So during my recent trip to Denver, Colorado and the 2014 AMTA National Convention I had the odd fortune of getting to take a Pediatric Massage class. I say odd fortune because it wasn’t my first choice. It was actually pretty far down the list of my choices, but circumstances happened and I wasn’t able to register until other classes had filled and this class was happening in the time period I had free to take a class.
You know how they say that everything happens for a reason? Well, there was a reason. Apparently I was meant to take this class, Pediatric Massage: Highlighting Trauma.
It was four hours of non-stop information. Stuff that I should have learned in massage school or psychology class or somewhere, but hadn’t. The class should have been two days long for all the information that needed to be conveyed and received. The instructor was vibrant, knowledgeable, and passionate. She was also very focused on research and real science backing up what she was teaching.
Overall a great class. One that leaves you thirsting for much, much more of the subject.
What I learned in her class, by and large, is that the kids I have worked on, mostly in my office, are not just pint-sized adults; which is how I’ve been treating them. They have different needs, different expectations, just a whole different mindset of what massage is or should be.
That being said, I’m not going to stop working on kids. I’m just going to modify with what I know now. And, mark this down, I’m going to go for a Pediatric Massage Therapy Certification. I won’t be able to go until next year, but that gives me time to save up enough money. Donations are welcome, the tuition is expensive and I’ll have to travel to do it, but I think it’s going to be worth it. And I think it’s a service that our area desperately needs.
Anyway, I’m linking a video here of a short (17 minutes) documentary about Liddle Kidz Foundation and what they do for kids, not just in North America, but all over the world. Enjoy!
♥
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