Dr. Ben E Benjamin, Benjamin Institute

These sexual assault prevention guidelines provide a road map for massage clinics, day spas, franchisors, franchisees, or those looking to expand their solo practice to maximize the safety of both clients and therapists and minimize the risk of sexual assault. Additionally, if you are a massage therapist looking for a job in a massage clinic or spa—or a client looking for the safest spa to go to for a massage—these guidelines will give you the knowledge to help you decide which type of business to work with. (These guidelines are also valuable for any practitioner who needs a refresher in therapist-client interaction, ethics, and protocols.)

Cultivating sensitivity and trust is essential to keeping clients safe—especially as we are aware that many women and men have experienced physical or sexual trauma in their lives. According to the National Council on Behavioral Health, 70 percent of adults in the US have experienced some type of traumatic event. That’s equal to 223.4 million people, so it is highly likely you are working regularly with individuals who have experienced trauma.1 This article outlines some clear guidelines and boundaries that will help create a safe, comfortable environment for clients, not just those for which trauma is a factor. Safety is built on trust and trust takes time to establish. Yet, trust can also be lost in an instant. It is worth taking the necessary time and care to establish a therapeutic environment that feels both safe and respectful.

The latest statistics show that 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men are sexually assaulted in the US every year. That translates to someone being assaulted every 68 seconds, or over 450,000 sexual assaults each year, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.* Sexual misconduct affects every profession, from politics and business to entertainment and health care.

Few things are worse than asking a returning client how they feel after a session and having them reply: “I don’t know what you did, but my pain is much, much worse.” Every therapist I know sincerely wants to help their clients feel better, whether the treatment is geared toward relaxation or a specific injury or pain. Unfortunately, in my work as an expert witness, I have seen many cases of well-meaning therapists who have seriously injured their clients.

Thanks to the women of the #MeToo movement, who have courageously exposed rampant sexual harassment and assault, our society is being forced to confront this upsetting reality and change it for future generations. The massage treatment room is a microcosm of the greater society, so we sadly find the same types of issues there. Much like in the greater community, more attention needs to be paid to this phenomenon in the field of massage.

Having worked in the industry for over 50 years and served as an expert witness on cases of sexual misconduct by massage therapists and bodyworkers for more than 13 years, I feel compelled to write this article. Sexual violations are seldom written about directly and, unfortunately, are more common than most people realize.