May 2, 2023
Sadhana Health is in agreement with ABMP’s statement to Netflix.
In support of our employees, massage therapists, and manual therapists, Sadhana Health ownership stands with Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals and agree with their statement issued to Netflix denouncing the egregious sexualization of massage therapy in its series “Sex/Life”, Season 2, Episode 4.
The scene in question depicted a massage therapy session that was not only offensive but also misrepresented the professionalism and integrity of our members’ work. We understand that “Sex/Life” is a work of fiction that seeks to entertain its audience, but there is no room for representations of inappropriate touch or behavior in a massage therapy session. Such portrayals may be great for ratings, but they endanger practitioners in the very space they’ve dedicated their careers to. read full statement here
Our company and clinic employ highly trained licensed and certified massage therapists. Individually and collectively, they have spent multiples of thousands of dollars on their education, training, and continuing education to ensure that they are providing the best evidence-based informed care to our patients. To see massage therapy depicted in such a disrespectful, inappropriate, and disgusting manner is beyond disappointing. Netflix is putting massage therapists at an increased risk of assault and harassment by misrepresenting this field of evidence-based complementary care.
Our National Institute of Health’s (NIH) National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health promotes massage therapy as an integral part of pain management programs as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services addresses the opioid overdose epidemic. Massage therapists are very commonly employed by physician offices, medical centers, and physical therapy practices to support and augment medical interventions. Often, massage therapy practitioners are additionally trained in more advanced forms of manual therapy and western medicine interventions.
One more thing…
Please do not refer to your massage therapist in any medical or personal care services facility (or in your home!) as a masseuse or masseur. In the U.S. these are outdated terms that have a negative connotation associating massage with the sex industry. You may refer to your practitioner as a massage therapist or manual therapist.