Abundant Therapist: Sign up to Stress Awareness Month

April is Stress Awareness Month in the UK. I believe the campaign is a great talking point and one that therapists like us should know about and one in which we should be involved.

The awareness month started in 1992 but I think we all agree that it is only in the last few years that people in the public eye have felt able to be honest and open about the effect stress has on their mental and physical health.

Their openness has trickled down and has contributed to a greater understanding of the problem of stress and how it can be managed.

If you are running your own therapy clinic – whether medical or complementary – I think it is vital to talk to our patients about the stress in their lives.

An important part of any therapy is that the patient feels able to mentally unload. That might mean relaxing in the knowledge that their pain is going to be addressed by a physiotherapist such as myself.

It also might mean the sense of calm and wellbeing a patient might feel after receiving an aromatherapy treatment.

I take time to listen during the treatments I give. I give each patient 100 per cent of my expertise and my attention. I focus on their needs, no matter how busy and hectic are my own commitments outside the treatment room.

Why not sign up to Stress Awareness Month. Send an email to your patients today, reminding them of the problems that stress can cause.

You could offer a special Stress Awareness Month taster session, or a package of treatments. Ask your existing patients to recommend you to a friend or a colleague who is under pressure. Seek out new patients by contacting local businesses.

Sometimes people who are feeling low mentally because of stress need to be told it is alright to take time for themselves.

I see patients with terrible pain that can be related to stress or tension.These are often the patients who are apologetic for not soldiering on alone. They feel guilty for having to seek help.

Sending an email or social media message specifically about stress will make them realise they don’t have to suffer alone.

The wellbeing of our patients is our priority and encouraging them to recognise that stress can be very damaging is very important.

There is plenty of information about Stress Awareness Week online. Why not get involved?