Laurie's Blogs.

This week I had some interesting discussions with my clients.  They started with, “So, you don’t have anyone shadowing you this week!”  

Now we don’t have tons of interns, but we do likely have more than average.  As well, we don’t mind having interns, but it does change the dynamics within the clinic and the appointments.  What was interesting about my conversations this week is what the dog owners noticed!

Firstly, let’s set the stage.  At my clinic, 99.9% of the time, owners bring their dogs to their appointment and stay with them.  That leaves us with roughly 30 minutes for me to do the treatment and talk with the clients.  My hands feel what’s going on, I ask questions about how the dog has been doing, and I go to work, but as I do, I am visiting with the clients the entire time.  “Do you have any plans for the summer?”  “How did your daughters wedding go?”  “Did you go to the dog show in Cochrane?”  “Did Xena get pregnant?” “What cool photos have you taken lately?” “Is that fire still burning up in Fort Mac, and what’s the air quality like?” “What is the housing market doing these days?”  “Ohhh, I see you got a pedicure!”  And so on!  It sounds a bit like a ‘soap opera’, but these are real things I said to my clients this past week!  People are so interesting!  I love the chance to learn about and catch up on people’s lives, 1) because it’s interesting, and 2) because I care!  Turns out, they miss that interaction as much as I do, when the dynamics are changed at the clinic.

So when you have an intern, there is more time spent showing, teaching, answering questions, supervising, and discussing with the intern.  It’s just more ‘clinical’ when there’s an intern.  The dogs receive the same great treatment, maybe even better than normal because in some cases four hands are working at the same time!  But the clients miss out!  They missed ME and our conversations, and they missed the ‘energy’ that normally surrounds the treatment!

One of my clients is a really interesting woman who does energy healing work and crystal singing bowl performances (which are amazing)!  Typically we get into some really cool philosophical discussions.  So this time we got talking about the ‘energy I create in the treatment room’.  She had noted that, ‘the energy was very special as evidenced by how much her dog loved to come see me and would just immediately lie on the mat as soon as he came in the room.’  She said he is normally very aloof with anybody other than family.  So what is it that’s going on?

I’ve always had a theory about healthcare practitioners.  There are some that are technically great.  You can go to these people, they can give you a massage, or fix your neck, or send you for further diagnostics based on their exam, but somehow you feel like something is missing from the interaction.  You don’t feel cared for or validated as a patient (or human being perhaps). There are some that have great interpersonal skills but are lacking the technical components.  You might really like them, and they can get you somewhat better, but their ‘toolkit’ is limited.  Then there are those that have both; great technical skills & interpersonal skills!  Having both is what you should strive for!  The Canadian Physiotherapy Association has a Leadership Division, which members can be a part of.  They focus on ‘soft skill’ acquisition, and it’s important to have that skill set!

But let’s get back to energy.  Have you consciously thought about what kind of energy you are putting into your treatments?  Everything is energy.  The laser, ultrasound, PEMF & shockwave transmit different kinds of energy.  The effectiveness of manual therapies can be explained in terms of neurophysiology, but what sets off the cascade of neurophysiologic effects?  The application of a mechanical energy to the body tissues!  So why do we not typically acknowledge the metaphysical energy that a healthcare practitioner can purposefully (or unconsciously) transmit to a patient or the energy that a practitioner (or clinic) can create as a general atmosphere?  Should this not also be a goal? Can it not make a different in the overall effectiveness?

Now I am not going to say that everyone should run out and take a course in reiki.  I don’t think you actually need to do that to transmit a healing energy. But I do think that people need to slow down a bit and be a little less clinical.  Talk to the dog, talk to the owner, pet the dog between the selection of different modalities, apologize to the dog if you find a sore spot, be empathetic, accept doggy kisses, breath deeply, create a calming energy within your own body, genuinely appreciate the dog in front of you, and set your intention for healing.  Every touch should be a transfer of energy – and yes, I am serious!  Try it!  If you are in the right state, your hands should feel warm and a little tingly!

Now in regards to the energy you create in the room.  Sure, we could talk about atmosphere and lack of clutter, and warm paint colours, but I don’t care so much about that! I do however want to talk about engaging with your clients.  Getting to know them and making the appointment something that they can look forward to as well!  Ideally everyone at your clinic should be making the effort to get to know the dogs and the people.  Make an effort to remember what people do for a living, the general age of their children or grandchildren, their hobbies, etc.  If your memory is shot, then put a sheet of paper in their file (or document it somewhere on their electronic file) and write in these little things.  I promise, it will make a difference!

So if 33% of any treatment success can be attributed to the placebo effect, and technical skills alone do not equate to full success, then perhaps the missing ingredient (or maybe the unspoken component) in any treatment, is the energy transfer!  So I challenge all of you to go out and make this week a ‘conscious energy transfer week’!!!  And let me know what you notice!

Until next time, CHEERS!

Laurie