FingerPrint.v8 - Sutherland

SUTHERLAND-CHAN SCHOOL & TEACHING CLINIC
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The Fin
Volume 5, Issue 2
November, 2002
I was inspired to write this
piece long before a recent
circumstance deemed it
necessary. In July, I attended
the graduation ceremony for the
class of 2002, where I overheard
a graduate remark ―So that’s
Grace Chan. I‘ve always
wondered who she is.‖ – this,
after receiving the diploma!
This chance encounter at
the Grad led to the realization
that I too had many unanswered
questions. Who indeed is Grace
Chan? And what about the
history of the School and the
Clinics? Grace tells it in her
own words …
GRACE WHO
In this Issue
?
Who Is
Grace Chan?
1
Alumni Stories:
Research Conference
3
Burnout
Crossroads
4
Larry Lefebvre
Cartoon
5
Looking for the
Class of ‗88
6
Heather Town
Memorial Donation
6
Bulletin Board
8
recollections of an interview with Grace Chan, by Bruce McKinnon
I graduated from U of T in 1974 with a B.Sc. in Psychology and Physiology. I really wanted to continue in Psychology so I
began taking more courses up at York University. I was employed as research assistant at the Clarke Institute doing research
into neuro-endocrinology, and I was also learning Gestalt Therapy at the same time – I was very interested in how the body and
mind were connected. One of my professors at my Gestalt training suggested I take a massage course as a way to explore the
body/mind link.
I guess it‘s my personality – I‘m never happy doing just one thing. I looked around for training and found the 3HO Foundation
Massage Therapy School. In the seventies, massage training was an evening course of 1040 hours and it took a year and a half
to complete. I was still at York taking Psych and taking the Gestalt therapy training program, but I had to quit the research
assistant job when I began the massage course.
I remember for our clinical work at school, we only had to do 15 or 20 massages or something like that – a very limited
number. I would work with clients and they would get up and say ―I feel really good.‖ The more I did it, I felt there was more
to massage than people knew, but I never imagined I would become a massage therapist.
But you know as a student, sometimes you don‘t have time to do everything you want to do in an hour. I remember one time
I massaged a person and I ran out of time and I left out his arms. After the massage, he said ―I feel really good except my arms
are really sore now.‖ I thought, this is amazing – it really tweaked my interest. So I finished the program, wrote my exams and
became an RMT.
continued on page 2...
I was troubled, though … 40 of us started the program. By the time we graduated, there were only 20. After I had
been in practice for 6 months, there were only 2 of us left working. Why? Why were people not practicing? Well, it
was 1976. Massage therapy was not so popular; people didn‘t know anything about it. It was hard to go out and tell
people about massage because of the massage parlor thing. It was very difficult to get started, but I was lucky.
Because of my background in Psychology and through my contacts in the Gestalt community, I began to develop a
clientele. I started out incorporating massage therapy to work with people‘s emotional stress. I also studied Shiatsu
immediately after massage school, and a couple of years later, Neurolinguistic programming. All these helped my
massage treatments. From 1980 to 1983, I published a small magazine for the general public called ―Bodywork.‖
In the early eighties, U. of T. wanted to have massage at their athletic events. Through this, I began to work with
athletes and athletic injuries. I did that until 1993. During that time I traveled with the Canadian National teams—the
hockey team, the swim team, and track and field teams. I went to National competitions, International games, the
Commonwealth games, World Championships, the Calgary Olympics in ‘88, and also to Hawaii for the Ironman.
But I was starting to feel restless, looking for other things to do. One of the physiotherapists working here at the
Spadina clinic said ―Grace, you should check out this osteopathy program!‖ Five years is a really long time, but I
thought you know what? I‘m ready to learn something. Maybe I‘ll just take the first year and see where it goes … But
I have this weakness—I like to do things I have never done before, as a challenge for myself. So from athletic
massage, I went into Osteopathy.
I realized after I began my osteopathy training that I didn‘t want to travel as much. I loved the program, continued on
past the first year and in 1998, graduated with a Doctorate of Osteopathy, Manual Practitioner (DOMP). Though my
practice now is primarily osteopathy-based, I still sometimes use massage in my treatments. And I still travel a bit,
but mostly to the United States to teach—and to learn!
A History of Sutherland Chan School & Teaching Clinic
When I graduated from massage school in 1976, I was lucky to be working
in the same clinic as Christine Sutherland. Christine was my instructor at
the 3HO school. She was a great help to me when I was starting and trying
to figure out what to do in my treatments. We soon formed a partnership to
develop a school, because we realized that therapists needed more and the
public deserved more. We wanted a program that was focused, in-depth
and well-rounded. We began planning, and in 1977 took our proposal to
the Board of Directors of Masseurs (now the CMTO) and they said ―Yes,
you can have a school.‖
Grace and Christine celebrating in 1978
We wanted to make sure that after 1st term, everybody had to treat at least
two clients a week until they graduated. We called it the Sutherland-Chan
School & Teaching Clinic because clinical experiences teach students what
to do while they are treating clients with real conditions.
The Outreach Program was conceived for the same reason. We wanted our students to be so well trained that no
matter who walked through the door, they would know how to manage, be it physical challenges, MS, Parkinson‘s,
stroke … I began taking students to sports events. This led to the athletic clinical outreach. I wanted people to know
that massage was not only beneficial for athletic injuries, but also for health in general. I even took students to the
Hawaii Ironman and the ‘88 Winter Olympics in Calgary.
We wanted a business course in the program to teach the students how to go out and promote themselves. At the time
no one was doing this—doctors, physios, dentists, lawyers—were not taught how to build a practice.
We wanted our applicants to educate themselves before enrolling. We had them come and sit in class, talk to students
and grads, and take an introductory massage course to make sure that this was the right profession. We encouraged
them to be sure that Sutherland-Chan was the right school for them. I had been saddened to see my classmates drop
out as they realized that they didn‘t want to be a massage therapist. It was such a waste of their time and money.
Funny … I remember thinking we‘d run the school for maybe 3 or 4 years. And now we‘ve been around for 24 years!
So many people have helped us grow. Rhona Birenbaum, Debra Curties and Trish Dryden have given immensely to
the school over the years—they brought us to a new level. We have always had an amazing faculty and admin team.
And now a whole new generation of people are leaving their mark … I am so grateful for their insight. (cont. on p.7)
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2
Page 2
Alumni Stories
Spring symbolizes a new start … Montréal in the spring was a perfect setting for the first symposium of the Science of Touch
(May 16-18, 2002), hosted by the Canadian Touch Research Institute (CTRI) at the University of Québec in Montréal. This
ymposium demonstrated the changing trends in massage therapy and encouraged the dawn of an international collaborative effort
where neither language nor location need be barriers.
The President of the CTRI, Réal Gaboriault, Ph.D., eloquently described his vision when this symposium was just an idea merely
five years ago: first and foremost to bring people together that are in the pursuit of researching massage therapy. In addition, the goal
was to provide individuals who are interested in and/or currently conducting research a place to meet, talk, exchange ideas, debate
and collectively work together to determine the future of massage therapy as not only an effective therapy but as a validated therapy.
High energy was present as the conference began with Tiffany Field of the University of Miami Touch Research Institute (TRI) as
the keynote speaker. Her knowledge and enthusiasm were contagious as she spoke of the 98 articles published through TRI and the
three decades of dedicated research that has significantly contributed to shaping our professional practice today and into the future.
SYMPOSIUM ON THE SCIENCE OF TOUCH
by Kimberly Boersen-Gladman B.R.L.S., R.M.T. and Anna Kania B.Sc., R.M.T.
One of the key points of her lecture was that there are many methods available for collecting data that can be incorporated into
everyday practice. For example, a saliva test kit that measures hormone levels such as cortisol, dopamine, and serotonin, can be
purchased for U$10.
Dr. Field was very approachable after her lecture. She responded with enthusiasm and encouragement as delegates spoke to
her about their research ideas and asked her questions. She was also receptive to continuing to exchange information and maintain
contacts to allow for the flow of information about massage therapy among individuals, associations, magazines, and committees.
Janet Kahn, Ph.D., completed Day 1 with
united as a whole than existing as separate
complementary therapies. He emphasized
the importance of scientifically driven
research because without mechanism of
action models, it will be difficult to get a
skeptical medical community to accept
massage and other therapies.
an insightful overview of massage therapy
research. A statement by Dr. Kahn took us
by surprise and really made us think about
the potential of massage therapy. She had
asked a small group to come up with a list
of conditions that can be effectively
treated by massage therapy. After about
thirty different examples were volunteered,
she posed this question: ―What pill or
medication can treat such a wide variety of
conditions?‖ Brilliantly said! She stressed,
however, that massage reaches its goals
not alone but through the collaboration and
integration of a strong rehabilitation team.
In its thought-provoking manner and
effectiveness, the symposium provided
some answers and left us with questions
which we will need to address as massage
therapists, as researchers, and as members
of the health care community:
Day 2 began with Dr. David Eisenberg of
Harvard Medical School, who described
being ―touched deeply‖ by a blind massage
therapist when he was a medical student in
China. Based on that experience, he has
dedicated a large portion of his career to
developing his ―dream team‖ of integrative
therapy including massage therapy,
acupuncture, and chiropractic as part of the
standard medical model. He stressed that
medicine will always be more effective
Page 3
(l. to r): Anna Kania, Dr. Tiffany Field,
Kimberly Boersen-Gladman
Be a contributor to
Who is responsible for doing the
research?
How do we ensure that research is
done that reflects massage therapy
as it is actually practiced?
What ―educational standards‖ need
to be set in order for (cont. on p.6)
Alumni Stories.
We love to hear about your experiences in making
a career in massage therapy.
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2
Standing at the Crossroads:
How to Manage Potential Burn Out
by Kristina Miyasaki
. . . Has this ever happened to you?
You‘re looking aimlessly ahead, up, down, everywhere, and realize you are at the infamous massage therapist
crossroad. Many of you have probably stood here and many who have not, may do so in the future. I myself am
one who has been there on more than one occasion. The crossroad appears when you begin asking yourself
questions of doubt about this field. If ignored for too long, there is the possibility you will hit a burnout of sorts.
The therapists with whom I‘ve spoken tell me that they have experienced their own crossroads, especially within
the early years of their professional careers. Those practicing longer have often stood at a crossroad, but have
successfully learned how to cope. Usually when a graduate first begins to work as a registered massage therapist,
this person is overwhelmingly driven to succeed. Your perception of what success is can determine whether or not
you will hit a crossroad within the year.
We are told from the very beginning that if our career motives are purely financial,
then massage therapy is not the profession to follow. Nevertheless, financial pressures
are a reality. Some therapists admit they worked beyond their physical capabilities or
worked too many hours when they first started practicing. When asked why, several
responses were ‗I didn‘t know how to say no‘, ‗It was the only way I could afford to
make the money I wanted‘, or ‗I wanted to please my clients and employers.‘
One therapist brought to my attention that she believes the physical and emotional intertwine together. She had felt
uncertain of her path for a time, but had a significant turning point that provided her with her answer. Her hands
were aching from work when, during treatment, she was suddenly hit with a realization! Unless she took care of
her own well-being first, she couldn‘t be the professional she wanted to be. She decided to stop putting demands
on herself to please every single client. Her crossroad solution was to stop working beyond her physical limitations
to provide better health care for her clients; a course of action that benefited her as well as the public.
My personal choices at my crossroads are similar to many therapists I have talked to about this topic. There are so
many stories from them that maybe a few of my own will express their situations as well. Similar to the previous
example, at one of my first jobs, many clients requested deep tissue massage. Although I was able to manage for
some time, I knew I would not last much longer. In addition, my employers were quite demanding and refused to
mediate when conflicts arose. Eventually my need to please them and the decline of a positive atmosphere led me
to feel extreme stress both physically and emotionally. How much longer could I last as a massage therapist under
these conditions? In order to avoid burn out, even without another place to work, I chose to leave this location.
Fortunately, another door opened and I found a new position in an environment that
suited what I was looking for.
Occasionally, I doubt my abilities as a therapist because I‘ve faced many therapeutic
issues or dilemmas. To continue on a path, I thought of all the incredible people I‘ve
met and helped in comparison. This helped to reinforce the feeling of satisfaction
I felt with my chosen profession. In addition to learning from these therapeutic
experiences, thinking and reminding myself why I chose to enter massage therapy
was a way for me to cope and avoid burn out. (cont. next page)
Check out massageformiracles.com
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2
Page 4
Most recently, I had to make an extremely difficult choice as I arrived at my most challenging crossroad yet.
It took me a couple of months to determine what to do. I could feel that same emotional and physical stress
returning, this time for different reasons. Finally, I chose to prioritize what was most important in my life and
decided my schedule had to change. For my own personal reasons and through the generosity and understanding of
my employers, I made the decision to work only one day a week. I still enjoy massage therapy and I could never
leave my clients or the profession entirely. For now, this is my choice. I was able to do this with a long leave of
absence, making my solution easier to handle. And these are only a few crossroads! For different reasons, another
therapist I spoke with also chose to work one day a week. Here, the therapist originally believed massage therapy
was his correct path, but felt financially dissatisfied. This therapist‘s crossroad solution, after approximately one
year of practice, was to pursue a career in a closely related field.
Pushing oneself to one‘s physical or emotional ends until you cannot
push any longer is not the way to succeed or to last as a massage therapist.
Others who have felt somewhat confused, unfulfilled, or overwhelmed
about what they should do when they feel the approaching emotional burn
out, often make similar choices if they want to continue practicing. These
choices tend to be what long-term practicing therapists do. Many therapists
relate that when they felt stagnant, they take a look at themselves and
choose to expand their knowledge or to do something to contribute to the
field of massage therapy. Some pursue related holistic studies to enhance
their current skills or take on the role of instructors. Others may simply
change their location to a more suitable environment for that particular
therapist. Knowing what type of therapy or the type of location you enjoy
is a factor that can help you if you ever come to this point. Sometimes
trying to accomplish too much at once, as one therapist told me, can
become a problem in itself. Prioritize and establish limits so you do not feel
overwhelmed.
Page 5
Larry Lefebvre
Cartoons by
I‘m sure many colleagues of mine will agree when I say that being a massage therapist can, at times, be frustrating,
difficult, and self-sacrificing. Making choices at your crossroad, however, can change things to extreme
satisfaction, direction, and fulfillment. Success depends on making good choices at crossroads. There are many
types of crossroads and how long you stand before them is up to you. Sometimes it requires a lot of thought and
other times, the path just lights up immediately. Even if you decide on one path and realize later you made a poor
personal decision, you can always try another that is the right one for you. Be it caring for yourself first, pursuing
new skills, sharing your knowledge, entering a more administrative related position, or perhaps leaving the
profession altogether, the path you choose is not carved in stone. Should you come upon a crossroad, take some
wise advice I received from colleagues: ‗listen to your body‘, ‗go with your intuition‘, ‗expand on your horizons‘,
‗don‘t overfill your plate‘, and last, but not least, ‗create your own vision to follow rather than following others.‘
Once you decide on something, push on—for there are crossroads everywhere. Hopefully, knowing that you are
not alone and that many therapists have prevailed will provide solace. I know it comforted me when I thought I
was the only one. How selfishly conceited of me, is it not?
R.M.T.
Type ‘E’
Remedial
Manipulation
Theorist
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2
We Need Your Input!
In part because the school is preparing
for COMTA accreditation, and in part
because we haven’t done one for a
couple of years, we have inserted a grad
satisfaction survey in this issue. We are
asking you to take the time to complete
this survey and return it to us
(att’n: Stephen Cormier) at:
330 Dupont St., Suite 400
Toronto, Ontario M5R 1V9
Or fax to: (416)924-9413
Your contributions will help us in our
ongoing efforts to make our program
the best that it can possibly be.
Sutherland-Chan
thanks you!
Remembering
Heather Town
15 Year Reunion
If you were a part of the 1988 Sutherland-Chan graduating class
and you'd like to reconnect with long-lost classmates,
Norine Blyth, Caryn Seniscal and Pam Fitch are planning
a reunion for sometime in June or July, 2003. We don't know
where (Toronto somewhere) and we don't exactly know when,
but we can't let this year go by without a party!
For more information or to confirm your interest,
please contact Pam at 1-800-715-6160 or email
[email protected]. Send me your 3 best dates and we will try
to pick a date that works for everyone.
Did you graduate in 1988?
As you may remember, just as we were about to mail our
last issue we heard of the sudden death of Heather Town. We
quickly included an insert In Memoriam – Heather Town,
Class of ’95. Many people who learned about Heather’s
passing after the funeral took place spoke to us about a need
to do something to commemorate Heather.
We thought that making a donation to the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario would be a
special way of honouring Heather. It is an inclusive, not-for-profit, self-help organization. For more
information you can check their website: www.mooddisorders.on.ca
If you would like to donate privately to this worthy cause, you can do so by contacting them at:
40 Orchard View Boulevard, Suite 222, Toronto, Ontario M4R 1B9
Tel: (416) 486-8046; Fax: (416) 486-8127; Toll Free 1-800-486-8236
e-mail: [email protected]
Or you can send along your contribution to us (attn: Marion) and we will make a joint donation as
“Friends from Sutherland-Chan.” The deadline to get a donation to us is January 31, 2003.
(Alumni Stories, cont. from p.3)
massage therapists to conduct research?
How do we get research findings out to massage therapists worldwide so that this information can be
integrated into practice?
At the closing ceremony at the Hilton there was plenty of dancing and entertainment. Everyone got together in high
spirit, shared a few laughs and a few dances, and then headed home with new ambition and determination.
Now that the first symposium has taken place, we have closed some gaps and begun to create bonds between
education institutions and research centres. Among those in attendance were: Grace Chan of Sutherland-Chan
School; Doug Fairweather of Okanogan Valley College, Trish Dryden of Centennial College, Robert Harris of the
Dr. Vodders Manual Lymphatic Drainage School, and TRI, CTRI, Toronto General Hospital, Harvard University,
American Cancer Society, University of Vermont, and McMaster University. The symposium provided a place to
exchange knowledge, establish relationships, and create links among professionals who all have the same goal of
understanding and validating the impact of touch.
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2
Page 6
The Scoop on Sutherland-Chan Clinics, Inc.
(cont. from p.2) The first professional clinic (at Spadina & Bloor) evolved out of a desire to support the instructors
at the school. I wanted our clinical instructors to be teaching and practicing at the same time, so they could bring their
knowledge into the classroom. Back then, most of the legitimate massage was practiced behind closed doors, in
people‘s homes. The massage that was ‗out there‘ happened in massage parlors! This needed to change. I wanted to
put a massage therapy clinic on every street corner. I wanted people to know about the goodness of massage—to
make it a part of their everyday lives, like having lunch.
Bay Street seemed to be the most stressed place in the city and there was no massage therapy clinic anywhere nearby.
We approached the TD Bank—they said ‗What do you do? Massage? Mmmm, I don‘t think so!‘ They didn‘t want to
talk about it. First Canadian Place was skeptical, and the rent was too expensive. So we went down the street to the
Royal Bank, and they thought it was a great idea. It was my least favorite location, but it proved to be the best—it‘s
just steps from the subway. We opened this clinic in ‘83. Soon after we opened, a person walked into the clinic and
asked if we did topless massage! Remember back then, most of the ‗real‘ clinics were ‗hiding‘... Then a medical
clinic in First Canadian Place asked us to join them. Then we opened Gordon Baker and later, Metro Centre.
Incorporating
her many different
types of training and
years of experience,
Grace teaches
Continuing
Education
courses across
North America.
More clinics are coming—three for sure. We‘ll be opening soon in the
National Bank building across from First Canadian, and another at Bay &
Dundas. We will open in Brampton or Mississauga in the near future. One of
our grads is in Calgary now in the process of looking for space for a new
clinic there.
And then there‘s Hong Kong ... I was born in Hong Kong and have family
there. I‘ve always been fascinated by the prospect of having a clinic there. My
friend Pam Fitch spent two years working there and had some pretty amazing
experiences and a lot of opportunities to travel—she went to China, Laos,
Vietnam, Malaysia … Once you are in Hong Kong, travel in Asia is relatively
cheap and you don‘t have to close your practice for several months to go. S
-C grad Jenny Woolsey is there now. Within about 6 months, her practice was
full and she was looking for other therapists to refer to! She does things like
fly to Shanghai for the weekend. The economy is such that rents are affordable, so it‘s a viable option for us now. For therapists who like to travel and
who are willing to commit to a 2-year term, this is a very exciting opportunity.
[Interested? Email: [email protected].]
Grace speaking at the school’s
20th anniversary Open House
Student Referral
Raffle
February 3, 2003
PRIZES FOR THIS YEAR’S RAFFLE
1rst: $500 Shopping Spree
What’s Next?
at Know Your Body Best
I have promised a lot of people that I will not go to school again—for a while
at least. But I do have two things I want to do if I ever go back to school … In
the health science realm, I‘m interested in Traditional Chinese Medicine. On
the non-health side, I would like to go into directing—film directing—I don‘t
know why, except to say I haven‘t done it yet! For the next while, though,
the most immediate things I want to focus on are building the clinics and
developing more continuing education courses. Then we‘ll see about more
education for me!
2nd: $300 Air Canada
Page 7
Gift Certificate
3rd: $200 Sutherland-Chan
ConEd Gift Certificate
4th: $80 Cineplex Odeon
Gift Certificates
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2
Bulletin
Board
Newsletter
Committee
Editor
Debra Curties
Alumni Representatives
Need ideas for what to do with that used ChanWear?
Sam Booker turned hers into a chic outfit for grad …
Anne Wood
Anna Kania
Faculty Representative
Bruce McKinnon
Admin Representatives
Staff Weddings
Don’t Miss It!!
Congratulations to
Janet Kearsey
and to
Party for Linda Novick
&
Marie Kelly-Lawrence
We are all very interested in your
feedback and ideas about the
newsletter. Please contact us.
Peter Becker
&
Pauline Simac
Sunday, January 12
1:00-6:00 pm
Academy of Spherical Arts
(416) 924-1107, ext. 12
(who married each other)
(see insert for more info)
Place your classified ad for no charge by contacting Stephen
at 416-924-1107 x 19. Or via fax : 416-924-9413.
New in the Library
BOOKS
Merrily A. Kuhn, Complementary Therapies for Health Care Providers
Tiffany Field, Touch Therapy
Elizabeth Domholdt, Physical Therapy Research: Principles and Applications, 2nd ed.
Devin Starlanyl & Mary Ellen Copeland, Fibromyalgia & Chronic Myofascial Pain
Syndrome (A Survival Manual)
Gerald M. Aronoff, Evaluation and Treatment of Chronic Pain
Dietich Miesler, Massage in the Treatment of Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease
Sherry Makely, The Health Care Worker’s Primer on Professionalism
Marian Wolfe Dixon, Body Mechanics & Self Care Manual
Barbara Frye, Body Mechanics for Manual Therapists
VIDEOS
The NIDDM Protocol: Massaging Feet and Legs for Diabetics with Jody Falconer
St. John Neuromuscular Therapy Pain Relief Seminars
Pkg. 1
Pkg. 2
Pkg. 3
Pkg. 4
Pkg. 5
Cervical Injuries, Postural Analysis, Pelvic Stabilization
Pain Mechanisms of the Low Back
Shoulder, Upper Torso, Spinal Column and Extremities
TMJ Dysfunction, Hands, Feet and Eyes
Neuromuscular Components of Scoliosis
(each package contains 3 video tapes)
The St. John Method of Neuromuscular Therapy: Its Science and Philosophy (3 tapes)
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2
Marion Bishop
Stephen Cormier
Welcome
To New Staff
Faculty
Tanya Meyers
Jean Brown
New Core Faculty Members
Michelle Francis
T1 Rhythmic Techniques
Anita Corrado
School Office Secretary
Welcome back from
a year’s maternity leave!
Help Keep Our OSAP
Default Rate Among the
Lowest in the Province
Repaying your student loans
promptly is good for your
credit rating and the financial
standing of your practice,
and will help guarantee that
S-C students have access to
loans in the future.
Call your bank today!
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