7 Tips When Working on Ticklish Clients

by Nicole Cutler

Many people may be reluctant to get a massage simply because they are extremely ticklish or sensitive to touch. On the other hand, a ticklish client may pose a dilemma to a bodyworker, due to their inability to fully relax during a massage. As a massage therapist, how do you handle a ticklish client?

There’s much debate over what makes a person ticklish, however many scientists believe the brain is the culprit. Have you ever tickled yourself? Probably not. This is because the brain is responsible for our perception, and is aware of whose hand is doing the tickling; making it highly unlikely that you could ever tickle yourself.

Some massage therapists may never have had to deal with a ticklish client, yet others may see

many. There are a number of different reasons why ticklishness may occur during a massage: anxiety due to the lack of clothing your client is wearing, the focus on an extremely tense part of the body sensitive to touch, or perhaps the unpredictability of a stranger’s touch. Whatever the reason may be, ticklishness happens often, so it’s important for a massage therapist to have a strategy for dealing with it to ensure the client’s ultimate comfort.

Some massage therapists may choose to avoid the ticklish areas altogether, especially if the ticklish response is impeding the session. The most important tip to establish is open communication with the client. Once you open up communication, your client will feel comfortable and

relaxation will occur more easily. Also important is the pace and pressure of the strokes you choose.

Ticklishness may be unavoidable in a massage session. If your client is tense about feeling ticklish, they won’t be able to relax completely and gain the full benefit from your massage. Being prepared for and knowing how to work with this tendency will enhance your client’s massage experience. Click here to read all seven tickle tips for massage therapists.

This article was prepared for HomeStudyCredits.org. Learn more about massage therapy, and massage continuing education programs.

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