5 Tips for Salon Owners to Improve Therapist Wellbeing

With over 35 years of experience as a holistic therapist, Claire Caddick, founder of artisan spa brand, Tribe517, offers her top tips and expert advice on how best to open the conversation with therapists and their teams to ensure they’re all communicating their physical and mental needs. Tribe517 was founded on the ethos of The Three Pillars of Wellness which include delivering exceptional and memorable holistic treatments that consider the wellbeing of the Therapist, Client and Spa, in that order. Now, Claire tells us her 5 tips for salon and spa owners to improve their therapist’s wellbeing.

1 - Adequate Rest Areas

Having a quiet place to simply enjoy a glass of water is important for both physical and emotional rest. It sounds so simple, but you’d be surprised at the number of therapists I speak to on a regular basis who must spend a lunch break in their car because there is no adequate space for them at work to switch off and recharge. 

Not only this, but an area dedicated to staff alone can stimulate conversation and team bonding, which was something therapists wanted more of when being surveyed. Bonding like this is not only good for team building, but it offers therapists the opportunity to share tips, best practice, or something unrelated to work at all which can quickly remedy a therapist’s worries.”

2- Regular Breaks from Physical Burn Out

A common theme when talking to therapists is that they wanted to feel comfortable taking more regular breaks to get physical recovery. It’s a well-known fact that physical injuries can shorten or even end a therapist’s career, which is why Tribe517’s education programme includes teaching therapists to leverage their body weight to reduce the amount of wrist and thumb movements and therefore reducing fatigue and injury. We don’t offer deep tissue and instead teach stretching methods in slow, rhythmical ways which is still just as beneficial to the clients, as when the whole body is treated and relaxed, it has the same effects of reduced acid build up and pressure. 

When we show therapists our techniques, they are often shocked and delighted to see how simple it can be, and it prevents injury to the wrists, thumbs and backs of therapists which takes a toll on their whole body and therefore the longevity of their career.

3 - Coping with Emotional Burnout

Whilst regular breaks from physical activity is paramount, an emotional break is also not to be underestimated when therapists are in a little treatment room all day giving a part of themselves. Clients often feel comfortable enough with their therapist to emotionally offload which over time can be heavy on a therapist. Emotions can hit when you least expect it, which is why another aspect of our training includes grounding and Hero Breathing that syncs with the client experience and enables the therapist to take a moment of calm and respite too, so if there’s a moment during a treatment when it all seems too much, we teach therapists to finish on the area they’re working on, and work in some slow breathing techniques. We also encourage our therapists to work in a different order on the body. This quirky change up brings both the therapist and the client into the moment and improves cognitive wellness. The beauty of the industry we work in is that we want to help others and lead them to a better, physical, and mental state.

4 - Team building and clear career progression

Allowing a space for therapists to feel listened too, as well as providing a space for teams to come together, share experiences and grow is also important for therapists. Making sure there’s a dedicated staff area or room to talk, means therapists can also share best practice which as a team will help support the business. In terms of career progression, there is quite limited movement within the industry, so having a clear critical pathway gives the team goals to work towards. Therapists participating in Tribe517 training also become part of the Tribe Army which provides access to a support line for ongoing wellbeing and skills assistance, which teams can share and continue learning from.

5 - Practicing gratitude

Practicing gratitude is a wellness trend that has gained rapid popularity over the last few years, and it is something we incorporated into our ethos, for both client and therapist from the very beginning. When performing a treatment on a client, it is important to live in the present and use mindfulness and breathing techniques. Another special touch that concludes the treatment, is a focus on gratitude and appreciation which involves the therapist as well as the client. We ask the client to think about all the things they’re grateful for today and tie a ribbon on their ring finger to remind them of that moment for the rest of the day. It is such a small gesture we’ve built into our techniques but is something we hear positive feedback about the most. Asking the therapist to think of something they’re grateful for too will help keep a positive attitude and allow them to practice daily gratitude making them feel more valued in their day-to-day job.

Therapists are relied on so heavily and in an industry that promotes better living and wellness, they also need to be able to feel the benefits of this wellness to ensure they can enjoy a longer, more fulfilling career.