Using Your Intuition in the Decision Making Process

By Marie-Christine Lochot, LMT
October 13, 2014

Using Your Intuition in the Decision Making Process

By Marie-Christine Lochot, LMT
October 13, 2014

Should being in touch with our client's energy and listening to our intuition be part of the decision making process? As massage therapists, before we give a massage, we have to evaluate the state of health of a client as it pertains to the type of massage, the amount of pressure and other variables. To do so, massage practitioners have first-time clients complete an intake form as thoroughly as possible and then ask follow up questions. For the repeat clients, reading notes from previous sessions and inquiring "anything new in your health?" is a must. With this information, we decide which techniques should be applied, how deep the pressure can be and the areas to avoid, if any. This is not always an easy process. Some health risks are easy to evaluate, some others are not. One example is blood clots. How many clients will develop DVT after being on a plane, after a fall, during cancer treatments? Some will have signs, others will not. We use the knowledge we have. We also look in books like Medical Conditions and Massage Therapy: A Decision Tree Approach by Tracy Walton and the Drug Handbook for Massage Therapists by J. Wible. Once we have dotted the I's and crossed the T's with all the information collected, we are ready to start. Maybe not. Maybe there is something else that we could pay attention to. I am talking about our inner sense or intuition.

Real Life Example

A few years ago, I had a new client. As I was reviewing her intake form, I saw that she said "yes" for varicose veins. I asked her all the ritual questions: location, were they protruding, pain, itchiness, swelling, had her doctor expressed concerns about it and so forth. Her answer was: both legs and they protrude a little bit. As she was answering me, I felt a strong contraction in the pit of my stomach; suddenly my solar plexus was in a knot. I decided in a split second to restrict the massage to the upper body and advised the client of my session plan. She agreed to it quite easily. I felt a little silly since numerous times I had massaged clients with varicose veins on their legs, adjusting pressure and areas massaged. But I stayed firm with my decision. She returned for a second session the week after and told me that two days after her massage she had been diagnosed with blood clots in her groin area on both sides. I was speechless but very happy to have listened to my "inner voice."

So what is intuition? Should we listen to our intuition as an extra, last step to decision making? And if yes, how can we develop our listening skills?

What is Intuition?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines intuition as "something that is known or understood without proof or evidence." It is called the "sixth sense," a hunch, a gut feeling or a presentiment. We all have experienced it one way or another. Have you ever not wanted to associate with someone, solely based on it not feeling right? Or have you had the feeling that something is wrong with a situation, a decision or your health? We can get images, dreams, sounds, smells, gut feelings or a sense of knowing.

"...For it is intuition that improves the world, not just following the trodden path of thought. Intuition makes us look at unrelated facts and then think about them until they can all be brought together under one law. To look for related facts means holding onto what one has instead of searching for new facts. Intuition is the father of new knowledge, while empiricism is nothing but an accumulation of old knowledge. Intuition, not intellect, is the 'open sesame' of yourself." -Albert Einstein

Should massage therapists use intuition as an additional tool in the decision making process? Would using our "sixth sense" have a negative impact on our credibility in the health care industry? It does not seem to be so, as intuition is gaining more acceptance in various medical fields. In May 2000, at the annual meeting of the conservative American Psychiatrist Association, psychiatrist Judith Orloff, who uses intuition in her private practice, was invited to speak regarding using intuition in therapy sessions. The presentation triggered so much interest among therapists that she started lecturing to psychiatrists on the practical use of intuitive techniques. In a USA Today weekend article titled: "Does your doctor use intuition?" Dr. Jerome Groopman, a Harvard Medical School professor and author of Second Opinions: Stories of Intuition and Choice in the Changing World of Medicine, declared the following:"I'm a rationalist and a scientist. But there have been many instances when I've had a deep sense about a patient that is not informed directly by lab tests. It is a gut sense."

There are many books which describe how to increase intuition with various techniques and approaches. But the main principles are always the same:

  • Be in touch with our body so we will be able to feel any changes in our stomach or other body parts.
  • Listen to our inner voice.
  • Observe what is happening around us: sounds, lights, smells or people's movements.
  • Pay attention to our dreams.
  • Have a spiritual practice: prayer, meditation, Tai Chi, Qigong.
  • Schedule down time.
  • Get plenty of sleep.
  • Pay attention to others.
  • Have an open mind.

What does using our intuition in the decision making process look like? As we talk with clients, let's pay attention to our body reactions, to our guts, to the sounds around us and anything unusual. If we feel uneasy about massaging a certain part of the body or performing the massage at all, we should treat that information seriously and include it in our decision process. It is always better to do less and refer a client to a medical practitioner if we have any doubts; we can always do more at the next session.

Listening to our intuition before and during a massage session should not be the first tool we use to decide a session plan but it can be an additional tool for everybody's benefit. That inner voice can be a strong ally. Pay attention to it; you might be surprised.