When I was in massage school, my fellow students and I learned to set aside our inhibitions by becoming comfortable with touch.
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It is what forces us to be vigilant in our individual practices and as a professional group. Even if sex work is not as commonplace as people are led to think, it is the perception of prevalence that counts. Based on a cursory viewing of television shows and movies devoted to prostitution themes, however, sex work under the guise of massage seems to be a thriving, underground industry in the United States. I am not exactly sure just how widespread prostitution is. Why else would I become defensive when earlier this year my accountant innocently asked if I used machinery in my practice - “You know, like a vibrator?” But as I continue to encounter massage students, established practitioners and the general public during my day-to-day routine, it is clear the issue is still salient. Many negative public perceptions about massage seem to have lessened even in the brief span of three years since I have been practicing. However, the issue of sexuality or sexual stigma, 1 as I have come to call it, still continues to haunt me. Not only did I learn about health care, my own and others, but I have since managed to earn a living as a full-time massage therapist. Financially, the investment in training was well worth it. It was probably one of the best decisions I ever made. I became selective when deciding to whom I would divulge my new interest.ĭespite my trepidations, I finally took the plunge.
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The association of massage with sexuality was clear. While some thought the idea was wonderful and offered their bodies for “practice,” others seemed mildly shocked, bewildered and amused when I informed them that I might become a massage therapist.
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Would I have enough money to pay for training at a private center? Would there be a financial pay-off upon completion? The second reason for my initial hesitance, and the topic of this article, had to do with the reactions I was getting from people when I mentioned massage. When I first contemplated entering a year-long massage training program in 1994, I hesitated for two reasons.