Peace of mind for your property. Add Business Personal Property Insurance at ascpskincare.com 67
Notes
1. National Institute of Mental Health, "Post-
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)," accessed
August 2026, nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/
post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd; Ronald C.
Kessler et al., "Trauma and PTSD in the WHO
World Mental Health Surveys," European Journal
of Psychotraumatology 8, sup. 5 (October 2017):
1353383, doi.org /10.1080/20008198.2017.1353383.
2. Alison Fraser, "Therapeutic Massage and Homecare
to Reduce Dissociation in Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder: A Case Report," International Journal
of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork 18, no. 3
(September 2025): 5–13, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.
gov/40881720.
3. Mark Hyman Rapaport et al., "Massage Therapy
for Psychiatric Disorders," Focus: The Journal of
Lifelong Learning in Psychiatr y 16, no. 1 ( January
2018): 24–31, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31975897.
Resources
Hou, W.-H., et al. "Treatment
Effects of Massage Therapy
in Depressed People: A
Meta-Analysis." The Journal
of Clinical Psychiatr y 71, no. 7
( July 2010): 894–901. pubmed.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20361919.
Packheiser, J., et al. "A
Systematic Review and
Multivariate Meta-Analysis
of the Physical and Mental
Health Benefits of Touch
Interventions." Nature Human
Behaviour 8, no. 6 ( June 2024):
1088–107. pubmed.ncbi.
nlm.nih.gov/38589702.
Price, C., and S. Fogarty.
"Touching the Mind–
Exploring the Intersection of Massage and Mental
Health." International Journal of Therapeutic
Massage & Bodywork 18, no. 3 (September 2025):
3–4. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40881724.
US Department of Veterans Affairs. "PTSD:
National Center for PTSD." Accessed
August 2026. ptsd.va.gov/index.asp.
Avoid an overly glamorous or intimidating
appearance that could make already
vulnerable clients feel uncomfortable.
• Speak softly and move with a calm energy.
• Don't talk about your problems or your life.
Your client is your focus and should be the
subject of all conversation.
• On repeat visits, don't bring up anything
personal discussed during a previous
session; follow the client's lead.
• Don't share your clients' stories with
your coworkers.
Additionally, it would be a great idea to
educate yourself about trauma and its effects.
You can find educational materials online and
enroll in classes if you want to specialize in it.
SMALL ACTS OF KINDNESS
The appearance of those
who are struggling with
the effects of trauma is
similar in some ways
to ducks on a pond. On
the surface, they appear
normal as they calmly
go about their day, but
under the water there is a
lot of unseen commotion
as they paddle away.
Throughout your
life, you will meet
people whose lives were
devastated—people like
me and my mother—
and who are trying to
find their way forward.
Keeping this in mind,
remember that for people
grasping at straws, small acts of kindness
can mean the world; you have the power
to make a difference. You may never know
whose healing began in your treatment room,
but you will never regret creating a place
where someone felt safe enough to begin.
Your knowledge and
expertise may help
reshape your client's
view of themselves
and assist them on
their path forward.
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