At the beginning of my appointment, Mary and I had a brief consultation regarding my treatment goals. I requested a full-body therapeutic massage with a focus on my lower back. During the consultation, I did not request facial massage or any treatment involving my face.
The treatment began with massages to my back, followed by my legs and feet. I kept my socks on during the foot portion of the treatment because my feet become cold easily, and the massage was performed over my socks.
After this, I was instructed to turn over, and Mary began working on my scapular area, neck, and head. I was not asked whether I consented to scalp/head work, and I was concerned because I did not want oil applied to my hair. Since she had already begun working in that area, I did not interrupt the treatment at that point.
Shortly afterward, Mary touched the lower left side of my face. I immediately told her, "not the face," to clearly indicate that I did not want contact or treatment in that area. Her response was, "I didn't know." Facial contact had not been discussed during the consultation, and I had not provided informed consent for treatment or contact involving my face.
My concern is that I was not given the opportunity to make an informed decision regarding treatment or contact in areas that were not discussed during the consultation. I was never asked for my consent before contact was made with my face, and therefore I was not given the opportunity to accept or decline. If I had been asked beforehand, I would have declined facial contact/treatment. I believe clients should be informed and given the choice to provide or refuse consent before treatment is performed in areas that were not previously discussed, especially sensitive areas such as the face.
I am also concerned about the hygiene and infection-control practices during this appointment. The facial contact occurred after she had already massaged my body, including my feet. The following morning, I noticed an inflamed and painful pimple in the specific area of my face that had been touched. While I cannot confirm the cause, the timing and location raised concerns for me regarding the hygiene practices followed during the treatment.
I have received massages at the same location from three other registered massage therapists, and in my previous experiences, they consistently communicated when moving to different areas of the body and obtained consent before treating areas that may be sensitive or outside of what was initially discussed. This helped me feel informed and comfortable throughout the treatment.
My concern with this appointment is the lack of communication and informed consent before moving to new treatment areas, particularly the head and face. I believe clear communication, respect for client boundaries, informed consent, and proper hygiene practices are essential components of safe and professional massage therapy practice. read more
