Retaining Clients Through Skillful Treatment Planning

After 22 years of experience, I can say with confidence that the most important skill to retaining clients is your ability to do clear verbal treatment planning that motivates clients to commit.

For new practitioners, these skills are integral to building regular clientele quickly, to make sure you can keep practicing and refining your technical skillset.  For experienced, skilled therapists who are still struggling to build a regular book of clientele, these communication skills are almost assuredly what is missing.

In this class, I hope to improve this skillset for all participants.  If you put the principles of this workshop into practice exactly as taught, I am confident that you will quickly build a thriving clientele, even while you may still have room to grow in your technical skillset.  

We will learn to:

  • Clearly articulate goals for treatment
  • Explain exactly how shiatsu can help meet those goals
  • Find ways to measure and celebrate progress
  • Get a commitment to a long-term treatment plan before the first session


This is a reinforcement of the skills taught in my Business for Bodyworkers class, with an emphasis on direct practice of certain scripts and Q&A time.  I have seen universal success among practitioners who have internalized and applied these skills.  This benefits the practitioner in having longevity of practice, and benefits the clients because they end up having much more successful treatment outcomes due to their increased level of commitment to the process!

If you need help retaining a steady clientele, I hope to see you there!


Steve Rogne is a Certified Instructor with the AOBTA, Director of Zen Shiatsu Chicago, and the Co-Director of the AOBTA Council of Schools and Programs. 

Steve has been studying movement education and bodywork since 1998.  With a background in Music Theatre, Steve is familiar with the whole range of human performative expression: movement, music and action.  His goal is to make himself and others into well-tuned human instruments, capable of responding to life freely and fully. 

Steve became the Assistant Director of Zen Shiatsu Chicago in 2003. Over three years he committed himself to development of the school’s infrastructure and credentials. Under his guidance the school became a member of the AOBTA Council of Schools and Programs.  Since assuming directorship in 2006 he has been deepening the school’s commitment to vocational training – achieving state certification as a vocational school, and securing student loan programs for students – while expanding the center to provide continuing education for many professions. 

Steve has presented at numerous venues, including conferences of the American Massage Therapy Association and Columbia College Chicago.  He is the founder and educational curator of the Shiatsu Symposium, an international conference that is pioneering new methods and developing unexplored skill sets in shiatsu professionals.  He has served as the President of the Illinois Chapter of the AOBTA. 

Steve is also a professional musician, having sung with the Grant Park Music Festival Symphony Chorus, Carnegie Hall Festival Chorus, Fort Wayne Philharmonic Chorus, Cantate Chicago and other area ensembles.