28/12/2025
For educational purposes.
Sometimes a Massage Therapist is referred to as a Massuse. It's cringeworthy & used by non-informed individuals 😫 so to set the record straight, I'd like to share further.
I am qualified to a high standard, trained for over a year in Advanced Clinical Massage ACMT & invested in other training in my profession. Highly trained, to level 4 in Sports & level 6 Btec including Advanced Myofascial techniques, TMJ, Scar & Cranial Work & Seated Chair Massage.
So the term 'Masseuse' is a degrading word to use. It’s only ‘just a word’ until it affects safety, boundaries, and respect.
We are NOT "Masseuses". We are Therapists.
That term is outdated, inaccurate, and rooted in an era when bodywork wasn’t recognised as healthcare or a legitimate profession.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.
Calling us “masseuses” fuels outdated historical stereotypes that undermine our credibility and invite inappropriate behaviour with consequence. Words can directly impact safety inside treatment rooms.
Let’s be very clear:
°We are insured by a governing body.
°Formally educated in anatomy, physiology, pathology, and pain & injury care
°Follow 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.
If you’re booking an appointment, referring a friend, or talking about what we do, please 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,”
Please 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 it isn’t an excuse.
