A warm, comfortable atmosphere and peaceful, clear state of mind is important to foster learning. Photo by Emily Bauman on Unsplash
Mentoring
Mentoring is a relationship focused on your learning + your journey as a Grief Massage therapist.
A mentoring session is a safe place to share your experiences + express your thoughts and feelings about what you are learning and how you are growing!
How mentoring works
Zoom and online training programs will automatically include access to group mentoring sessions as of August 2024. All students currently enrolled in the self-paced “The Joy of Grief Massage” online courses are invited to our next group mentoring session on Zoom 8/16 from 9-11 am EST. Sign up here.
1:1 Mentoring is available for massage therapists/students who want to train privately in Grief Massage (just you and Aimee on Zoom) or who have already trained and crave ongoing support.
For Zoom classes: One follow-up group mentoring session will automatically be added to Zoom class tuition and scheduled for 3 weeks after the last class meeting. This is optional! The follow-up group mentoring session will be a relaxed 2 hour opportunity to reconnect with the group cohort, share experiences from the time period after class ended, and seek support in implementing the Grief Massage ideas shared in class. Research shows that adding support/mentorship tp training can make a beautiful and positive impact!
For online training (fully self-paced): As of August 2024, all students enrolled in “The Joy of Grief Massage” online training (individual courses or bundle) are welcome to join monthly Zoom group mentoring calls. These group mentoring calls will be laid back 2 hour meetings accessible via Zoom. Students actively enrolled in online training are welcome to bring their questions, thoughts, ideas and potential stumbling blocks for support and exploration. Students are also welcome to come and just soak in the community energy and bask in the magic of being with other grief-focused massage therapy folks. Learn more here.
Additional 1:1 mentoring sessions can be arranged as needed.
1:1 Mentoring: If you have not yet trained in Grief Massage and would like to arrange personalized training in the 15 CE Zoom series, Aimee can provide 1:1 teaching and mentoring. If you have already trained in Grief Massage with Aimee (or another teacher in the field) and would like 1:1 mentoring as you work with grievers, she would be honored to provide insight, encouragement, and a safe place to land with all your questions, hopes, doubts and dreams.
Curious about mentoring and how it can support you? Reach out to me today for a friendly 15 minute Zoom chat: aimeetaylor@griefmassage.org
More about mentoring
As you train in Grief Massage or begin putting yourself out in the world as a new Grief Massage therapist and begin putting your training into action. For example, you may appreciate support around:
-answering common questions such as “how is Grief Massage different from regular massage?”
-engaging with potential Grief Massage clients
-working to build referral partnerships with local counselors and healthcare providers
-providing Grief Massage to your first clients
-developing processes in your Grief Massage practice
Or, as an experienced Grief Massage practitioner, you too may hunger for the nourishment that a mentoring relationship can provide. You may desire non-judgmental feedback and encouragement around:
-preventing burnout and creating limits with clients and Grief Massage referral sources
-setting prices/changing prices and introducing new services/offerings in your Grief Massage practice
-handling ethical dilemmas in the Grief Massage setting
-stepping into the role of teacher - creating your own Grief Massage training course based on your experiences in the field
Bring your wins
Mentoring sessions are not only a place to explore and brainstorm solutions to challenges.
The mentoring relationship is also a warm, supportive confidential atmosphere for celebrating + validating your successes, achievements and “aha” moments along the journey, For example, you may benefit from sharing:
-experiences with Grief Massage clients (please note that clients can sign a consent for you to discuss details of their sessions in mentorship).
-marketing breakthroughs
-taking worthy risks (such as signing up for a health fair or hosting a talk about Grief Massage)
-mindset shifts that bring greater clarity + confidence
-insights about your calling + how you want to see your Grief Massage practice grow
Why mentorship matters for Grief Massage
Research in other fields shows that training + mentorship yields greater results than training alone.
I believe that mentorship can be especially powerful in a Grief Massage context. While working with grief can be deeply satisfying on a soul/calling level - it can also be lonely at times.
We still live in a culture where grief is commonly treated as a “negative” emotion or taboo topic.
While you go against the grain of cultural grief messages by training in/providing Grief Massage, mentoring can be a source of warm, grounded support for you.
The mentoring relationship can be fertile soil for the seed of your calling to crack open and help you grow into the Grief Massage therapist you want to be.
I will hold space for:
-discussing the training lessons + how they uniquely apply to you and your practice
-sharing personal experiences from my own Grief Massage journey (as they apply to you)
-listening fully to your fears and challenges
-validating your excitement and wins (and assist you in creating processes + strategies based on what works for you)
-providing expert guidance
-collaborating with you to reach your goals
My qualifications as a mentor
I was just like you in at least one important way when I graduated from massage school.
I wanted to serve grievers through touch.
At the time, training and information about grief and massage therapy was very limited (almost nonexistent) so I forged a path based on personal experience, education from other fields (I earned a BA in Psychology and MA in Counseling along the way), and paying attention to my own calling.
I’ve been honored to be the recipient of Massage Therapy Foundation grants for Grief Massage (in partnership with a Charlotte based nonprofit). to write a well received article about Grief Massage for the ABMP Massage & Bodywork magazine, to develop one of the first NCBTMB approved Grief Massage training programs, to work with many grieving massage clients, and to train amazing massage therapists (from all over) in Grief Massage.
My training as a counselor is uniquely relevant to the mentoring process, as I have been trained in the art of listening.
While I will not provide mental health services or therapy in our mentoring sessions, I will bring all the skills I have used in the therapy room:
-presence
-reflecting you back to yourself
-goal setting
-asking insightful questions
-hearing what you are saying on both surface + deeper levels
I’d love to hear from you if you feel mentoring might be a good fit for you right now. Email me and we can schedule a time to chat about it!