The Gender of Your Massage Therapist
Massage therapy is a career that attracts many people, but there are some differences in how male and female therapists are perceived.
While many clients aren’t concerned about massage therapists and gender, other clients may have a preference for one sex over the other. Some massage therapy careers may also be easier to break into depending on the sex of the therapist.
Times are changing and the gender of the therapist is becoming less of an issue, but there it is still important to understand how gender can affect a career in massage therapy.
Massage Therapists and Gender
Massage therapy in the West is dominated by female therapists. In fact, more than 80 percent of massage therapists are women. This ratio is slowly becoming more balanced, but all the same it is clear that the sex of the therapist plays a major role in the industry. There are a few reasons that women are more commonly employed as therapists.
To begin with, massage therapy is a very nurturing treatment. This is a role that women have been more historically inclined to fill, although this stereotype is changing in recent years. Another reason is that massage requires intimate touch, and many clients find women to be less threatening.
Patient Attitudes Toward the Sex of the Therapist
Massage therapy and gender can be a real issue for many clients. While there are always clients who are not concerned about the sex of the therapist, others do not feel comfortable being exposed to or touched by a male massage therapist. Massage therapy is a very personal, hands-on experience, and a patient cannot receive the full benefits it he or she is unable to relax.
Some women feel uncomfortable with having a male perform a massage on them, and there are also many men who also feel ill at ease with a male therapist massaging their bodies. Even though male massage therapists are as professional and highly trained as female therapists, female therapists tend to book more clients, which can mean fewer career options for male massage therapists.
Challenges for Therapists Based on Their Sex
Sexual harassment can also be an issue with massage therapy and gender. Female therapists often report that clients may touch them inappropriately, or make lewd suggestions to them. Male therapists, on the other hand, are more likely to have female clients claim to be sexually harassed, although they, too, are sometimes propositioned.
Because of these concerns with massage therapy and gender, it is important that the therapist be professional at all times. He or she needs to be constantly aware of the clients’ personal boundaries, and to be sure that the client is properly draped and appropriately touched. If the client becomes uncomfortable, the therapist should cover him or her and stop the touch in order to ascertain if the therapy should be continued. If a client exhibits inappropriate behavior, the therapist should immediately disengage and end the session.
Another challenge for male massage therapists is finding work. There are far more female than male massage therapists, and it is easier for women to find employment. Even though job discrimination based on sex is a tricky legal issue, it is still an concern in the field of massage therapy.
Gender Benefits for Massage Careers
The good news is that even though male massage therapists may have fewer options, there are still some career paths where it is actually beneficial to be a male massage therapist. Sports massage, for example, is often performed by male massage therapists. Sports in general tend to be dominated by males, and it is the same in the field of sports massage and therapy.
Massage therapy and gender is also less of an issue with rehabilitation and physical therapy careers. While all massage has healthy benefits, clients are often more comfortable with treatments that are specifically prescribed by physicians, and are less likely to be concerned about the sex of the therapist. With rehabilitative therapy, only particular areas of the body are being worked. Because of this, the client often has fewer concerns about large areas of their bodies being exposed to and touched by the massage therapist.
Where massage therapy and gender is the largest issue is with spa massages. This is one career path where women are more accepted and also find it easier to find employment. Spa massage is often done for relaxation, and requires considerable exposure of the skin as well as quite a bit of touch. Because of this, clients are often more comfortable with a female massage therapist.
Massage therapy and gender is an important topic for any therapist to consider. Because of the intimate nature of massage therapy, issues do arise regarding the sex of the therapist. It is important to be aware of these issues and to always act in a professional manner. Stereotypes are changing, but there are still gender differences in the field.
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