“… what if we give therapists an outlet not to just contribute money or help us raise money , but to actually put hands on and make a difference in someone ’ s life like then intended to do when they got into the spa industry ?”
— SCOTT DUNCAN dards for oncology-trained therapists and estheticians .
IN PRACTICE
At Crystal Spa , oncology massage options are listed on the menu alongside a number of other offerings , but Stephanie Scott notes that not everyone who might benefit from oncology massage is quick to book such a service themselves . “ People don ’ t book our oncology massage directly very often ,” Scott says . “ But it ’ s part of our intake process — what happens is we very frequently catch where they have a history of cancer or oncology treatment . So then , the therapist is prepared on what they need to modify in that service . It goes back to arming the therapists with the information they need and the questions they need to ask in order to make those determinations .” Again , this highlights the importance of training staff on best practices . In many cases , guests ( or even their physicians in some cases ), may not fully understand the potential harm in practicing massage on a guest with a cancer diagnosis in their medical history . Indeed , as Scott Duncan explains , in the days before training was widely available , oncology massage essentially didn ’ t exist , and spas would ( as in Stephanie Scott ’ s experience ) simply refuse to provide services to such guests out of caution . By making sure that the entire spa team is well-versed in the principles of oncology massage , the spa is able to augment guests ’ services to provide the most therapeutic , safest experience possible , even when guests don ’ t seek out oncology massage themselves .
Spa Gregorie ’ s initial approach was a little different . Because oncology massage was so rarely practiced in those early days , the spa worked with oncologists to sign off on offered treatments and hosted special days one to two days per month where they provided complimentary services and activities to guests in the cancer community .“ We just wanted to put it in the arms of the experts . Tell us what ’ s good , and let us know what to avoid , and we ’ ll do the services ,” Duncan says . From there , the program expanded to spas other than Spa Gregorie ’ s , and a certification was developed that allowed therapists to be trained formally , which meant physicians could sign off on treatments with less burden placed on the guests to have a full medical consultation prior to visiting the spa .
Both Scott Duncan and Stephanie Scott agree that , in an age where guests are looking more and more to spa as a way of supplementing their health and well-being in a more regular way , it only makes sense for spas to explore offering services like oncology massage that offer therapeutic results guests may not be familiar with . In that way , spas can both educate and serve guests who would benefit from oncology services , broadening the spa ’ s impact and help an underserved demographic at the same time .
Thankfully , the work so many spas and leaders have done to make oncology massage more mainstream means that , if your spa is interested in introducing such treatments , training and support are more accessible than ever . “ There ’ s no need in my mind to guess whether this is an issue or not ,” says Duncan .“ It ’ s an issue . The demand is there . The next step is to reach out to an organization that can provide onsite oncology massage training . They can guide that business on how to network and connect with the oncology community at large in their space . If you put it on the menu and you have people trained , guests will come . They just will , because there are so many people out there who need that service . The demographic is there , and they ’ re being underserved . That ’ s not going away .” ■
40 PULSE ■ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022