback & Communicate

No one can read minds, and our intuition can only tell us so much. This is why communication is so critical in a massage.

When you receive a massage, practice giving the feedback you wish someone would give you. Remember to be kind, constructive, and considerate. Treat them how you would like to be treated.

Giving feedback during and after a session is an opportunity to practice empathy. What does it feel like to give feedback? Note that, and think about ways you could make it easier and more comfortable for someone else to give it.

Be present during the massage, feel what is being done, and be honest with your answers. If you are an experienced massage therapist trading or practicing with a newer LMT, try not to usurp control of the massage. Encourage them to grow and develop from your feedback. Search for the ways they can improve and the methods they use that are magnificent.

Massage Trades

When was the last time you traded a massage with another massage therapist, stayed present, and offered valuable feedback afterward? Massage trades are a great way to gain insight into what your sessions feel like from someone who has an expanded somatic vocabulary.

Massage trades create opportunities to practice and test out new techniques. Of course, many of the new techniques you create will be discovered in a session, but this activity opens the door to learning how it specifically feels. Even better, you can teach it to the other therapist and have them perform it on you, so you can experience how it feels.

When you are in another massage therapist’s space, admire the mystique of their massage. What do you like about the ambiance, the journey, and the harmony of the experience?

5 Tips For Giving Massage Feedback

Evaluate the experience, not the person.
Put yourself in their shoes.
Evaluate to motivate.
Name the feelings you experienced during the massage.
Be kind.

1. Evaluate the experience, not the person.

It’s easy to say someone is a good or bad massage therapist; it’s far more impactful and beneficial to describe what you specifically liked about the experience or how they can improve their approach.

Giving a massage is already a vulnerable experience. Receiving critical feedback can spike someone’s insecurity, so be supportive and uplifting in your evaluation. Remember to evaluate what they did, not who they are. People tend to take feedback personally, so do your best to keep them focused on how they used their skills, so they can see where they are succeeding and how they can improve.

2. Put yourself in their shoes.

Before commenting on their performance, imagine how you would feel if someone said those same words to you. Avoid saying, “you didn’t,” or “you failed to use.” Instead, use “I believe,” “My reaction was,” and “I suggest.” This helps the massage therapist avoid feeling attacked or demeaned.

3. Evaluate to motivate.

“I appreciate you” and “You did a great job” can feel empty and meaningless to someone who wants to grow. Focus on what you noticed; be honest and specific about your observations. If you have received massages from them before, search for ways they have improved and note them. Give helpful direction without value judgments, and always end your feedback with something positive, so they feel inspired and motivated to grow.

4. Name the feelings you experienced during the massage.

During the massage, did you feel heard, listened to, and accommodated? What did the massage feel like? Did any specific techniques stand out to you? How did you feel afterward? In what ways did their techniques feel harmonious and balanced? Use your somatic vocabulary to articulate how it felt, and use somatic metaphors as needed to help them understand how you felt.

5. Be kind

Use the golden rule, treating them the way you would like to be treated. Empathize with them and offer compassion. When you create a safe space to evaluate their skills, it encourages them to seek your guidance in the future.

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Disclaimer

Information provided on this website, including educational materials, pain neuroscience explanations, treatment suggestions, and any other content shared during sessions, classes, or coaching, is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

You should always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical concerns. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of information you receive here.