10 Steps to Keep Massage Therapists Safe

A massage treatment room with an exclamation point superimposed over the image.

Massage therapist Joyce Gauthier would tell us that practitioner safety is something we don’t talk enough about in this profession.

Unfortunately, massage therapists are put at risk every day by the predators and solicitors who confuse them with sex workers. That’s why having the right protocols in place for keeping your massage or bodywork practice safe is critically important, Gauthier says, and should include everything from client screening to planning an escape route to “trusting your gut.”

Gauthier outlines these tools and protocols in her article, “10 Steps to Secure Your Practice,” which ran in the July-August 2021 issue of Massage & Bodywork. Give it a read today, and then download the “10 Step Checklist to Protect You and Your Practice” that we’ve created specifically for massage practitioners.

ABMP recently partnered with Gauthier, founder of RespectMassage.com, to bring you a new RespectMassage.com website and to carry on its mission: to educate and empower massage therapists to spot and deter inappropriate client behavior. The partnership between ABMP and Gauthier means ABMP will continue the RespectMassage.com effort, bringing in voices from across the profession to continue to educate and empower massage therapists and deter solicitors so the profession we all love can move past the stigma created by unsavory and illegal actors.

Explore all the resources RespectMassage.com has to offer and get started protecting your practice today!

Related:

Introducing RespectMassage.com from ABMP

Category: 

News

Ohio Adopts Interstate Massage Compact

The Ohio legislature adopted Senate Bill 56 on June 21, becoming the second state to enact the Interstate Massage Compact. Massage therapists will soon be able to obtain a multistate license that will reduce holdups and delays that often occur when moving to a different state.

US Department of Education 150% Rule Update

A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction that halts the enforcement of the US Department of Education’s new Bare Minimum Rule, also known as the “100% rule,” until the court takes further action. This is the first step in what could be a lengthy battle to ultimately delay enforcement of the rule, providing schools more time to adjust their programmatic standards, or overturn the rule altogether. Find out more and what your school needs to do to prepare.

Colorado Bill Requires Local Background Checks

Governor Jared Polis signed into law House Bill 24-1371, requiring local government (counties, cities, or municipalities) to conduct periodic criminal background checks for massage establishment operators, owners, and employees.

Blog

Perform Your Best with MassageBook

Illustration of computer and phones displaying MassageBook sites.

MassageBook wants to help you focus on delivering exceptional care to your clients and building the practice of your dreams.

Julie Plachta: Serving the Underserved

Woman massages a client who is lying facedown on a massage table.

As we get closer to celebrating Massage Is for EveryBody, July 14–20, 2024, we wanted to share more of Julie Plachta’s story, which exemplifies the inclusive values of this campaign.

Benefits

Featured ABMP Discount Partner: Hyperice

ABMP members save 10% on all Hyperice percussive and heat/ice technology massage devices, including the Hypervolt, Vyper Vibrating Fitness Roller, and Ice Compression.

Featured ABMP Discount Partner: Yomassage

ABMP members receive 20% off Signature Yomassage, Mindful Touch by Yomassage, Barefoot Yomassage, Table Yomassage, and Yomassage Facials certifications.

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