12/09/2025
**Copied from a Massage Therapist Page**
It’s only ‘just a word’ until it affects safety, boundaries, and respect.
We are NOT masseuses.
That term is outdated, inaccurate, and rooted in an era when bodywork wasn’t recognized as healthcare or a legitimate profession. Today, it also carries a long-standing sexualized connotation that puts licensed professionals at risk emotionally, professionally, and sometimes physically.
Let’s be very clear:
We are Massage Therapists.
Licensed by the state
Formally educated in anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, pathology, and injury care
Held to strict ethical, professional, and legal standards
We work alongside chiropractors, physical therapists, trainers, and medical providers.
We assess, treat, and document pain, dysfunction, trauma, stress, and recovery not fantasies.
Calling us “masseuses” isn’t harmless.
It fuels outdated stereotypes that undermine our credibility and invite inappropriate behavior.
And yes words directly impact safety inside treatment rooms.
So when people say, “It’s just a word”…no.
It’s a word with history, consequence, and real-world fallout.
If you’re booking an appointment, referring a friend, or talking about what we do use the correct term.
Massage Therapist.
Not masseuse.
Not massager.
Not “the girl or guy who rubs backs.”
And for anyone who still wants to argue semantics this conversation exists because too many professionals have been disrespected, sexualized, or put in unsafe situations due to language people refuse to update.
If you wouldn’t call a physical therapist “the stretch girl”
or a nurse “the bedpan lady,”
don’t reduce our profession to a term that strips it of legitimacy.
Intent doesn’t cancel impact.
Ignorance isn’t a free pass.
And “that’s just what I’ve always said” isn’t an excuse.
This is a licensed, medical-adjacent profession that demands skill, education, boundaries, and respect and we’ve worked far too damn hard to keep correcting the same misinformation.
If this post makes you uncomfortable, good.
That discomfort means it’s working.
Massage Therapist.
Use it. Learn it. Respect it.
Rant over. 🎤
Happy holidays!
Marsha Summitt LMT 12 years
Owner Unity Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork
