As a professional massage therapist I frequently have to defend my profession from the seedy images that spring to mind. I've been subjected to jokes, innuendo and inappropriate text/phone calls and during lockdown my industry has been unhelpfully referred to by the government as "massage parlours".
But this got me thinking, if the government don't understand our industry then how is anyone else meant to?
In the UK massage is an unregulated industry which means anyone can set up and call themselves a massage therapist. However, to protect you as a client, reputable and professional massage therapists usually belong to a professional body such as the Federation of Holistic Therapists or the Sports Massage Association (there are many more). These professional bodies require a certain standard of learning and continuing professional development along with adherence to a code of ethics, so you can be reassured you are in safe hands.
The term massage therapist itself is actually not helpful although it is better than masseuse and masseur! Massage therapist is very broad and classes everyone the same regardless of qualifications (or lack of) or what they actually do. If you're not sure, please check a therapists qualifications with their professional body.
During lockdown it has become glaringly apparent that while many clients use massage as a way of dealing with long term chronic conditions, because we have been classified as "parlours" and not say clinics or wellbeing centres we are not seen as a vital service and are one of the last industries to be able to reopen our doors.
It is further frustrating that in a recent article in the Guardian, the author starts by discussing the stigma we face but then goes on to use the labels associated with the stigma itself (parlours, masseuse, masseur).
Lockdown has brought about a gathering movement lead by the professional bodies to lobby parliament and get the recognition our industry deserves. Many therapists have been using this time to brush up on continuing professional development which will only benefit you as a client, and we will be very happy to open our doors again when we are allowed. In the meantime we continue to fight the stigma!
.