Comments on: In Defense of Envy

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 20 May 2011 19:18:24 +0000

I have worked M E, Chiros, day retreats and in private homes as CMT/LMT. The thing with M E is that a therapist must work long hours to make a living. I love the fact that M E markets themselves to everyday folk who appreciate massage but its at the expense of the therapist. I found working at privately owned businesses who offer massage, with comparable treatments, pay twice as much with the same level of tips. Corporate culture in the health field is the reason why the average American experience so much dis-ease.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:07:46 +0000

I worked at an M E for about two weeks some 5 years after I received my license. what a poor experience. M E to me is a very poor place to learn good client appreciation and modality/hands on technique skills. They promote themselves as therapeutic clinics but a true therapeutic treatment takes longer than the time allowed.
A “good” therapist cannot properly assess in five minutes then treat in fifty minutes. I provide cranial-sacral therapy in every massage I give and that alone takes an hour. Many therapists can assess the preliminary problem during the intake but a “good” therapist does the standing postural analysis, discusses the findings with the client, then gives directions before beginning the treatment. When on the table a true clinical massage uses every therapist known modality to help the clients’ healing process. This can not be done properly or appropriately in fifty minutes. So M E IS taking advantage of therapists and clients. MHO.

By: Ben King

Ben King — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:18:18 +0000

I always enjoy your writings. If I had to start over, I would like to have done it the way you just describe. Right out of my first training I went to work for myself. What a struggle. I wanted it my way and didn’t need any help and was not willing to leave any money on the table. Work for Chiros? No way they take too much of my money. Bad thinking. Finally working with them, and not so much for them, I gained so much knowedge and have even studied with a couple of them. So, finally, I have my own office at a hospital and have no overhead. My schedule is sent to me each week. I have landed on both feet and am running forward.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:18:50 +0000

From Sue Peterson: Lynna I can’t agree with you more. Everyone starts somewhere, and everyone at some point needs a steady job with bens where they hand you the client. If you make about $30 with tips at ME, compare that to $30 per massage hour as a contractor — you have to pay your own payroll taxes, buy your own health insurance, etc. your take-home is really about $15. Is ME the be all end all of all time? No. But there’s nothing wrong with working for a living!

By: Sprtsgirl

Sprtsgirl — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:15:18 +0000

Awesome and point 8 had me rolling. I work at a chiropractic office and can attest to the loud noise on the other side of the door issue. It has been slow and I have been thinking of working ME. I think more people complain than praise from what I have seen on yelp and that is probably where they get the bad rap from. Anyway thanks for the blog

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 10:48:14 +0000

Thanks for the interesting assessment of Massage Envy. I applied to work for them when I first graduated from massage school, but ended up working at a massage clinic closer to my home instead.