The New Generation Massage Therapist
Moving beyond modalities to build resilience. Are you tired of the "fixer" trap? Most massage therapists are taught that their value lies solely in their hands—that if they just learn one more modality or take one more certification, they’ll finally have the "magic bullet" for their patients' pain. But this cycle often leads to two things: patients who remain passive and therapists who end up burnt out. Welcome to The New Generation Massage Therapist Podcast. Hosted by Jamie Johnston—massage therapist, firefighter, and educator—this show is dedicated to shifting the industry standard from passive "tissue manipulation" to evidence-informed, biopsychosocial care. We challenge industry norms and dive deep into the topics that many in our profession have long avoided: pain science, mental health, and the therapeutic power of movement. Each week, we explore how to: Shift your identity from a "fixer" to a facilitator of change. Master human skills like mindful communication and crisis intervention to build a stronger therapeutic alliance. Incorporate movement (without needing a gym) to prove to your patients that they aren't "broken." Retrain the nervous system to help patients with persistent pain find lasting results. Whether you are a seasoned RMT/LMT or a student just starting out, this podcast provides the practical, research-backed tools you need to build a more effective practice and a more fulfilling, sustainable career. It’s time to stop chasing certifications and start building resilience.
Episodes
Are we mental health professionals?
It's a question that might make some of you uncomfortable. And honestly, that discomfort is exactly why it needs to be asked.
Because most of us are already influencing our patients' mental health every single session. We're just not being intentional about it.
In Part 1 of this three-part series, we lay the foundation — the hidden half of every treatmen...
As our profession pushes toward patient-centered care, one thing is becoming clear — the old clinician-as-the-expert model isn't serving our patients the way we think it is.
In this episode, Jamie sits down with Walt Fritz — a physical therapist with nearly 40 years of experience and someone who famously walked away from a prominent role in the myofascial release world to publicly question the nar...
We've been told a lot of things by our regulatory bodies about what we should and shouldn't do in our treatment rooms. But there's one area where I think we've been steered in the wrong direction — and that's mental health conversations.
Of all the musculoskeletal professions out there, our patients open up to us the most. They're on our tables for an hour, relaxed, vulnerable, and trusting. And yet we'...
We didn't learn this in school — but we probably should have.
In this episode, Jamie sits down with friend and fellow RMT Mike Reoch to talk about something most massage therapists are never taught: how to actually build a sustainable practice.
Mike has been a massage therapist for 18 years, worked in seven clinics across five cities, and now runs a thriving clinic in Kamloops with his wife &mdas...
We've spent three episodes talking about your patients' nervous systems. This one is about yours.
If you're showing up for complex, trauma-affected patients with skill and sensitivity — you're absorbing something in the process. That's not a weakness. That's the cost of caring. And it puts you directly at risk for compassion fatigue.
In this final episode of our four-part series on trauma and the...
"Your patients don’t respond to a technique. They respond to safety."
Why do some patients instantly brace when you touch them, while others fail to relax no matter how gentle your manual pressures are? In this episode, Jamie Johnston cuts through the academic fluff surrounding "trauma-informed care" to deliver a highly practical, clinical protocol for the treatment room.
When a patient has a history of trauma o...
"It's not a mechanical problem. It's a biological debt."
Why do some patients plateau despite perfect manual technique? In this episode, Jamie Johnston dives into the structural and neurological changes that trauma leaves in the body—long after the distressing event has passed.
We move past the philosophy of trauma-informed care and get into the hard science: how childhood trauma alters gene expression (Epigenet...
"It's not an attitude problem. It's a nervous system response."
Have you ever had a patient who seems "jumpy," constantly guarded, or simply fails to respond to treatment despite your best manual techniques? In this episode, Jamie Johnston breaks down why these "complex" cases often have nothing to do with physical tissue issues and everything to do with a nervous system stuck in protection mode.
We explore the anatom...
"If you move, your disc will bulge." "Your pelvis is out of alignment."
As massage therapists, we often use language intended to help, but we might actually be planting seeds of fear. This fear of movement, or kinesophobia, is one of the biggest drivers of long-term disability. If you find yourself constantly adding new manual modalities to your toolkit because your persistent pain patients aren't getting better, it&...
"How do I treat PTSD differently than childhood abuse?"
If you have ever asked this question in an RMT group, you aren’t alone—but you might be focusing on the wrong thing. In our profession, we’ve been taught to categorize trauma into boxes: combat, medical, sexual, or relational. This categorization often leads to "analysis paralysis," leaving therapists second-guessing every word and touch.
In thi...
"I’ve tried every technique and every modality, but they’re still not getting better."
If you’ve ever felt this frustration, you aren’t alone. When a patient is stuck in a cycle of persistent pain, our instinct as massage therapists is to chase the next certification or find a "magic" hands-on tool. But what if the problem isn’t your toolkit? What if the problem is the patient's belief t...
"I'm not a psychologist. I should just stay in my lane, right?"
As massage therapists, we are often told to refer out the moment a patient mentions mental health struggles. But what happens when that referral is the very thing that makes a patient feel dismissed? What if "staying in our lane" actually sabotages their physical recovery?
In this episode, Jamie draws on his experience as both a massage therapist and a fi...
"But Jamie, I’m not a personal trainer. I don’t even have a gym in my clinic!"
If you’ve ever felt like movement-based therapy is "out of scope" or requires fancy equipment, this episode is for you. Many of us were taught that our value lies solely in what we do to a patient on the table. But when we rely only on passive techniques, we miss the most powerful tool for building long-term resilience: M...
"I did the work, gave them the stretches, and they still came back two weeks later with no improvement."
If that sounds familiar, you aren’t alone. Most massage therapists respond to "difficult" cases by chasing more certifications and better manual techniques. But what if the lack of progress has nothing to do with your hands, and everything to do with the gap between what you say and what your patient actuall...
Have you ever scrolled through social media, seen a post about "pain science" or "evidence-based practice," and felt an immediate surge of defensiveness? Like everything you spent thousands of dollars and years of school to learn was being called a lie?
In this episode, we’re getting vulnerable about the professional "identity crisis" that many therapists face. I share my own journey from being a modality-drive...
Are you a massage therapist who feels in over your head or finds yourself avoiding crucial conversations about mental health with your patients? You don't have to keep feeling that way.
In this powerful episode, we tackle the reality that your patients often carry more than just physical pain. We introduce a systematic and compassionate approach to navigating mental health discussions right in your treatment room&mda...
Have you ever frozen mid-massage because a patient opened up about something heavy—trauma, grief, or deep anxiety—and you had no idea how to respond?
In this raw and honest episode,I share the story I rarely like to tell: the day I completely failed a patient after he shared a horrifying moment from his past. I unpack a cringeworthy mistake I made—centering myself in his trauma—and explain why...
I think we've all seen changes in the past couple of years with the pandemic and other things going on.
For the both of us, we experienced a significant amount of burnout, so we thought we'd share our stories as we're sure we aren't alone in the experience.
And as always, check out our websites.
www.themtdc.com
www.ericpurves.com
and our emails:
jamie@themtdc.com
Education, education, education.
We constantly promote a better education for Massage Therapists and as those who teach continuing education courses we have a lot of responsibility to keep current with new evidence and research.
And so do our associations. Our associations wield some great power in what can and is offered to their perspective memberships for continuing education. But are they all han...
As massage therapists, we often rely on learning new modalities or rely on many of the ones we learned in college as a way to help our patients.
But does it really matter which modality we use? There are so many other factors that contribute to better outcomes when people come to see us, the modality we use while the person receives treatment matters less than we've been lead to believe.
Let's start t...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.