Spa Bodywork: A Guide for Massage Therapists

The ability to deliver an exceptional and satisfying spa treatment is a special skill for which massage therapists are particularly well suited. Spa treatments today are multi-layered, multi-textured works of art that combine many elements of holistic practice. They are fun to deliver and offer the therapist a creative outlet. Knowledge of spa treatments not only allows massage therapists to offer their clients more options; it gives them a competitive advantage when seeking work in the spa industry.

This textbook guides the massage therapist through each step of delivering a treatment—from a consideration of the indications and contraindications to scope of practice issues, the supplies needed, how to set up the room and practical tips on the specific steps involved. It also provides ideas for massage therapists on how to integrate massage techniques, spa products and enhancing accents, so you can create and deliver unique services.

While wet-room equipment and techniques are discussed throughout the book, the focus is on the delivery of spa treatments in a dry-room setting. This approach allows for the use of spa services in a variety of settings such as a classroom, private practice, and massage clinic or day spa without the need for expensive wet-room equipment.

Spa Bodywork features:

• Striking full-color photographs: More than 250 photographs clearly illustrate each spa technique and treatment.
• Treatment Snapshots: These quick reference boxes allow the therapist to get an overview of the treatment before reading the step-by-step procedures section.
• Sanitation Boxes: Handy clean-up and sanitation tips are offered throughout the treatment chapters.
• Broaden Your Understanding Boxes: These boxes contain information that helps the massage therapist to understand the full scope of a treatment.
• Sample Treatments: Sample treatments offered at the end of chapters are easy to add to a menu of services and come with promotional descriptions, product recommendations, and recipes for creating inviting smell-scapes.