06/11/2025
I chose to leave a career in pharmacy to become a massage therapist. Why? Because massage did for me what no medication could even come close to. Being a pharmacist, I became disillusioned with Western medicine. It has its place, but there is so much more we can do by using alternative therapies. 25 years later, I am still in love with massage. I came across this written piece and it epitomizes what it means to be a massage therapist. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Massage Therapy Isn’t Easy.
This work—this calling—is more than just helping someone relax.
It’s physical. It’s emotional. It’s soul work.
Every day, we show up and give parts of ourselves to help others heal.
We carry your pain—sometimes literally in our hands, sometimes silently in our hearts.
Our backs ache, our joints swell, and our energy runs low… but we stay grounded, focused, and present—because we know the power of this work.
What people don’t always see is what it takes to hold space for someone’s healing:
To feel the tension of trauma trapped in their muscles
To hear the tears hit the floor when the body finally lets go
To witness someone rediscover their breath, their range of motion, their sense of peace.
To remain calm and regulated while someone else unravels
To manage our own stress, exhaustion, grief, or pain—so we don’t pour it into you
To spend our off hours stretching, icing, and soaking so we can show up for you again tomorrow
To feel someone’s pain and still be gentle
To absorb the weight of stories we’ll never repeat but always carry
And then there’s what we endure behind the scenes.
We get asked if we “do extras.”
We get sexualized, dismissed, or mocked when we say we’re massage therapists.
We hear jokes that devalue our education, professionalism, and purpose.
We get called “masseuses”—a term that strips our work of its integrity and ties us to an outdated, exploitative stereotype.
That word does not honor the skill, discipline, and ethical standards we uphold.
We are not “masseuses.”
We are Licensed Massage Therapists.
We are healthcare providers, wellness practitioners, and trauma-informed professionals.
We’ve spent thousands of hours studying anatomy, pathology, and therapeutic technique.
We’ve built practices rooted in compassion, consent, and care.
We are not here to entertain.
We are here to heal.
And that healing?
It’s not just about the body.
It’s the woman with chronic pain who can finally sleep through the night.
It’s the man with PTSD who feels safe enough to close his eyes.
It’s the mom who carries the weight of the world but finally feels held herself.
It’s the client who comes in disconnected—and leaves back in their body.
Yes, this job is hard.
It hurts.
It drains.
It costs us more than people realize.
But it’s also beautiful.
Transformative.
Sacred.
So when you come to us, remember:
You’re not just booking a massage.
You’re not just paying for an hour on the table.
You’re paying for years of training, body strain, emotional labor, and deep compassion.
And we are damn proud of what we do.
You’re stepping into a space where real healing happens—
for you, and often, for us too.
-Keysha Licensed Massage Therapist (15 years)
Part owner of K&A massage therapy
