No one else in the room seemed to understand how exciting this 1:13 was. I think I was bouncing in my seat.
My first piece of legislation!
Here’s me speaking before city council:
And a reporter saying my name on the TV:
Inspirational Quote:
“Every political system is an accumulation of habits, customs, prejudices, and principles that have survived a long process of trial and error and of ceaseless response to changing circumstances. If the system works well on the whole, it is a lucky accident — the luckiest, indeed, that can befall a society.”–Edward C. Banfield
Hi Jessica,
As a Certified Massage Therapist (trained in California, and back in Pittsburgh) I’m very happy with the forward progress you have made. I did want to make note, though, of a quote from the article by Joe Mandak which stated: “If this bill is passed and enforced properly, perhaps johns will learn that they cannot go into a legitimate massage parlor and sexually harass their masseuses into providing a ‘happy ending,'” Goodman said, using a euphemism for sexual services.
The terms “massage parlor” and definitely “massuse” are not proper for those of us who have the education and training in our field. Those two terms normally infer “other” services beyond true therapeutic bodywork. Please be sure to brush up on correct terminology as you continue to push for legislation in this area that should have been in place eons ago and if I may be of any help, feel free to contact me.
Thank you,
Jennifer Volturno, CMT & Reiki Practitioner
Hi Ms Volturno,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for the correction. Can you repost with what the right terminology would be so all of the ordinance’s supporters can learn? Thank you for your interest and support,
Jessica
Absolutely – thank you for responding so quickly. It’s very important to us, as Massage Therapists, that “Masseuse” and “Massuer” be taken out of the verbage…if you look on a website such as Craiglist, you will see those exact terms over and over. Basically anyone can deem themselves as such, as it does not require any documentation showing one’s education, whereas, a Massage Therapist will have the paperwork backing their title. (Most of us are also required to obtain Liability Insurance, as well. The professional groups you will find us belonging to for our insurance are the Associated Bodyworkers and Massage Professionals (ABMP) or the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA)).
Anyone in our field that has their Certifications or AA, are titled as a Certified Massage Therapist (CMT) or, as we’re turning over to in the State of PA, Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT). There’s a variety of places you will find true Therapeutic Bodyworkers – Spas, Chiropractic Offices, Wellness Centers, businesses such as Massage Envy are normally known as a Massage Clinic. The term “parlor” is not used in legitimate massage businesses, as it does normally refer to a place that’s not on the up and up.
I have found that many have that misunderstanding (or just have their own twisted idea of what my career turly is) of our field more here in PA than my 8 years in CA, and I believe that is because on the West Coast it is a way of life for people to stay well: something I hope begins to become more mainstream here, and I believe your work may help this along.
I hope this information helps a bit. Please feel free to contact me with any help I may be able to contribute; I would like to keep tabs on how this ordinance continues to progress.
Kind Regards,
Jennifer Volturno, CMT & Reiki Practitioner
Also, if you do reach out to the Professional groups (ABMP & AMTA) they are instramental in backing and pushing legislation through. They may be a really good avenue for a great deal of support.
– Jen
Hi Jen,
Great vocabulary lesson and great information. I’ll email you privately–we’ve received a great deal of support from a wide range of people in Pittsburgh, but one or two Massage Therapists are pushing back hard and I would love your perspective on how to make sure we respectfully and usefully address their concerns.
Thank you!
Jessica