Massage Therapy Journal Summer 2025

Summer 2025 • 13

up pathologies being impacted by particular techniques or dosing schedules, is essential. Along with continuing education, research is the thing that will help you continue to be a deeply knowledgeable practitioner and continue to grow as a massage therapist. Research also helps you build rapport with your clients and increase referrals. Being able to speak to your clients about your evidence-informed practice is vital. Being able to answer questions such as “can massage help with _____?” builds trust and deepens the clinical relationship. Lastly, it can help you build relationships with other integrative health providers. Q As Executive Director, can you briefly give us an idea of some of your top priorities and how you see meeting some of the goals you and others have for the Foundation? A The MTF is going through some big but exciting transitions regarding staff support and Board make-up. Such multiple transitions are a lot at once, so one of the first things I want to do is stabilize things, get everyone oriented and looking in the same direction, and then, together, look ahead. I am approaching this as a new beginning for MTF and all our stakeholders, while also incorporating a growth mindset. I am also working to be smart and intentional with this moment and all its related contexts. Q From your perspective, what is the future of the massage profession? What role do research and organizations like MTF play in this future? A I think that the future of the massage profession will increasingly become focused on research and evidence-based practices.

This is a good thing: as the massage therapy toolbox is filled with more effective treatments, consumer uptake will grow and our credibility as a field will increase. We’re already becoming a viable treatment alternative for pain management, for example. I think that there are many, management and, as the research in our field continues to reveal the impacts of what we do and the injuries, pathologies, diseases and rehabilitative impacts we can have, our influence will only grow. MTF will be a critical participant in this as we drive funds toward the best research opportunities and continue to be a respected voice in the realm of legitimate research for our field. Q We’re talking one year from now. What do you hope to be able to say about MTF? What is one goal you have that you hope is either achieved or well on its way in the coming year? A From the operational side, I hope that the MTF is stabilized from a resources standpoint, with an effective staffing composite, board structure and volunteer cadre so we are poised for growth. And I hope that we’ve begun to deepen relationships with new stakeholders and perhaps reconnect with some old ones. From a vision standpoint, I hope that MTF will have begun to forge some new paths and that we’ll feel “stretched” in some new ways. The year-out plans and ideas are just starting to be formed, but I think that we will continue to refine and more robustly define key goals and benchmarks for the good of the field and the MTF’s research support endeavors. If multiple new paths are forged, and MTF has maintained and perhaps expanded others, I’ll feel like it was a great year. many ways we can continue to be a wonderful part of our client’s health

LEARN MORE ABOUT TERI MAYO Teri Mayo, new Executive Director of the Massage Therapy Foundation, also has experience in health care administration. Visit us online to learn more about her career in health care and massage therapy, as well as the integral role she envisions community building and collaboration will play in maximizing the MTF’s potential. Read more now at amtamassage.org/mtj .

amtamassage.org/mtj