Women are indeed breaking boundaries in regards to embracing different professions. Women Today’s Donah Mbabazi caught up with Odette Uwimbabazi, a female massage therapist to describe what really entails massage therapy as a profession.

Tell us about yourself?

My name is Odette Uwimbabazi I am 30 years old and a single mother of two. I stopped at O’ Level then later went for vocational training at Dr Jack’s in Remera for a whole year before I started my practice in 2010. When I graduated, I first worked with a spa in Gikondo, later joined Sky Hotel before I joined Lakes Gym Limited at Kinamba. I have worked as a massage therapist for five years now.

Why did you choose that path in therapy?

At first, I went for it because I had dropped out of school as a result of financial issues, but when I started practicing, I developed a huge passion for my job. It really helps out knowing that you contributed towards someone’s wellbeing, it’s satisfying because our clients appreciate what we do for them.

I have seen people heal and getting back to their normal pain free lives and I think that being able to do that for someone is a true gift.

What does it take to become a great massage therapist? Is it more about passion or training?

They really do go hand in hand. One must be passionate about what they do, and of course the vital component is to receive training from a recognised institute. Over time, with some patience, you gain the experience you need to be a wonderful massage therapist.

Briefly take us through a massage session, what does it entail?

Our clients first take a bath before they come into the massage room, then they wrap themselves in a towel, lie on the bed and we start working on them, massaging the whole body using different oils depending on their choice. The client informs us on the part of the body that he or she feels needs more work and we concentrate on it. A massage therapist can be either a man or woman; one has the liberty to choose whether to be massaged by a woman or man. A session usually lasts between forty five minutes to an hour and it costs Rwf3000.

Some people think of those sessions as those that involve more than just a massage, are those assumptions true?

It’s essentially a massage and nothing more. I understand some people have a different perception seeing that its only two people locked in a room yet one is undressed, but it’s all about one’s professionalism. Those people who have such mentalities in most cases haven’t gone for a massage but one thing that should be clear is that we as therapists have boundaries we can’t cross and the same applies to the client.

Do you encounter clients who end up wanting more than a massage session, how do you deal with them?

Yes I do meet with such clients, but we were trained about how to handle such situations. We handle them politely and explain to them what we are expected of and the lines we can’t cross because the only relationship we are allowed to have is only professional. We make sure that we do it in the gentlest way possible.

What is it that you treat with a massage therapy?

We treat people with sore backs, stress, fatigue, sore muscles. We deal with those who have recommendations from their doctors. Massage helps a person’s body in a lot of ways. Our massage is mostly for relaxation.

Would you recommend it as a vital treatment? Why?

I would definitely recommend massage therapy as it helps a lot and it’s one way of relaxing as it relieves the body of a lot of things ranging from physical ailments to emotional distress.

After five years in the field, what would you say you have achieved so far?

The achievements are indeed many. It’s a well-paying job that has transformed my life a lot. I am a single mother but my job enables me to take care of my family. I can feed, clothe and educate my two children. Being able to make a difference in people’s lives is an achievement to me.

What are some of the challenges one can face as a massage therapist?

In this field, men face a few more challenges than women especially in the beginning but with time, they manage. On my side, seeing that I am a mother yet I work throughout the week, I rarely find time with the children but I try to fix time.

The other challenge is mainly about the image one gets when you say that you are a massage therapist. Most people tend to misconstrue what really happens in massage parlors yet massage therapy is a profession like the others.

What is that one thing most people don’t know about massage therapy?

Some people think massaging is all about rubbing one’s body and that’s it. They think it’s something easy, that anyone can do or learn it in an instant but to be a professional massage therapist, one needs to learn a wide range of techniques and it requires a lot of vigor and patience.

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