Say "hi" to Naedene Ackfield who has been with MAA for approximately 22 years. As a long serving member and highly experienced therapist, we thought we'd pick her brain a little about the up's and down's of life as a sole operator.

As a business owner in Brisbane north, operating in a highly competitive market and in an environment where many therapists face burn out, Naedene has continued to make her massage career work for her by "running her own race" and taking care of her mind and body. 

Read her story below:

• 1. Naedene, tell us about your practice i.e. how long have you been in operation, what you love about it, what to you find challenging?

I have been running my home-based clinic as my sole employment for 11 years. The clinic is in a building adjoining my house, so clients don't have any contact with my home. I love being able to pop into the house between clients to throw the washing on, but it does mean that during business hours, if I don't have a client, I am easily distracted by household chores and don't prioritise business development. 

Having my own business is liberating, I can choose my own hours, I don't have to discuss any of my decisions with anyone else. The negatives of being the sole person in the business is that I don't have anyone to bounce ideas off, having another therapist to discuss client’s ailments with, to troubleshoot treatment would be valuable. Sometimes I do miss working in a multidisciplinary clinic, but I love the flexibility of my current set up.

• 2. What are your plans for the future i.e. are there new therapies you would like to train in, expansion/changes to your business, etc?

I am also a certified BodyTalk practitioner and love expanding my training in that area. Later this year I am training to do BodyTalk on animals, that will be an interesting off shoot. Alot further down the track I would love to work with people on a bigger scale, facilitating healing through group sessions on self care, guiding people on how to let go of the "stuff", like old belief systems or emotional baggage, that no longer serves them. 

• 3. Any advice you would like to offer for new therapists?

Be kind to yourself and listen to your body and adapt. If part of you hurts during or after treating, find a way to change your style to prevent that pain and reduce repetitive strain. Know your worth, it is hard to care about your work if you feel you aren't appreciated, the easiest way to feel we are valued in business is to charge what you are worth, of course this has to be market appropriate.

Importantly - be honest with clients, assess their progress after each session with you and suggest or refer them to additional health care practitioners if they are not making the progress you expected. If possible, get to know therapists in other modalities located near you so you can refer to them.

• 4. How long have you been a member of MAA and what prompted you to join with our association in particular?

I have been with MAA for 22 years I think, from when I was a student at Australian College of Natural Medicine (now Endeavour). Over the years the association has kept up good, timely communication, keeping me informed of industry requirements and conveniently in recent years they started offering/ recommending free CE training.

• 5. How do you keep yourself fit and healthy so that you can continue to work as a therapist?

I aim to visit the gym at least once a week to do weights strengthening my back and shoulders and I do a little core work at home (my lower back is currently a little grumpy with me as I haven't been focusing on my core). I really notice increased neck tension and increased muscle fatigue if I leave it too long between gym visits. It is about working the opposing muscles to those that are worked during massaging. I also have a small child and a dog that get me up early every day for a walk or jog. Fueling the body is really important and I feel best when that is with protein and vegies; often chocolate is a major source of fuel for me too but maybe not the healthiest! 

• 6. Tell us a little about your interests outside of your work

I am exploring the training of traumatised dogs at the moment, having recently adopted a beautiful 7 month old Bull Arab with a sad past. Something purely for myself though is growing herbs and vegetables. I have to be very creative about where I plant as the goats will eat them and the dog will dig them out which has led to me getting innovative with timber and shade cloth. I'm very excited about herbs for health but most of all I love seeing the plants grow.

• 7. Anything else you would like to add 😊

Massage is home for me, I can massage no matter how I am feeling, my hands just know where to go to ease someone's pain. I have been massaging since I was a kid, exchanging foot massages with my sister as we tried to go to sleep and walking on my neighbour’s back because I was the smallest kid in the street. Touch for health is so simple yet so rewarding. I am so grateful that I found this career and plan on using it as my foundation therapy for decades to come.