Many massage therapists have experienced client behavior that has made them uncomfortable about their personal safety at some point. This can range from clients who tell inappropriate jokes to sharing too much personal information or even failing to reveal undisclosed injuries.
When this occurs, it’s important for massage therapists to know how to properly handle these situations. Being prepared can prevent these occurrences from negatively impacting the health of our business or our personal lives.
Personal safety is paramount. Continuing to work with a client who makes us uncomfortable is only going to drain our energy and compromise our ability to provide great care to other clients.
Ending The Session
Inappropriate behavior can be anything from rude comments to unwanted touch. If at any point during a session you feel uncomfortable or unsafe with a client, you should immediately stop the treatment. Depending on the situation, the issue may be able to be resolved through a conversation with the client. Sometimes, well-intended clients may inadvertently cross our boundaries.
Terminating the session and educating the client on your policies, boundaries and states laws may be all it takes to change their behavior moving forward while upholding the integrity of your establishment and our industry.
Having a plan in place can reduce anxiety surrounding discontinuing treatment. If the need to end a session occurs, here are some steps to take to do so:
• Break contact with your client and position yourself near the exit. Ensure there are no barriers between yourself and the door leaving the treatment room.
• Let the client know you will be stepping out. Inform the client that you are ending the session and they need to get dressed. If you are an employee or work for someone else, let the client know your manger will be in shortly to speak with them or will meet them up front.
• Discuss what happened. Describe the inappropriate behavior and re-establish professional expectations. If you work alone and fear for your safety, tell the client they should exit the building once they have dressed and you will be in contact later to discuss the abrupt and urgent termination of their session.
• Have a plan for payment in place. Consider how you will handle payment afterwards. You may require prepayment or maintaining a credit card on file to streamline the check-out process. Update your policies to inform clients of payment expectations if their appointment is canceled due to inappropriate behavior.
Example: “We have a zero-tolerance policy for harassment of any kind, including but not limited to: sexual solicitation, suggestive commentary or inappropriate touch. Should you choose to engage in such behavior your session will be immediately terminated, you will be charged in full for your reserved appointment time, and you will be banned from booking future appointments. The authorities will be contacted for severe offenses and solicitation of prostitution.”
If you end a session because a client violated your boundaries, it’s important that you thoroughly document the incident and the client’s response and file a report with your local authorities if necessary.
Your personal safety is the utmost priority. If your safety has become compromised and the situation has become dangerous, remove yourself from the treatment room immediately. Once you have secured yourself in a safe location, call 911.
Terminating the Therapeutic Relationship
It is essential for massage therapists to know when it is time to fire a client for inappropriate behavior. Any client who consistently makes inappropriate comments or tries to take advantage of the intimate nature in which we work needs to be let go immediately.
When evaluating the therapeutic relationship, there are four main points to ponder:
• Do you fear for your safety? If at any point a client makes you feel unsafe, they should be removed from your practice immediately.
• Does the client respect your boundaries? When clients continuously cross our boundaries, it puts us at risk of ethical dilemmas and burnout.
• Was a policy violated? If at any point a client breaches your posted policies, you are well within your rights to terminate the professional relationship.
• What does your ‘gut’ say? Despite the term “trust your gut,” those feelings of intuition are actually neurological signals attempting to send decision-making cues.
Once you have decided it is time to terminate the client-therapist relationship, it is best practice to plan for the conversation ahead of time. Draft a script of the key points you would like to communicate with your client. Practice what you would like to say beforehand and keep your language professional and neutral.
You can find additional advice and sample termination letters in A Bodyworker’s Guide to Safety & Solicitation.
Panic Buttons for Personal Safety
Panic buttons are silent alarms designed to summon emergency assistance with the push of a button. They can be a valuable tool in alerting management or emergency services and useful in all settings of massage, including mobile.
Many panic-alarm systems are packed with flexible features that can protect anyone under the threat of violence or intimidation. They can be worn discreetly and include GPS tracking technology to alert the authorities of your location when triggered or send “arrived safely” messages to pre-assigned contacts instantly.
Often referred to as duress alarms, emergency signals, personal alarms, and alert buttons, panic buttons come in a variety of types and are generally easy to use.
• Portable pendants: Portable pendants can be used as part of a security system or medical alert system. Most come with a digital connection that eliminates the need for phone lines. These pendants, much like a key fob, can be work around your neck or affixed to your keyring for easy access.
• Fixed buttons: Fixed panic buttons are generally found in shops dealing with large amounts of money, like banks and retail stores, and intended to trigger a call for help when faced with a robbery or violent customer. Fixed buttons are isolated to static locations.
• Dual-action buttons: A dual-action button is a type of panic button that allows you to use different codes to alert different contacts. For example, one code may be used to alert the police while another code may alert the fire department.
Panic buttons can be a vital safety feature in many workplaces, especially high-risk industries like massage therapy. These devices offer a discreet way to communicate directly with management, police and other emergency officials. They can be worn, mounted on walls or the underside of a massage table, or placed on a key ring.
Create an Action Plan
There are going to be times throughout a massage therapist’s career where the need to terminate a massage session or fire a client arises. Having an action plan in place is essential for building the confidence needed to navigate these emotionally charged occurrences.
Consider implementing an emergency safety plan in conjunction with a personal safety device, such as a panic button, in your practice.
Editor’s note: This is the third of three articles in a series, by Priscilla Fleming, that address safety issues in the massage therapy industry. Part One, “Countering Stigamatization: Prioritize Personal Safety as an MT,” ran on Jan. 11. Part Two, “Red Flags: Prioritize Personal Safety as an MT,” ran on Feb. 1.
About the Author
Priscilla Fleming, LMBT, NMT, APCE, is an educator, author and massage therapist practicing in North Carolina. Her ethics course Safety and Solicitation – Gaslighting & Power Dynamics was created after her own experiences with sexual harassment in the industry. This National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork-approved course is designed to give therapists the tools to confidently screen new clients, recognize the signs of sexual solicitors, and professionally decline clients or terminate the relationship with a client that makes you uncomfortable.