UpClose & Personal - Henry Tobelman

I am grateful for the opportunity to share this news with the massage and bodywork community. Sincere thanks to John Fanuzzi and Golden Ratio's UpClose & Personal for making this forum available.

Independently-operated Trust Funds that promote and support an industry are hallmarks of a profession. The time is right to establish a Touch Therapy Trust to promote research, academic excellence, and the spirit of life-long learning. This not-for-profit organization will fill a noticeable void in the massage world's infrastructure, and sustain the remarkable progress and expansion experienced over the past fifteen years.

Going into the project, only two guidelines were established. First, this Trust is to belong to the touch community. Input from multiple philosophical vantage points is absolutely required to do justice to all Bodyworkers. Its success will depend upon the support and cooperation of the entire community.

The second guiding principle: pursue situations with only win-win outcomes. In order to establish trust, to foster unity and prevent divisiveness, strategies designed to support one another must be put in place. The idea is to build positives and to develop friendships and alliances.

WHAT IS IT?
Touch Therapy Trust is envisioned as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to support the continued progress and evolution of the Touch and Body Centered profession by promoting research, academic excellence, and the spirit of life-long learning. The Trust's major task is to generate and disburse moneys for research designed to scientifically verify the efficacy of bodywork and to document the physiological effects resulting from well-intended touch.

WHY IS IT NEEDED?
The Trust will contribute to the emergence of massage and bodywork, and its acceptance as a full-fledged, bona fide profession. Anyone involved with the power of touch understands that touch therapists perform some of the most powerful work getting done on the planet. We don't need to be convinced of our legitimacy, but it serves no purpose to ignore the fact that our profession's image does not reflect our worth and value to society.

To a large extent, the corporate, medical and academic establishment view massage, at best, as a 'quasi' profession. This unsatisfactory evaluation will continue until our standards match the criterion of well-established professions. A time-honored maxim claims that "To get ahead in society, first one has to conform to society." It is important that we rise to meet the challenges of growing into the professional model.

One of these challenges is to develop a strong, flexible infrastructure. Until we do so, image problems will continue to plague our profession, keep us from fulfilling our potential, and minimize our prosperity. Sadder still, these problems prevent people from getting touched. Establishing Touch Therapy Trust is part of a solution to our problems, immediately filling a gap in our profession's foundation.

Massage and Bodywork's infrastructure also lacks forums where pertinent issues of the day can be discussed. The Trust can address this void by hosting symposiums and think tanks. A platform to dialogue and exchange ideas promotes harmony and avoids needless divisiveness. As an example, consider the magnificent outcome of the Massage Research Agenda Workgroup staged by the AMTA Foundation.

WHO BENEFITS
It is impossible to express the value of research in dollars and cents. As information about the power of touch becomes public and the benefits of bodywork are proven using the scientific method, more people will utilize our services. Research will attract more people to our profession, hence the schools flourish; our vendors prosper as we enjoy thriving practices; and again, more consumers enjoy the benefits of our work. Research fuels and perpetuates a positive cycle of growth, utilization, and prosperity.

For the past ten years, massage has been flourishing. Yet, we have just begun to explore the most effective method to reach out to the most people. That method is research. It is just now becoming the hot topic. Articles about research have been featured in the major magazines for the past year. We revel in the recent establishment of the Canadian Touch Research Center and take pride in Dr. Tiffany Field's work at the University of Miami. It is now time to properly support them by financing them and other researchers with serious dollars. We have at our command tremendous resources. The Trust will allocate moneys to research, where it will best serve our interests.

Whereas education is arguably the best investment an individual can make to increase her/his human potential, research is undoubtedly the best method to solidify the status and position of our profession.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT?
To generate seed money, the plan is to sponsor continuing education conferences/symposiums. As they unfold, information about these 'Events' will be released. Campaigns to generate corporate and private sector contributions will be formulated, as well as drives to garner donations from within the bodywork community.

We have within our grasp, tremendous resources. Bear in mind, 200,000 people claim to be massage professionals. The question remains, how do we tap into our abundance? I certainly don't have the answer, but Touch Therapy Trust could undoubtedly be part of the solution.

CALL FOR ACTION
The work we do is too powerful, too important for us to take it for granted. People need touch, and all indications are that they want it, even crave it. It is important that the touch community continues to grow, develop and mature—so that they get it! Until the masses identify hands-on therapies as a dynamic, unifying, energizing, healing force; until it is considered a logical choice for promoting and maintaining vibrant health, it is important that we continue to find ways for our profession to mature and expand.

Solid progress has been made, but now it is time to come together to support research. Establishing an independently operated Trust Fund is an ideal way to tap into our abundance and find strength in our diversity. Embrace it as a vehicle for positive change.

A monumental amount of work is required to bring this Trust to life. It will take the support of the entire touch community. Your comments, guidance, feedback, assistance, time, and energy are all appreciated and welcome. I invite you to become personally involved in creating Touch Therapy Trust. It is the next best thing to happen to the profession.

Once again I thank UPCLOSE & PERSONAL for this venue to share this news.

From the heart,
ht

Questions, comments, or inquires on how to become involved with the organizational team, please contact Henry at the address below. For those interested in contributing, or in becoming a project sponsor, you may also respond to that address. Thank you all in advance.

Email: Henry J. Tobelmann

ABOUT HENRY

Henry Tobelmann practices awareness-oriented bodywork in Birmingham, Alabama. He completed his primary training at the Florida School of Massage (Gainesville) in 1989. A firm believer in the principle of life-long learning, Tobelmann considers himself a student of touch and the human body. He enjoys exploring the power and applications of touch; is fascinated by the resiliency of the human body; intrigued by the mysteries of energy, life force, and the Divine; and is thankful for the opportunity to impact lives. His is an extensive record of volunteer service to the massage profession in the state of Florida, where he successfully promoted massage and built allegiances in the academic, political and corporate arenas.

A native Pennsylvanian, Henry is a member of the Penn State Alumni Association, having earned a baccalaureate degree from the College of Health and Human Development in 1980.