How Do You Handle Feedback?

Written By Dr. Gretchen Rivas

I remember once I thought I gave the most amazing massage to a client. I was tuned into the rhythm and the flow with the music, everything felt perfectly in sync, and I thought she’d be blown away. She wasn’t. I was a bit hurt and startled that she didn’t feel as fabulous as I thought she should have. But all that awesome energy, all that flow…she didn’t feel it. 

I learned a hard lesson that day…that massage isn’t always what I think it is and it’s what the client feels that counts. 

After owning a practice that employed dozens of MTs over the years I learned some additional hard lessons. Not everyone wants feedback. Even if they (in my opinion) desperately need it. 

If you want to become the better massage therapist, the one who stands out above the rest, you must be open to feedback from others. In fact, you need to SEEK out feedback. 

Here are some lessons about feedback that may help improve your ability to learn and grow. 

  1. Realize you’re not perfect and not everyone will love your massage. If someone didn’t love it, ask why. What can you learn from it?   

  2. Get someone who knows massage to get on your table and give you feedback in the moment. Some of my MTs loved this and it really helped. Others were offended if I told them what I wanted during a massage. (Ugh…but they had not asked for feedback so I had to understand their side too.) 

  3. Work in 3s…have a fellow MT get on the table, another MT who has mad skills share some of them with you and you practice while she supervises. A bit of a tiny, impromptu CE.  

  4. Receive massage as often as you can. It is on the table where you will learn what things feel like, what techniques are annoying, what feels amazing, what could be done better, etc. Don’t be afraid to ask, “What was that? That felt great!” 

  5. Don’t be afraid to share. Come from a place of abundance and a rising tide lifts all ships. I’ve heard of MTs who hoard their special skills and won’t use them on other MTs so they won’t steal them…I think that’s crazy personally. Unless you live in a town that has 5 MTs or fewer, I doubt anyone will be able to steal clients away from you with a certain method. Everyone benefits when everyone improves. The Ripple Effect! 


Dr. Gretchen Rivas

In 2002 I became a licensed massage therapist in N.C. I grew my practice from a single entrepreneur to a spa that had 15 massage therapists, four front desk staff plus a manager and in 2023, after 21 years, I sold the practice. Before I became a licensed acupuncturist, I taught at Miller Motte College in the massage department for seven years. I loved teaching but gave it up after opening my acupuncture practice.

I have a B.S. in Business from the University of South Carolina, and in 2007 I enrolled in the Masters of Acupuncture Program at Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine in Sugar Grove, NC. After four years of intensive study, and three Board Exams, I opened Infinity Acupuncture in September 2011.

After several years of practice, I returned to school to get my Doctorate in Acupuncture and graduated from Pacific College of Health and Science in 2019. In 2021 I began my deep dive into Sports Medicine Acupuncture and became a Certified Sports Medicine Acupuncturist in 2023. Since then, I love to help people who are out of balance and in pain by correcting their muscular imbalances and helping them become pain free and get back to living their best life.

Now, I want to take all that I have learned and help other therapists grow and become the amazing therapist I know is within them. I look forward to helping you become your best self!

https://www.infinityacupuncture.com
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