Find a Mentor

"Mentoring" is from the Greek word meaning steadfast or enduring. Mentoring is a sustained relationship, often in a career-oriented setting, between an experienced and trusted person who gives advice to another less experienced person.

Mentoring is the process by which a person offers guidance and instruction to assist mentees in their personal and career development. Successful careers often require the assistance of people who are willing to support and encourage another’s career development.

The mentoring relationship is not a substitute for formal training or education in massage therapy techniques or modalities.

• Assist massage therapists who are new to the profession
• Provide an outlet for experienced massage therapists to give back to the profession
• Help AMTA members succeed and improve goal-setting, communication skills and success planning

• Professional development
• Creating higher standards for the industry
• Learning from each other
• Enhanced reputation and professionalism
• Sharpened communication skills
• Development of leadership skills
• Sharing of mutual interests
• Networking and community
• Continued one-on-one support
• Increased career satisfaction

No two mentoring relationships are identical, and the particulars of the relationship will depend on the type of assistance needed. In some cases, you may need to exchange a few emails to bring the relationship to a conclusion. In other cases, you may need to have regular in-person meetings for an extended period to achieve the desired outcome. It is helpful to decide together how often you will communicate and meet. A few talking points to that effect to get you started:

• How frequently and through what outlets will you communicate (phone, email, text, etc.)?
• Resolve to address any conflicts or problems in the relationship together, even if it isn’t easy
• Respect each other’s privacy
• Work on shared goals, which should be outlined together and agreed upon by both parties
• Listen to what each other brings to the conversation and relationship, and learn from each other’s experiences
• Make strides to achieve shared goals

Here are a few questions to ask yourself periodically throughout a longer-term mentoring relationship:

• Is there mutual trust in this relationship?
• Do we work well together?
• What professional goals have we agreed to work on together?
• How much progress has been made towards achieving those goals?
• What are the three things that are going well in this mentoring relationship?
• What are three things I think the other party appreciates about this mentoring relationship?
• What is one way we can improve our interactions?

Discussions between mentors and mentees may focus on general issues related to the massage therapy profession such as:

• Effective massage therapist/client communications
• Professionalism and ethics
• Office management
• Career progression
• Marketing tips
• Technology or social media for use in a massage practice
• Navigating local regulations around a massage practice

Here are a few questions that might be helpful to ask:

• What has developed or changed since our last conversation?
• What is one immediate challenge you would like to overcome?
• How can I, as your mentor, be helpful with this challenge?
• What strengths can you apply to this challenge to make it easier for you?
• What worries you the most about this challenge?
• What action steps can you take that will help you tackle this challenge?
• What movements or progress have you made on the longer-term goals we discussed?
• How can I, as your mentor, continue to support you as you work toward your long-term goals?