May is Mental Health Month
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in four adults, approximately 61.5 million Americans, experience mental illness in a given year. Most likely, we all have had at least one massage therapy client that has dealt with mental illness at some point in their lives. As Memorial Day approaches, I am reminded that many of us work with veterans. Those who have served in the armed forces are more prone to post-traumatic stress disorder than other populations. Those symptoms may affect how they react to otherwise benign situations in the treatment room.
Last year, I attended a Yoga for Trauma and Recovery Teacher Training through the Transformation Yoga Project. I received a wealth of knowledge and met some pretty incredible people along the way. During the meditation portion of the training, I reflected on the various ways healing modalities, such as massage and yoga, can affect people living with psychological distress.
As massage therapists, we know that positive, informed touch can be transformative. To learn more about depression and massage therapy, check out my online continuing education course Depression 101.
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