Jill K. Berkana's Blog

Have you ever known someone whose voice irritates you to your core? Have you heard a voice that was so suggestive you felt sexually stimulated? Can you recall when you heard a voice that was so soothing, it put you to sleep, or alternatively one that startled you to a state of attentiveness? Human beings who have...

Anyone who is a massage therapist knows this. There are times when you introduce yourself, or are introduced as a massage therapist, and the person's reaction is to literally turn their back to you and in one way or another, lean into you and directly or indirectly indicate that you are going to work with them right...

Hugging is good medicine, and like all medicine it needs to be taken in doses and not assumed to be good for everyone all the time. A hug. Such a nice thing. We wrap our arms around one another, and squeeze. Informing the relationship that we both care and want to be close. So nice. Who wouldn’t want a hug? This...

As a massage therapy educator, and retired Massage Therapist I am no stranger to the study of  Boundaries and Assumptions.  The other day, my two little step-daughters reminded me why awareness of our behavior around these concepts is a very important inclusion in our efforts to get along and share life with...

The intention of this article is to help massage therapists understand Mindfulness, and to encourage the cultivation of Mindfulness in order to improve their relationships to themselves, their clients, and subsequently enjoy more success in their massage therapy practice. I recently shared “(more than) 100 Reasons...

In my practice from 1990 to 2008, I served hundreds of clients, thousands of massages. Every new client I saw completed an intake form and I conducted an interview in order to know how best to serve them. This intake process should be a standard practice for every legitimate massage therapist. One of the questions...