It’s a connotation we are naturally in the line of fire for in the Massage Therapy world. It’s the reason I didn’t have the word ‘Massage’ in my brand when I started out two decades ago. But as female Massage Therapists we do have to suffer the dodgy calls asking “you make massage?!” and “can I come to your parlour?”. Believe me there’s nothing ‘sexy’ about my massage and the only thing you’ll be crying out for is for me to stop! I’ve also had someone randomly asking on social media for ‘special’ massage for him and his girlfriend (I can see your face you know!).
Image credit @keithlemon
It’s not as if in the picture above he thinks anything sexual is going on, but the fact he thinks it’s a woman massaging him, raises many questions for me. The issue that a man doesn’t like a man touching him (i’ve had clients refuse a male therapist) is an interesting topic when you treat and train both men and women.
And I’m not without my own stories:
i) I once had a client who due to a language barrier had his cousin present. Whilst massaging said cousin began to “shhhh, shhhh” me and join in, saying he was trained.
ii) I was massaging at a pamper party when two ‘butlers in the buff’ turn up (you know the naked apart from apron guys who make the hens play games whilst drinking). One sidled over saying he was trained attempting to join in. “Keep him away from me” said my client, petrified.
iii) I saw a massage client out and about. He commented on how different I looked. The next time I massaged him he said he would have to not visualise me with my hair down while I was massaging his inner thigh.
iv) I’ve had clients text me connotations about the sound of the massage oil.
Don’t get me wrong I am a bit of a tyrant who believes ‘No’ is a full sentence, but even I have edited these stories. I teach dignity and respect to my students so it is only right to call out inappropriateness yet I have been stunned to silence from lude behaviour. I get that’s what happens, you freeze, but it’s never any less shocking.
To insinuate that it’s anything other than professional is quite offensive to me. This is my living and something I have worked hard at maintaining a good reputation at. That, plus the fact that I am fiercely protective of people.
So imagine my distain at being referred to by the current government as a Massage ‘parlour’. I could tell by my client’s reactions that they could feel the spectacular ‘Morgan glare’. But having been round the block for 20 years I actually felt quite beyond this. When the cabinet’s own need for a haircut and to go to the pub surpassed their understanding of having a major life altering injury, I got it.
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