The Rub: a podcast about massage therapy
Join Healwell in examining and bringing context to the world of massage therapy beyond the table. We have ideas. We have opinions. We want change, and that will only come with an understanding of who and what massage therapy truly is. A variety of topics are up for grabs: history, philosophy, development, and all the other shiny things that fascinate us.
Healwell is a non-profit based out of the Washington DC area. Check us out at www.healwell.org
Episodes
36 episodes
Substack: Why Massage Therapy Needs a Divorce, Not Another Debate
It’s Time to Stop Going to Aunt Tricia’sThis article is a companion to
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19:48
Substack: Massage Isn’t Complicated, It's Complex
Why we don’t need to get along to get along.Not all problems are created equal, and the methods that will solve one kind are very different from what you need to solve the other. Oftentimes problems are a combination of
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11:06
Substack: The Myth of the Gift
Recently several of Corey's projects have come across the same stumbling block: a lot of people believe many skills can’t be taught. This has come up in my poking around the topics of therapeutic relationships, compassion, supervision, writing,...
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5:37
Substack: Massage Therapy Has a Labor Problem
Read this article hereThe Work We Do But Won’t NameScholars who study labor have a term for work that involves “particularized kn...
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14:18
Substack: Why Don't We Just...?
Read this article hereThe massage therapy profession has problems. We have so many problems, those problems have bred and now have enough problematic offspring to...
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10:29
Substack: Broadcasting Safety
Read this article here“Everyone who is engaging with humans—as a teacher, a psychotherapist, as a bodyworker—should be aware of the state of the other,” Porges...
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15:12
Substack: It's Not Magic, It's Emotional Labor
Read this article hereEmotional labor is work that involves managing your and other people’s emotions. Emotion management (also known as em...
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8:27
Substack: Research Networks- Not Just for People Who Wear Lab Coats
Read this article hereWelcome to Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRNs); a simple idea with big potential!The
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8:52
Substack: The Price of Free
Read The Price of Free hereWe’ve all felt the frustration. How can we make therapeutic massage accessible? On top of that, how can we do that while maintaining p...
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9:41
Midsummer News Rubdown
The massage therapy landscape is shifting with regulatory changes and developments across states, including the Interstate Massage Compact passing in five states and ongoing advancements in state licensing requirements. Recent months have seen ...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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11:01
Getting Your Elbows Out: Why Licensing Matters to Massage Therapy
Regulation might sound like the least exciting topic in massage therapy, but it's actually the battleground where our professional identity and future are being decided.Massage therapy regulation is far more than bureaucratic red tape; i...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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20:07
Rubdown News Alert: California State Licensing
Read our blog post for more in-depth information on why CAMTC should be sunsetted.California is one of only five states without massage therapy licensing, operating instead under a question...
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10:46
2025 Winter Rubdown
Healwell's Glossary of the Massage Therapy ProfessionNew Healwell Class: Cultural Competency for Bodywo...
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13:51
A Profession-Wide Mental Health Crisis: Risk Factors
Suicide hotline: call or text 988International Suicide Hotlines
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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58:27
A Profession-Wide Mental Health Crisis: The Report
The episode discusses the hidden mental health crisis within the massage therapy profession, spotlighting alarming suicide rates and the pressing need for open dialogue and community support. By exploring the complexity of suicidal ideation and...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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25:44
Massage Robots
Corey Rivera and Cal Cates explore the existence of rubbing robots and how (unsurprisingly?) they prompt a critical examination of what defines massage therapy. This episode dives into what the robots can and cannot do, why they're happening no...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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47:20
Fall Rubdown
Topics:Healwell News 0:44State and National News 2:44Massage Envy Settlement 2:49Association News 7:20AMTA, MPPR, and Veteran's Affairs 9:58Upcoming Live and Online events 14:30
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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17:57
Editorial: First-Hand Mental Health Crisis
This episode contains a discussion about suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or crisis call or text 988 on your phone to reach the suicide hotline or click the lifel...
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9:22
August Rubdown
Topics:Healwell NewsState and National NewsAssociation NewsUpcoming Live and Online eventsHealwell's Glossary of the Massage Ther...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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6:02
A (Brief) Massage Therapist's Guide to AI
AI is everywhere. And it does everything...or does it?In this episode we break down the different types of AI, including generative AI like ChatGPT. We'll explain how each AI type operates uniquely, with a focus on their current roles a...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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17:27
July Rubdown
Topics:Healwell NewsState and National NewsMPower Shut DownBaylor Research Article (They like us!)Association NewsUpcoming Live and Online events
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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12:18
Massage Tools
When is a tool a robot?Join your host, Corey Rivera on the meandering development of tools used for massage (but not necessarily massage therapy). We'll talk about:Tools that helpTools that don'tTools that ...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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22:19