My wife has been a counselor for nearly 20 years, and I have been a Massage Therapist for over 30. Believe it or not, we DO try to match clients up with the professionals we believe can help them the most with their issues. My wife has sacrificed many clients just to get them to someone who seems more in line with the client's needs. As for massage, I suggest that (potential) clients check all their sources- on-line, phone book (what's that?), friends, etc- and gather 6-7 therapists that sound good and who are willing to have a conversation of at least three minutes (yes, it's one of my measures for professionals I hire in ANY facet of life, from medical to plumbers.). Then, call each and ask them each the same questions from a standardized list that you create. If you have a condition, "have they worked with xyz condition?", and so on. Then, rank them in order, and get a session from each of the two or three top ones, and go from there. At one point, I had three massage therapists- one was one of my instructors who did "serious" on me, one was particularly good at stretching and recovering me from overwork, and the third was great at putting my mind into "la-la-land". So, use whatever "yardstick" of measurement that you think you need to use to find the best therapist- of any type- for your needs. You are the only "you", and you deserve to get the service you deem the best for your needs. Personal recommendations has repeatedly come in at the top of people I hire, while those mailbox coupon "Val-packs" or whatever, always come in last for me. I wish you well on your hunt for the help you need.
