Ep 141: Why Most Massage Therapists Forget What They Learn After a Workshop (And How to Make It Stick)
Have you ever finished a workshop feeling inspired, excited, and ready to change the way you treat your clients...
Only to realise a week later you've gone straight back to treating the way you always have?
You're not alone.
Most therapists don't struggle because the workshop wasn't good. They struggle because they don't have a plan for what happens next.
In our latest Health Leader Podcast episode, Christine shares the learning strategies she developed after attending 33 workshops in just three years, along with countless advanced courses since then.
They completely changed how she learned new techniques and, more importantly, how quickly she could confidently use them in clinic.
It starts before the workshop even begins
One of Christine's simplest strategies is also one of the most effective.
Before attending a workshop, she would look through her client list and identify the exact people she was learning these new skills for.
Going to a low back pain workshop?
She'd book all of her low back pain clients into the week after the course.
Instead of wondering when she'd get to use her new skills, she already had a clinic full of opportunities waiting for her.
Learn it today. Use it tomorrow.
Each evening after the workshop, Christine would review everything she'd learned and create a mind map.
Rather than simply rereading the manual, she'd organise the information into conditions, muscles, trigger points, client presentations, key takeaways, and questions to ask the trainer the next day.
She'd also create her own shorthand notes and simple drawings that made sense to her.
When she returned home, those notes went up on the wall in her treatment room, allowing her to follow the sequence while treating clients until it became second nature.
Simple.
Practical.
Effective.
What we've learned after running more than 30 workshops
Over the past decade we've facilitated more than 30 hands-on workshops across Australia.
Along the way we've realised something.
Adults don't learn best by simply watching a technique once and hoping they'll remember it.
Real learning happens when people experience it in multiple ways.
That's why we've intentionally designed our workshops differently.
We combine:
Grounding and presence before treating
Reflective practice throughout the day
Visual, auditory and hands-on learning
Live demonstrations on real members of the public
Step-by-step coaching while participants practise
Real case studies that build confidence before they leave
It's one of the reasons we so often hear,
"I've never experienced a workshop like this before."
Learning isn't just about technique
One of the biggest lessons Christine brought back from studying overseas wasn't another modality.
It was understanding how adults actually learn.
People learn differently.
Some need to see it.
Some need to hear it.
Some need to feel it.
Others need to write it down, ask questions, reflect, or repeat it several times before it sticks.
When you intentionally create opportunities for all of those learning styles, confidence grows much faster.
Your next workshop
Whether you're attending your next course, teaching other therapists, or simply looking to become a better clinician, don't let your learning stop when the workshop finishes.
Plan your clients.
Review your notes.
Create a mind map.
Practise with intention.
Because the workshop is only the beginning.
The real learning happens back in the clinic.
🎧Want to hear the full conversation?
In Episode 141 of The Health Leader Podcast, we dive much deeper into these learning strategies, share behind-the-scenes stories from Christine's 33 workshops, and explain why we've designed our own workshops so differently.
If you're passionate about becoming a better therapist, this is one episode you won't want to miss.
Watch the episode YouTube:
