He also suggests prospective clients ask to speak to three to five clients, though this may be a bit tricky - it’s possible they may only give you the names of clients that would give them good review, if they can give you referrals at all, due to privacy concerns.
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(At the time of the article’s publication, Massage Envy told BuzzFeed News that it couldn’t respond to specific details because of confidentiality and “pending litigation,” and in an emailed statement said, “We hold franchise owners accountable to our policies and, when we say nothing is more important to us than treating clients with respect and giving them a safe, professional experience, we mean it.”).īen Benjamin, massage therapist and co-author of The Ethics of Touch, recommends that a prospective client contact their local state licensing board to confirm a therapist is licensed. In 2017, BuzzFeed News found that more than 180 people had reported being sexually assaulted at Massage Envy spas, a wellness franchise that provides massages and facials across the U.S. Did I want to subject myself to intense questioning and an investigation? Would anyone believe me, since it was just the two of us in the room? Will I be known in town as a liar? Would people hate me for pointing an accusatory finger at a local business?Ī massage is one of the most intimate services someone can give you and a client is vulnerable on the massage table, barely clothed under a sheet. I also spent a fair bit of time going back and forth in my head about whether to report the incident to the police. I continued to replay what happened in that room over and over again, stopping the tape in my head at the point when I should have said something. I researched news stories about women who’d had similar experiences on the massage table.
During my sleepless nights, I became obsessed with figuring out the difference between a bad massage and sexual assault. Two weeks later, I was still looking up Yelp reviews of places he had previously worked to see if there were any reviews about someone else feeling violated. This can get in the way of your ability to feel grounded or can lead to sleep problems because you are too vigilant to let your guard down.” She explains how this is one example of the ways trauma is stored in the body: “You might remain alert and unable to relax. I was also anxious, unable to feel at ease.Īccording to Schwartz, “trauma takes a toll on our physiology and we experience many of the symptoms of PTSD within the body. I developed insomnia and spent nights on my computer searching Google for information on the massage therapist, something to justify that he was capable of what happened. At the time of writing this, a year and a half after the incident, I still haven’t received a response. Two days later, after the manager had still not returned my call, I left another message. I explained what happened during my appointment, how it made me feel, and requested to speak to the manager. The same evening of my appointment, I called the massage business and spoke to the receptionist. Self-compassion is so very, very important.” That translates into unrealistic expectations toward ourselves. He then spat out, “That was supposed to be funny.”Ĭlinical psychologist and author of The Complex PTSD Workbook Arielle Schwartz tells Allure via email, “Too often, victims get blamed in our culture. We made small talk for a bit, and when he made a joke and I didn’t laugh, he put extreme pressure in the center of my back. I lay down on the heated massage table face down, my body covered with a white sheet, and tried to relax. He left the room and I got undressed down to my bikini brief cut underwear.
I told him I was sore in my neck, hips, and back. I booked the appointment with him.Īfter entering the little massage room, the massage therapist asked me if I wanted to target any area in particular. After purchasing the special, I called up the business and the receptionist raved about a massage therapist who had an opening that afternoon. The place had positive reviews in the app and on Yelp. After browsing online for availability, I opened the Groupon app to find a screaming deal on massages at a local business. Linking it to the long run I did the previous day, I decided that I needed a massage, and I needed it now. Then, last spring, I woke up with a kink in my neck.