04/21/2026
Last night I stumbled across a little factoid that tends to trigger me and cause distress. When we feel passionately about something, we tend to get that way.
The trouble with this topic is that when in the past I have brought it up with non-therapists, the results have been surprisingly conflicted. And it turns political no matter what company I am surrounded by. I don't really want to contend with people I care about.
A brief synopsis: at the root, I see there are often double standards for professionalism in our community. What applies for some fields doesn't apply for others. And the truth is, in my profession, there is a LOT of illegal activity, and some people want it, and some don't. Can you imagine having to wade through this on a daily basis? I get to w**d out people seeking what we pretend is illegal here, but the community actually quite supports it.
In this case last night, I actually saw that a family member had endorsed a top ranking massage business in our town, who is ranking higher than my business in search engines, but is practicing massage extensively without a license. (If this were a doctor’s office doing this, we’d have serious community outcry and news articles.) When driving by their business, I see that they blacked out the word "massage" on their signage, which tells me they got slapped with a fine by the PA massage board. But their website still ranks high for massage therapy and uses the term extensively. So the board didn’t really make a change, and my massage fees to stay licensed pay for legal fees to attempt to correct the situation.
I had to laugh because my sister meant well in her glowing review, and those seeking care at this massage business also seek their best interest as well. I should be glad my neighbors are getting care, and I genuinely am glad to see that.
The ethical dilemma comes when I consider the work of my colleagues, and want the best for all therapists. I also know that if the whole town got massage on a monthly basis, there simply aren't enough therapists to keep up with that demand. BUT it also is frustrating to know the expense and time that licensed therapists give to be and stay legal. And it doesn't quite seem fair that some people get to bypass the "rules" because they are in dire circumstances, or brought here from other countries seeking a better life.
So... the end result for me was that asked my husband to pray for me, which brought tremendous peace. I also used some simple hypnotherapy techniques and tapped into my own core beliefs. I don't need this situation to trigger me as it has in the past. I can talk calmly about it, and laughed when I discovered my sister's endorsement of a business that is illegally practicing massage. It didn't feel disloyal because I knew she needed a deep tissue massage, and that's not my niche anymore. And regarding the trafficking I warned her about months ago, well, she knew better but didn't really care, which is how a lot of us feel in Central PA about certain "rules". We are freedom-lovers, and I appreciate that about us locals.
At the end of the day, sometimes healing our mind and body really does mean letting go and not letting things out of our control not plague us so much. I'm sharing this silly story so you can see that it IS possible to change how we handle repeating triggers and struggles, and IS possible to let things go that bother you. A year ago this would have set me off pretty good, but for now, it just bothered me one night. 😆 And here I am, ready to educate and use it as a learning opportunity to hopefully encourage someone else struggling with “rules” and circumstances that often feel out of our control. Talking about it helps. You’re not alone. It’s okay to be frustrated, just don’t swim in that pool too long.
There we go! 💛🩵💚
