Yesterday BuzzFeed posted a story that is getting a lot of attention.  According to the article, over 180 women have reported sexual assaults at a certain massage/spa franchise.  The women were clients at the spa, and the massage therapists were the ones that allegedly assaulted them.

I'm personally and professionally disgusted by the fact that massage therapists would do this to clients.  The clients' stories about what happened to them were absolutely horrifying.  

I went to an excellent massage school where ethics were a top priority for everyone.  The teachers weaved ethics into nearly every lesson they gave us (except maybe anatomy, physiology and kinesiology).  We were taught not to judge anyone's body.  We were taught how to massage and drape (cover with a sheet or towel) the client carefully, so as to not accidentally stimulate body parts that shouldn't be stimulated during a therapeutic, non-sexual massage.  And, more importantly, we were taught that putting your hands on another person for purposes of healing should be done with respect, compassion and reverence.  "It is a sacred act", our teachers told us.  

I knew that fact well before I ever went to that school. I was already doing basic energy work on clients before I learned massage, and I knew that touching a client should be done thoughtfully and lovingly with the intent to heal. I knew the importance of making the client feel safe so they would be able to trust and let go while they are on the table. Making a client feel safe creates the conditions that allow healing and transformation to occur.

Many years ago when I was just out of massage school I was hired as a massage therapist at a popular, upscale spa.  The spa opening was a big deal with lots of press coverage and celebrity representatives, etc.   I quickly discovered that the spa clientele was not my “target audience” because they were solely interested in relaxation and pampering rather than receiving anything therapeutic or healing.  (Clearly that misunderstanding was my fault. I don't know why I expected anything different.)  At any rate, I still held a loving space for each client, touched them with reverence and worked carefully to make them feel safe.

About a week into the job at the spa, I was working on a client when there was a knock at the door.  I was totally shocked because the massage room was my “space” that I was controlling and keeping safe (or so I thought) so as to allow relaxation and healing to occur.  How could I make my client (my client who is naked on a table, under a sheet) feel safe when someone knocks on the door?  I stopped what I was doing and turned to the door, leaving one hand on the client to keep physical contact with her.  Before I could say that I was busy with a massage client and, you know, "DO NOT OPEN THAT DOOR!", the door opened.  A reporter and photographer walked in to “see what’s going on” and “take some photos of the spa”.  I was bewildered, shocked and horrified.  More than that, I felt bad for my client.  I was not welcoming to the reporter or photographer and did not consent to photos (of my client, naked on the table, under a sheet).  I did what I could to get them to leave, apologized to my client and carried on with our session. 

Several weeks later, a friend smiled and handed me a well-known fashion trend magazine asking, “Was this you?”.  The magazine was open to a feature article about the grand opening of the spa, including celebrity photos, etc.  There was a blurb in the article from the reporter about the “massage therapist that barked and growled at us when we entered the room.”  I looked at my friend and said, "Yes.  Yes it was me."  Oh well.  My client didn’t deserve to be treated like that.

To be continued.