+ All Categories
Home > Documents > New Mexico Newsletter February 2016 - AMTA...

New Mexico Newsletter February 2016 - AMTA...

Date post: 18-Mar-2018
Category:
Upload: vodat
View: 217 times
Download: 4 times
Share this document with a friend
22
1 New Mexico Newsletter February 2016 www.nm.amtamassage.org Chapter Phone (505) 503-4600 Upcoming Events February 20, 2016: ABQ: Academy of Family Physicians Refresher March 19-20, 2016: Santa Fe: AMTA- NM Annual Conference at The Lodge in Santa Fe. Bonus Day: March 21 April 29-May 1, 2016: Ruidoso: EMS Region III Spring Conference July 28-31,2016: Taos: Academy of Family Physicians Conference October 26-29, 2016: Milwaukee, WI: AMTA National Convention President’s Message: It’s amazing that a whole 2 years has passed since you elected me as your AMTA-NM chapter president. At the start of any great challenge there is excitement and the hope of huge accomplishments. I still have the same excitement and hopes for this chapter and our profession. As one of my board members recently stated, “we are perfectly poised in this profession” to do amazing things. We’ve worked hard over the past few years to bring value to your membership in the form of opportunities to meet . . . (cont’d on pg. 2) Our mission is to support members in developing the art, science, and practice of massage therapy in a caring professional and ethical manner in order to promote the health and welfare of humanity. In This Issue: Presidents Message 1 YouTube Channel 2 Government Relations Report 3 NM Academy of Family Physicians 3 Delegate: 2015 National Convention 5 “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 6 KOB4 Health and Wellness Fair 7 Run for Chapter BOD 8 Why Serve on the BOD? 9 “Target Your Skills” 2016 Annual Conf. 10 “Massage, Meditation, and the Task at Hand” essay 11 Coffee Meet-up Reminder 12 EMS Region III Conference 13 New & Transfer Members 15 Milestone Anniversaries 17 “Is Your Practice Allergy Sensitive?” 19 Photo Gallery 21 Your Chapter’s Board of Directors: President: Amy C. Zampella [email protected] 1st Vice President: JoAnna Dunn [email protected] 2nd Vice President: Donald F Schiff [email protected] 3rd Vice President: BreAnne Garcia-McClellan [email protected] Secretary: Dee Dee Anders [email protected] Treasurer: Patricia Brown-Katz [email protected] Elected House of Delegates Representatives: Dee Dee Anders and Christine “Cat” Tally - Delegates Carolyn Riggs and Jerron Roberts - Alternates
Transcript

1

New Mexico Newsletter

February 2016

www.nm.amtamassage.org

Chapter Phone (505) 503-4600

Upcoming Events

February 20, 2016: ABQ: Academy of Family Physicians Refresher

March 19-20, 2016: Santa Fe: AMTA-NM Annual Conference at The Lodge in Santa Fe. Bonus Day: March 21

April 29-May 1, 2016: Ruidoso: EMS Region III Spring Conference

July 28-31,2016: Taos: Academy of Family Physicians Conference

October 26-29, 2016: Milwaukee, WI: AMTA National Convention

President’s Message:

It’s amazing that a whole 2 years has passed since you elected me as your AMTA-NM chapter president. At the start of any great challenge there is excitement and the hope of huge accomplishments. I still have the same excitement and hopes for this chapter and our profession. As one of my board members recently stated, “we are perfectly poised in this profession” to do amazing things. We’ve worked hard over the past few years to bring value to your membership in the form of opportunities to meet . . . (cont’d on pg. 2)

Our mission is to support members in developing the art, science, and practice of massage therapy in a caring professional and ethical manner in order to

promote the health and welfare of humanity.

In This Issue:

President’s Message 1

YouTube Channel 2

Government Relations Report 3

NM Academy of Family Physicians 3

Delegate: 2015 National Convention 5

“Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 6

KOB4 Health and Wellness Fair 7

Run for Chapter BOD 8

Why Serve on the BOD? 9

“Target Your Skills” 2016 Annual Conf. 10

“Massage, Meditation, and the Task at Hand” essay 11

Coffee Meet-up Reminder 12

EMS Region III Conference 13

New & Transfer Members 15

Milestone Anniversaries 17

“Is Your Practice Allergy Sensitive?” 19

Photo Gallery 21

Photo Gallery 18 Your Chapter’s Board of Directors: President: Amy C. Zampella [email protected] 1st Vice President: JoAnna Dunn [email protected] 2nd Vice President: Donald F Schiff [email protected] 3rd Vice President: BreAnne Garcia-McClellan [email protected] Secretary: Dee Dee Anders [email protected] Treasurer: Patricia Brown-Katz [email protected]

Elected House of Delegates Representatives: Dee Dee Anders and Christine “Cat” Tally - Delegates Carolyn Riggs and Jerron Roberts - Alternates

A M T A N E W M E X I C O F E B 2 0 1 2

2

President’s Message (cont’d from pg. 1)

. . . potential clients, offering quality

education at an affordable cost, and providing platforms for social interactions. I hope that you still find great value in your membership. Let us know what more we can do for you as a chapter--to support you in your success.

There are so many more things we’d like to accomplish as a chapter. And we need your help to do it. We are seeking members to join our committees - Membership, Government Relations, Education, and Community Service Massage Team. We’ll be talking about these committees at our Annual meeting in March and in our chapter’s Annual Report. Contact me or anyone on the Board of Directors if you have even just a little bit of time to help out.

We are very excited for the upcoming 2016 Annual Conference at The Lodge in Santa Fe. We read the evaluations from last year and used them to select the program. Thanks to the 2016 Conference Committee for working so hard on this event. It’s incredible to be able to gather like minds from around the state for education, networking and social time. We’ll publish a chapter Annual report and financials (by email) for all members in early March. We’ll also be electing a new Board of Directors on March 20th. (See page 8 for more information.)

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve the membership over the past 2 years. It’s been a pleasure being able to assist our members in their journey to become the best they can be. Huge thanks to the 2015/2016 Board of Directors and Delegates. You are all

indispensable and wonderful souls.

-- Amy C. Zampella, President

**********************************************

The chapter has started a YouTube channel. We’ll be posting videos from our chapter leadership and linking to content that is relevant to our members. We will be working on a video of members at the 2016 Conference and will post it here. If

there’s anything you’d like to see in video form, please let us know. Check it out

here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjW

0Sw1WCNwkLQfDoVx0Ntg

********************************************************************************************

I Am AMTA!

BreAnne Garcia-McClellan, 3

rd VP/Membership Chair invites you to

complete a short questionnaire regarding our wonderful members.

See BreAnne’s article on page 18.

A M T A N E W M E X I C O F E B 2 0 1 2

3

AMTA-NM Government Relations Report 2/10/2016

The Government Relations Committee has been focused on two issues this quarter: improving the Visiting Instructor rule for continuing education and maintaining positive relationships with the Legislature through chair massage. For the past two years, our nationally recognized instructors whom we recruited to teach at our AMTA-NM conference have had difficulty complying with NM's visiting instructor rule. Even though they teach NCBTMB-approved classes which the NM Massage Board would accept if taken out of state, the Massage Board has insisted that they jump through numerous hoops and provide documentation which is time-consuming and difficult to obtain. Therefore, your AMTA-NM Board of Directors has voted on language to amend the Visiting Instructor rule to accept the NCBTMB credential from visiting instructors in lieu of other documentation. We plan to submit language to amend the rule to the Massage Board's Rules and Statute committee. The chapter's annual Legislative Massage Week was held from February 13 through 17 in the State Capitol House Members' Lounge. We provide this free service for the legislators in the final week of the session to ease pain and reduce stress from long days of mostly sitting, which helps them make better decisions in the public interest. We've done a lot of good work over the last 25 years, and we've made friends who know who we are and what we can do. We are here for them now so that they will be there for us when we need their help. Respectfully submitted, Donald F. Schiff, BS, LMT #8

Did you know that each time you shop at Amazon, you can support the Massage Therapy Foundation?

Click here to visit the Amazon Smile page http://smile.amazon.com/ & select Massage Therapy

Foundation. AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible

purchases.

A M T A N E W M E X I C O F E B 2 0 1 2

4

Continuing to Network with Physicians

We are excited to participate in the New Mexico Academy of Family Physicians Winter Refresher in Albuquerque on Saturday February 20th at Hotel Albuquerque: familydoctornm.org/documents/brochures/current_brochure.pdf This is a really important event to network with the physicians on the role of massage therapy in the healthcare community. We’ll provide samples of chair massage, discuss the latest research and promote our therapist through the “Find a Massage Therapist” locator service. If you are interested in marketing your practice to doctors, check out “Working with Physicians: A Massage Therapist’s Guide” free e-book at the Massage Therapy Foundation website: http://www.massagetherapyfoundation.org/resources/general/working-with-physicians-a-massage-therapist-s-guide/ Save the dates of July 28-31 for the 4-day Family Physicians Conference in Taos. Contact Amy Zampella at [email protected] if you’d like to attend.

******************************************************************************************

A warm hello from Christine “Chrissy” Thompson, your NM-AMTA Chapter Newsletter Editor!

Don’t miss BreAnne’s “I Am AMTA” invitation, Carolyn Riggs’ 2015 National

Convention experience, Doug Nelson’s “Massage, Meditation, and the Task at Hand” article, and details on our 2016 NM Chapter Annual Conference next month!

I am always open to suggestions and ideas for the newsletter.

Contact me at [email protected]

5

Going to the 2015 National Convention as an Alternate Delegate for NM AMTA by Carolyn Riggs

It may sound strange that I’ve been waiting (for years) to become involved in our New Mexico Chapter of AMTA but it is the truth. I’ve been an LMT for a couple of decades at this point and I love my work. In fact, I have always loved my work as a LMT and the longest time that I’ve ever been away from this work is several months when I moved to Albuquerque and was working very hard to transition my son who has special needs into school and services here from those he had in Arizona. Well, years later with two teenagers and various other obligations, it has continued to be challenging to find the time to volunteer and be a part of AMTA at the next level. However, after attending my first National Convention in Denver in 2014, I knew I had to make the time. So last year at the NM Annual Conference I was motivated to jump in and run for a delegate position in our Chapter. It seemed like a good fit for me because I’m always interested in how things work, what can be done to move important issues forward for our profession, and support our profession at a local level. I’m very happy to report as your alternate delegate going to the National Convention in Pittsburgh was very informative and energizing. In addition, my experiences with this year’s NM Delegates and NM AMTA Board have been rewarding and I have learned a lot.

As an alternate delegate my experience started with a warm welcome from our board members and learning about how our chapter operates. I then started the process of learning about recommendations and position statements for the National Convention and reading discussions for and against these proposals from delegates from all over the country. That process got me even more excited about going to Pittsburg for the National Convention. Despite feeling under the weather when the time came to attend the convention, I was committed to making it happen and doing the best I could to learn and participate. It was amazing to be there and have so many opportunities to learn and meet fellow LMTs. The House of Delegates (HOD) does important, interesting work. It was very engaging and humorous watching the “mock” recommendation and position statements be presented and debated. The HOD does this to illustrate how the process works for those, like me, who are new to the process. I also enjoyed the opportunity to caucus with our NM Delegates as the opportunity presented itself. It was a wonderful experience that I hope to have again in the future. Being involved in AMTA offers so many opportunities for us to grow in our profession (cont’d on page 6)

6

Going to the 2015 National Convention (cont’d from page 5) . . . and for our profession to be shaped by us. Our state has a rich history with AMTA and there are lots of ways to be involved. The National Conventions are wonderful places to take classes, network with other LMTs, try out new products, and be involved in shaping our profession. Thank you so much for allowing me to attend this past convention as your alternate delegate. I truly appreciate the opportunity.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 2015

In honor of Massage Therapy Awareness Week, the chapter participated in the 5K Strides walk on October 24, 2015. We offered chair massage in the survivor’s tent, handed out information about oncology massage and made some great connections with the American Cancer Society. Much appreciation to team leader BreAnne Garcia-McClellan for organizing this event. Thanks to our great volunteers for the day: Jamie Atherton, JoAnna Dunn, Vonna Witten, Dee Dee Anders, Donald Schiff, Patricia Brown-Katz, and Amy Zampella.

Patricia Brown-Katz Dee Dee Anders, BreAnne Garcia-McClellan, Vonna BreAnne Garcia-McClellan Witten, Jamie Atherton, Amy Zampella

More Photos in Photo Section at end of Newsletter

7

Reaching Health Conscious Community at the KOB TV Channel 4 Health Fair Amazing chapter volunteers provided 100 chair massages over the 2-day health fair at EXPO NM. This is a huge local event showcasing traditional and integrative medicine, personal training, healthy nutrition, and much more. The event gives us a chance to market AMTA and our members to health conscious individuals. We are always a popular booth and do our best to give many of the attendees a taste of massage. The public contributed almost $600 to the chapter. We also had a chance to network with the other health and wellness professionals about the benefits of referring their clients for massage.

Kudos to the following volunteers for making the event a success:

JoAnna Dunn

BreAnne Garcia-McClellan

Jesse Dessain

Carol Thornton

Vonna Witten

Nicole Chamberlain

Cameron Clare

Kristin Cunnar

Donald Schiff

Dee Dee Anders

Steven Wallschlaegar

Amy Zampella

Cat Tally

Kirk Sugars

Dee Dee Anders, JoAnna Dunn, Steven Wallschaegar Cameron Clare and Carol Thornton

More photos in Photos Section of Newsletter

Be Part of Something Special

Run for the 2016-2017 AMTA-NM Chapter Board of Directors

Are you passionate about your massage career?

Do you have great ideas for elevating the profession?

Run for a Board position!

Put your ideas into action!

On Sunday, March 20, 2016, we’ll be electing the following volunteer positions:

President (2 yr. term)

2nd Vice President (2 yr. term)

Secretary (2 yr. term)

Delegate (2 yr. term)

Alternate Delegates (2 positions open, 1 yr. terms)

You DO NOT need to be present at the meeting to run. Submit your intent to run to our Commissioner on Candidacy, Susan Myers. Susan is open to receive applications for positions from now until March 15, 2016. The Commission receives the applications for board positions, and reviews them to determine that they qualify for the positions.

The Commission then creates a report with a slate of candidates and presents it at the Annual Meeting on March 20, 2016.

Nominations may be taken from the floor at the time of the Commission report only if no eligible candidates have submitted applications by March 15, 2016 (5 days prior to the annual meeting date).

If you are interested in serving on the 2016/2017 AMTA-NM Board of Directors, please submit your intent and a resume to the Commissioner on Candidacy, Susan Myers at [email protected]. The deadline for applications is March 15, 2016.

Click here to read detailed description of the open positions on our website: http://nm.amtamassage.org/state-convention#2016elections.

Contact the present Board members if you’d like to ask them questions about their positions: http://nm.amtamassage.org/board-of-directors.

Questions? Contact our current President, Amy Zampella at 505-255-2203.

8

Why Serve on the Board of Directors?

It is so rewarding to serve on the board of the AMTA: opportunities for learning, networking, community service, personal growth. You do not need any special experience - just a positive attitude and willingness to serve your local AMTA members. Some of the requirements include attending face-to-face board meetings, conference call board meetings, assisting in organizing chapter events, recruiting volunteers, and committee work (related to education, communications, government relations, membership, etc.) Please watch a special video message from our President, Amy Zampella here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm63NMl4lPU More Great Reasons to Run:

• Personal and professional development - opportunities to network with and learn from your colleagues, gain leadership skills, boost your confidence and self esteem.

• Serving on the board of directors is a wonderful way to support a cause you care about - your massage therapy profession. You can contribute to the common good of massage therapists around the state.

• Make new friends. Lifelong relationships come out of working closely with your colleagues. Grow your network. Grow your business. As some of our existing board members say -- “volunteering has helped my personal massage therapy practice!" There are opportunities to talk to the public at large, network with other healthcare providers, and meet potential clients.

• Travel around the state and even the country! There is some compensation for your travel if necessary and officers/leadership training for Board members. Positions (except 2nd alternate delegate) receive some compensation for attending the National Convention. This year it will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin: https://www.amtamassage.org/education/AMTA-2016-National-Convention.html

9

2016 AMTA-NM Annual Conference in Santa Fe, March 19 & 20, 2015

Target Your Skills, AMTA-NM’s annual conference, is right around the corner – March 19

th & 20

th with a bonus education day on the 21

st. This year’s conference will feature

Doug Nelson from Precision Neuromuscular Therapy as our hands-on educator.

Doug’s theory of teaching clinical reasoning and not cookie-cutter treatment plans will allow participants to assess and treat each client individually to meet their clients’ individual needs. Felicia Harvey will present an anatomy review of the shoulder and Cynthia “Bear” Sahlfeld will lead our Ethics class. With small class sizes everyone will have plenty of time to practice in the hands-on classes and have fuller discussions and time for questions in the lecture classes. Our Chapter elections will take place on Sunday, March 20, during the Annual business meeting. If you are interested in running for President, 2

nd Vice President,

Secretary, Delegate or Alternate Delegate (2), check out the elections section of the Conference page for information on submitting your name for nomination. We are seeking volunteers to help with Registration on Saturday and Monday mornings. Students have a great opportunity to observe classes in exchange for time volunteered (sorry, no CEU’s). If you are interested in helping out please email: [email protected].

The conference and bonus education day has sold out! However, you can still join us at the Saturday Happy Hour Reception. AMTA members are only $5 and non-members $12. Tickets can be purchased online at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/target-your-skills-amta-nm-2016-annual-conference-registration-20041040291.

We’re looking forward to seeing you in Santa Fe in March!

10

Massage, Meditation, and the Task at Hand Douglas Nelson, LMT, CNMT, BCTMB April of 2016 will begin my 39th year as a massage therapist. My typical day is to see seven or eight clients, having done so now for decades. When new therapists discover this fact, I am often then asked how it is possible to have that kind of longevity due to the physical difficulty of massage. While this is certainly a valid question, my own experience is that the physical nature of the work is not as difficult as the mental challenge that massage therapy presents. That same challenge provides a daily opportunity for growth and maturity in the work; one which I am extremely grateful for. Like so many people, I have a full life, personally and professionally. My office is a very busy environment on two levels. My clinic staff and I see over 1000 client visits a month, managing that is no small challenge. Even with great people around me, challenges present themselves on a daily basis. In addition, my teaching institute does almost one hundred educational events annually. This again presents many logistical challenges. With all that going on just outside my clinic door, it is no wonder that my brain has come to savor the certain sound that the door to my treatment room makes upon closing. When I hear that "click," something special happens inside me. It is the sound of closure; everything not related to my client is now shut out of the room for the allotted appointment time. I had the very good fortune to work as a neuromuscular therapy consultant for the Chicago Bulls during the mid 1990's, and remember Michael Jordan talking about the lines on the basketball court being sacred space. Once you step into that boundary, the distractions of the world are to be left outside and cannot penetrate the "out of bounds" lines. This concept is far easier to state than it is to live. Once the discussion with the client about symptoms and strategies ends, it can be far from quiet internally. At one moment I am immersed in the architecture of the neck and in the next moment I find my mind wandering to issues dealing with staff scheduling, sending equipment to seminar locations, and a host of other tasks on my to-do list. The world provides no shortage of distractions, each of them vying for my attention. All of them seem to have immediate and demanding reasons to direct my attention away from the task at hand, and in this case, I mean that in the most literal sense. The truth is, the moment my mind wanders, I am not serving my client effectively. My mind is not on what I am palpating. Gently, I direct myself back to the task at hand, fully present for this person, who deserves nothing less. My job is to perceive . . . (cont’d on page 12) 11

Massage, Meditation, and the Task at Hand (cont’d from page 11) . . . accurately, ascribe meaning to what I feel, and then respond with an appropriate treatment approach.

It is my strong belief that when the therapist loses focus, it is perceptible by the client. I have explored this concept much over the years, designing exercises to validate if the client can perceive where the therapist is directing their attention. Having done this exercise hundreds of times, it is enlightening to know that as therapists, we think we are assessing our clients but they in turn, are assessing us. My job is to sense, perceive meaning and react. As it turns out, my client is doing exactly the same. I have come to fully embrace the meditational aspects of massage therapy. When I am working, where is my focus? What questions am I asking about the tissue? What is changing under my fingertips? Is my focus completely and totally on my client? Does my sixth client get the same attention and focus as my first? My experience is that daily life in the clinic is a constant meditation and often, I leave more centered than I arrived. How lucky are we to be in a profession where this is true? +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Connect with AMTA-NM Coffee Meetups

We have been holding informal coffee meetups in ABQ and Roswell consistently over the past year. Roswell has been fairly well attended and will continue monthly. Participation in Albuquerque has been low. We have decided to suspend the ABQ NE coffee for now.

We’d like to hear from you - when and where would you like these meetups to be held?

Please email membership chair, BreAnne Garcia-McClellan at [email protected] or comment on our Facebook page: AMTA New Mexico Chapter. Stay up-to-date on our monthly meetups by visiting our chapter calendar at http://nm.amtamassage.org/calendar

ABQ Downtown Coffee Meetup: 2nd Monday of every other month at The Coffee Shop at 2nd & Lomas, to benefit St. Martin’s Hospitality Program for the homeless.

Roswell Coffee Meetup: 2nd Wednesday of every month at Stellars Coffee on Main St. in Roswell.

12

EMS Region 3 Conference this Spring

Have a passion for helping those hard working emergency medical personnel?

Your AMTA Chapter will participate in the upcoming EMS Region III Conference in Ruidoso, April 29 to May 1. The 2016 Conference will be held at the Ruidoso Convention Center and will have a large exhibition of EMS products and service suppliers, as well as provide education for New Mexico's emergency caregivers.

At the Chapter’s chair massage booth, we will be offering chair massage to the emergency personnel on a contributions-to-the-chapter basis. Our booth is always a popular stop for conference attendees. This is a great way to network with the emergency medical community and promote your business. Not only are we there to educate this population on the benefits of massage for their patients, but also to speak to them about the importance of taking care of themselves as hard-working caregivers.

The chair massage booth schedule is as follows:

Thursday April 28th - Setup only at 4:00 pm

Friday April 29th - 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, 3 hr. shifts at 8:00, 11:00, and 2:00 pm

Saturday April 1st - 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, 3 hr. shifts at 8:00, 11:00, and 2:00 pm

Sunday May 1st - 8:00 am to 11:00 am, one 3 hr. shift

Please contact Rick Wiles via text or voicemail at (575) 308-3579 Reserve your shift today!

_____________________________________________________________________

Payment Plans Now Available for Renewals!

Members have been asking, National has listened…

AMTA now has easy payment options published on the website. When you renew your membership on-line you will see all the available options.

You’ll receive a $5 incentive for paying all at once. Hopefully this will make it easier for members to renew their membership in a way that fits their budgets.

13

New & Transfer Members & Milestone Anniversaries

October 2015 - January 2016 New Members Name Join Date

Eden Amaya October 2015

Erica Buchanan

Peter Ehlers

Devon Florez

Arianne Frausto

Jinita Hayes

Stephanie Hermanson

Charlsi Iker

Clarissa Jimenez

Graciela Jimenez

Kimberly Kawada

Karisma Orozco

Amber Ragsdal

Ana Ruiz

Crystal Saenz

Paul Thomas

Chris Wollard

Carolina Alvarado November 2015

Eva Arambula

Natalie Carabajal

Tina Cruz

Kalyssa Engels

Tanya Essig

Adem Garcia

Corazon Garcia

Pamela Garcia

Taylor Gaytan

Irma Gonzales

Krystal Harrison

Perla Leyva

Rocio Marentes

Malissa Martin

Sabrina Martinez

Nicole Rede

New Members (cont’d)

Linda Armendariz December 2015

Jerrell DeLeon

Richard Edwards

Ellen Gore

Benjamin Howell

Jessica Lane

Jennifer Langdon

Melissa Madrill

Alma Navarro

Kelsey Olson

Valerie Pacheco

Leslie Padilla

Marie Pedraza

Lucy Pinedo

Rosalba Price

Alphia Reisenauer

Matthew Rodriguez

Hannah Rose Rosenstein

Ron Saavedra

Tricia Salazar

Nicolas Sanchez

Kate Sandoval

Benjamin Schultz

Carol Sullivan

Heather Umstot

Maggie Ybarra

Laura Bejarano January 2016

Denise Betoni

Katelynn Bowman

Daniel Boyce

Catherine Carnell

Charis Dean

Christine Elliott

Benjamin Hales

Mayra Luna

Whitley Mills

Jeanette Moore

Hailey Poiani

Moret Ray

New Members January 2016 (cont’d)

Courtney Richmond

Martin Rivera

Kelly Roveda

Jovan Salazar

Traci Woolf

Roberto Yzaguirre

Transfer Members Name Join Date

Rebecca Crane October 2015

Mari Pfingston-Bigelow

William Howard January 2016

Tina Sorenson

Pamela Powers Soule

Ruth Walker

Grace Matheson

Milestone Anniversaries 5 Years

Name Anniversary Date

Patricia Brown-Katz October 2015

Holly Koster

Carl Hime III

Michael Zurovitch

Karen Watrouse November 2015

Seraphina Tisch December 2015

Donald Schiff January 2016

Grace Matheson

10 Years

Name Anniversary Date

Crystal Edwards December 2015

15 Years

Name Anniversary Date

Glenda S. Bly October 2015

S. Lily O’Leary October 2015

Katherine Van Essen January 2016

Milestone Anniversaries (cont’d)

20 Years

Name Anniversary Date

Ruth Cummings December 2015

Christopher Sovereign December 2015

Keith Murray January 2016

25 Years

Name Anniversary Date

Sherry Kay Clark October 2015

Dawn M. Schulz October 2015

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I Am AMTA!

Our members are what make us great! You are AMTA! We want to feature our fantastic members on our website, in our newsletter and in other promotional material including; massage school visits and conference slideshows. If you would like to participate, please complete the following questionnaire and submit a picture of yourself to 3

rd VP/Membership Chair BreAnne Garcia-McClellan at

[email protected]. You may also be selected to record a short video with your answers at the 2016 State Conference if you are in attendance. Name: __________________________ City: ____________________________

1. Why did you become an LMT?

2. What is your practice like? (area of focus, expertise, etc.)

3. Why did you join AMTA?

4. How do you or have you gotten involved with the NM Chapter

5. Why would you or do you recommend AMTA to other LMTs?

6. How long have you been an LMT?

7. How long have you been a member of AMTA?

18

Is Your Practice Allergy Sensitive? By BreAnne Garcia-McClellan

The skin is the largest organ. We all learned this in massage school. Some of us may have learned this before we ever set foot in a massage school, had a massage or thought about becoming a massage therapist. Maybe we learned it in school, had to know it as part of our previous career, read about it in passing and just filed it away under interesting but unessential information. If you are one of the many people with an allergy you learned about it because it is not just what you put in your body but what you put on your body that can hurt you, or if the reaction is severe enough even kill you. If you are one of the millions of people who doesn’t have a serious allergy you probably don’t think much about what is in the products you use on a daily basis, but for those who have a serious allergy label reading is a way of life. Do you make this process easy for yourself and your clients? What would you do if a client came in with a serious allergy and could not be exposed to your favorite oil or lotion, do you have a backup plan? How do you inform your clients about the ingredients in the products that you are using? These are all questions that we need to ask ourselves. We should be prepared for the answers. Whether it is a minor skin irritation from an aloe allergy, or serious reaction from nut oil. We need to be prepared with alternatives for our clients in our therapeutic environments. We need to know what is in our products so we can educate our clients, and we need to be prepared with an alternative should the need arise. We also need to remember that our clients do not know what type of products we use or that they even need to ask the question. It is our responsibility to educate them. They may not be aware that massage oil or lotion could contain nut oil and so would not immediately tell you that they have a nut allergy. Gluten sensitivity and Celiac disease are other concerns we need to educate ourselves about. When I began this article, I had no idea that gluten would be a concern in products. However, as I went in search of products that were allergy sensitive I noticed there were a few massage products that were labeled as “Gluten Free.” I wondered if this was clever marketing so I began to research. I first reached out to a good friend who has Celiac disease. She quickly educated me that gluten can be in many of our hygiene products and directed me to her go-to website for more information www.glutenfreesociety.org. In an article there, “Do Your Cosmetics Contain Gluten or Other Toxins,” it referenced a research report regarding allergens introduced specifically to the skin. According the article, when gluten-based products were introduced . . . (cont’d on page 20)

19

Is Your Practice Allergy Sensitive? (cont’d from page 19) . . . to the skin, not only was dermatitis observed but asthmatic reactions as well. This could be a serious reaction to a client who already suffers from asthma and especially for one who does not and is ill-prepared to handle it. There is no reason to panic and throw out your favorite massage lotion, cream or oil. Here are some simple steps you can take to make your practice allergy sensitive:

1. Print up an ingredients list for all products that you use. Have that available for

all clients to read. I suggest a laminated copy in your office and make it

available on your website if you have one.

2. Include an allergy question on your intake form. Follow up by asking if they

have any allergies when going over that form. “Are you allergic to nuts?” Often

people don’t equate food allergies to a massage and may skip over the

question. Get them thinking.

3. Have an alternative available. Coconut oil, Shea Butter, and Jojoba oil have

proven to be safe for most people with allergy sensitivities.

Remember we are promoting wellness, and above all want our clients to enjoy their massage in a safe and therapeutic environment. These simple steps can help ensure that happens. *Personal note: I have a nut allergy. Before I began massage school, I had had many massages. I never thought to ask what was in the massage lotion and I had never been asked if I had a nut allergy. I had no idea that massage lotions or oils could or would be made with nut oils or that if it was absorbed through my skin that it would or could cause a reaction. **For more information about Gluten in hygiene products, the complete article referenced and a list of ingredients to be aware of you can visit this link: https://www.glutenfreesociety.org/do-your-cosmetics-contain-gluten-or-other-toxins/

***Note from your Newsletter editor: At last year’s Annual AMTA-NM Conference, Susan Salvo reported that we should use caution with Shea Butter if any of our clients have an allergy to latex. –Chris Thompson

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Join us on Facebook for Up-to-the-Minute News! 20

Jesse Dessain and Kirk Sugars at KOB TV Channel 4 Health Fair

Donald Schiff at Cat Tally at KOB Health Fair

“Making Strides Against Breast Cancer”

21

AMTA NEW MEXICO FEB 2014 AMTA NEW MEXICO FEB 2013

22

AMTA-NM Newsletter 1201 Eubank NE Ste. 2 Albuquerque, NM 87112 (505) 503-4600


Recommended