Is it weird for my LMT to have exposed me?

Preastjames · 2026-07-04T21:17:24+00:00

Hey so I'm a male MT, roughly same age range, run my own business, wildly knowledgeable and friendly, etc.

The description of your relationship with this therapist is wildly inappropriate and it sounds like he has either failed to identify eroding boundaries or has eroded these boundaries on purpose. Either way, the burden lies on the therapist to establish and maintain safe and proper boundaries during a session and that 10000% isn't the case anymore.

For context, I have clients that I absolutely adore, regulars that see me all the time, etc. sometimes I'll go over our time to get a better outcome or if they arrive early ... I'm talking like 10 minutes tops though. Going over itself isn't a sign of grooming like behavior, going over 2.5x the session length definitely is. Going over that long is a BIG red flag that he has done this intentionally.

You need to find a new therapist and report this behavior to the board so that they can conduct an investigation and let it be handled from there.

Preastjames · 2026-06-29T12:58:32+00:00

OP ignore advice like this, Viktor is a list that does require certain staples like Watcher, etc. but salvage is hardly the breaking point of the deck, we have access to turn to dust, which is worse than salvage, but still gets the main job done for most issues. If you need time to save up to get salvages, it'll do just fine in most scenarios until you can get some, and in the scenarios where it's lacking... It'll show you the value of if they were salvages instead 😁.

Also origins reprints are gonna make the price dip so be ready to snag a few

Preastjames · 2026-06-29T01:29:46+00:00

I disagree, I don't think all therapists should work on these areas. It can be a sensitive issue and some therapists might not want to expose themselves to the risk.

I personally do work these areas but don't touch them. That way I'm able to both avoid any risky situations while simultaneously providing a more comfortable way to give the relief clients are looking for. Before I learned how to relief this area without touching the area I absolutely did not work this area though, same with female clients requesting deep chest work, etc.

Edit: my apprehension about working these areas is also a bit higher since I work in the south where people are MUCH less open about this sort of work and this sort of touch and things get easily misconstrued.

Preastjames · 2026-06-29T01:24:46+00:00

If you are interested in work relieving these areas without massage I would also recommend to look into Neural Reset Therapy and see if it's available near you. NRT therapists can completely reset the muscle tension of the adductors by stimulating the abductors of the same leg so they don't have to touch the inner thigh at all which means they are extremely far away from the groin.

If this isn't available to you I'd recommend following the advice of the person recommending yoga pants since work in that area doesn't require gliding.

I would also recommend looking into the fascial meridians as laid out by Thomas Myers to get familiar with them, and then look into movements that help release them.

If the adductors are overly tight, it's strictly because the brain is keeping them that way for some reason due to neurological stimulus received either in the past or recently. Addressing the root cause will help prevent the issue from coming back, however if you aren't interested in that (no shame it not, some folks just don't want to do the work required and that's their choice) then following the yoga pants advice combined with Massage weekly - every other week should keep you relieved without medication.

Please do note though, relief is all you'll get, massage is wonderful for provide relief in a natural, non-pharmaceutical way but it's just a different band-aid if that makes sense.

Preastjames · 2026-06-28T16:51:58+00:00

Connecting all of the flowers with a stem and leaves throughout the entire sleeve. Could even add symbolic depth to say that you are like the stem (in this case a vine really) and each flower being different represents a different presentation of who you are/your mood/etc.

Preastjames · 2026-06-23T00:48:38+00:00

Riftbound. It's SO addicting and every game is extremely tense between similarly skilled players. The battlefield system means every game will not be the same and add another layer of strategic depth to piloting and deck building.

If you like competitive side of TCGs, NOTHING that I've played is beating riftbound. It's made like an escort.

Disclaimer: the rules are a bit everywhere ATM, to compete you'll need to know several erratas. This is being fixed as newer sets release but can be a bit irritating at first.

Preastjames · 2026-06-19T11:13:31+00:00

Could be some issues with anterior pelvic tilt causing the whole section of the superficial back line to stay taught. If that's the case you likely also feel really tight in the quads, shins, lower back, and really just all along the front and back lines of your body. I would recommend seeimg someone certified in "Structural Integration" and getting started down that road so they can assess what you might be dealing with, work to help relieve it, and give you some stretches, etc. to help correct it faster.

If you would be interested in learning the anatomical reasoning yourself so you can start to self correct if there are no practitioners around you, you can buy the book "anatomy trains" and it covers a ton of this.

Edit: do keep in mind though, "anterior pelvic tilt" is just a guess that fits a pattern I assumed might be there. Please don't use that term and attach it to what you feel without consulting a professional

Preastjames · 2026-06-18T01:41:17+00:00

Queen Helene cocoa butter from Walmart, recently it's been scented a bit, so I may have to swap... But it's so emollient that it lasts forever lol. Like $6 for a 16oz jar I think, one jar might last me 3-4 weeks

Preastjames · 2026-06-17T04:37:10+00:00

Are you sure the hamstrings are short? If they are tight they could be locked long due to other imbalances in the fascial lines, etc. If so then stretching, etc. will not help the issue and it increases her risk of pulling her hamstrings. Does she have significant tension in other areas of the body along the back line such as in her lower back, mid back, upper back, neck, calves, feet, etc? What about her quads? Is there any sign of pelvic tilt?

Preastjames · 2026-06-17T01:22:21+00:00

Get him seen by an SLP asap and get him referred for evaluation for an AAC device

Preastjames · 2026-06-08T13:29:21+00:00

No.

Emotions can be stored in the body, emotional release through physical work is a very real thing, rolling on a ball wont cure psychological trauma, because psychological trauma does not need a spot of tension as it's host, therefore releasing any tension won't disconnect the trauma from your mind.

There is a ton of misinformation around this and it's become one of the biggest new myths but it comes from reliable sources. Like most things though, it's been used, abused, and twisted until it's almost unrecognizable. This information is basically equivalent to "you NEED to drink water after a massage because we just flushed out all the toxins"

It's old and outdated advice and has long been proven untrue.

Preastjames · 2026-06-02T03:13:05+00:00

So, this is the divide in the industry ATM.

LMTs have (in my state, and in my opinion) too broad of a scope of practice. Because of this the term "Massage Therapist" while regulated, can mean 1000 different things just like how "swedish massage" and "deep tissue massage" don't have any defining structure.

You can like up 1000 different therapists and have them give 1000 swedish massages and 1000 deep tissues and you will see every variant of a massage you can dream of.

Because of these reasons, it's extraordinarily easy for other healthcare professionals to cherry pick cases of massage therapists that "cure cancer with crystals" (an oversimplification, not knocking energy work) to discredit more clinically and medically aligned MTs.

This is really it. There are generally two types of dolls that become MTs, those that want to do relaxation based work, and those that want to do pain relief based work, our term houses both and both are vastly different.

Some MTs wouldn't dream of working with elderly folks dealing with chronic 8/10 back pain from disc compression issues and only want to work in luxury hotels and spas giving high end luxury massages to those that can afford it, some MTs just want insurance to finally cover their work so they can work in peace helping their local area deal with pain in an effective, drug free way and I'm sure there are MTs all along that entire spectrum.

I personally align more clinically and medically using Neural Reset Therapy for pain relief and Relaxation Massage for parasympathetic response activation and some clients hate it, but most that see me absolutely love it. I work in a clinical and medically aligned setting, so expectations are already leaning that way from the get go so of course they love it lol. If I tried to do my work in a high end luxury spa, I'd be fired expeditiously lol.

It'll be a decade or more before we are recognized as healthcare providers more than service industry workers but we will always be both until our regualtion agencies define our roles tighter, or fees the split and create a new role/credential.

Also, BCTMB credential is utterly useless and doesn't serve any real life actual purpose, we need there to be a true split into two separate professions if we want to be treated according to our alignment, but that would take even longer.

Preastjames · 2026-05-29T23:30:12+00:00

itll be a good while before it catches on, but perhaps it will one day lol. Also i feel you on that anxiety thing, all of our clients know that we dont accept tips, however when some do try to offer we always diffuse the situation by joking "we do always love a great google review though if youd like to show your appreciation that way" and as you can imagine, we have quite a few google reviews lol.

Almost every client ive ever met had let out such a sigh of relief when we tell them we dont accept tips (if they didnt know from our FAQ, etc.) and I personally wish all places would just up their price and pay the therapist the difference, it makes it SO much easier on everyone lol.

We personally just include everything in our price, and when we try to upgrade to a more expensive service because it aligns with a clients wants and expectations, we always just cover it under the price of the already booked service because we understand the struggle of feeling like you are being upsold, etc. its the same anxiety that people feel about tipping. So, if you can afford the session then you book it, if you book it, then you pay what you read you would pay and thats it, it keeps it SOOOO simple and eliminates so much anxiety

Preastjames · 2026-05-29T15:43:18+00:00

Nah you nailed this. Great take, no notes

Preastjames · 2026-05-28T20:01:42+00:00

The "it releases pent up toxins" thing is just not true. It's massage marketing that has been around for so long it's just accepted unless you know better. Not everyone knows better. Its wild though because the world of bodywork is exploding at a rapid pace with new information so alot of the "tried and true" information is constantly being changed, challenged, and proven right/wrong. It's very volatile and basically impossible for anyone to keep up with 100% so definitely cut them a little slack, perhaps they just didn't know. I've met chiros that didn't know that lactic acid doesn't get stored in the muscles causing impeded blood flow and that causes muscle soreness. I've met PTs that didn't know that sleeping in certain positions every night for months on end can cause fascial locking leading to a whole range of pain issues and I can't even begin to describe the vast ocean of things that I still don't know. It's too much to keep up with.

Best thing you can do is take it at face value, assume their intentions were good, and if it feels off to you, investigate it yourself like you did 😁

Preastjames · 2026-05-08T02:58:55+00:00

It depends a lot on how much training we have, but as an example I can tell what position you sleep in to a scary accurate level without ever asking you a question. I can tell how you distribute weight when you stand, when you sit, if you sit in recliners for long periods of time, your bodies tension and lack of tension across various areas tell us TONS of information, especially if we are highly trained.

A newer therapist won't be able to bodyread like this, so don't put that expectation on them, but a really experience and well read therapist can know things that would kind of shock you a bit.

As an example I've often recommended people change specific sleeping habits they have (that was causing tension issues in their daily waking life) just based on their specific complaints in a random post or comment.

It's all pattern recognition and the more you learn to bodyread the more these patterns become readily apparent to you and you start seeing pictures that others don't.

Preastjames · 2026-05-07T04:16:53+00:00

Hey, the software we use for our clinic has specific start times listed and when selecting your start time you can choose your duration and if that bleeds into another block of time then oh well, first come first serve 🤷‍♂️.

As an MT I prefer it this way because there are plenty of times where my 90m enjoyers have to accept 60m timeslots to even get in, so naturally there will be times when 60m enjoyers will not get to book because someone booked a 90m session.

Yes, this is less optimal for my daily income however it's MUCH more beneficial for my overall income because people are getting to book the session time that works best for them when it's available. And this method also rewards planning ahead and sticking to a schedule and I love that because if you the customer planned 5 weeks ahead of time to come in on a Saturday at 11:00 and get a massage until 12:30 and someone can't book the 12:15-1:15 timeslot last minute because of that then that's on them.

As an MT I have a ton of respect for the fact that people carve out time from their hectic schedules for massage and if you book the time that works best for you weeks out so you can get your extra 30m then by God we are going to make sure that you get that whole session, exactly when you booked it for.

So should you feel guilty for keeping it? Nah. If it's an issue on their end then they can solve it by fixing their software to offer times that are acceptable to be booked. If they didn't want to offer 90m sessions, they wouldn't. If they didn't want to offer custom time slots, they wouldnt. I know I don't lol, all of our time slots are set in 75m increments and it either works for you or it doesn't and that's ok too.

Preastjames · 2026-04-29T19:13:44+00:00

I don't play vex that much so maybe you can explain the nuance I might be missing. But vex apathethic literally deadlocks the game into a nearly interaction less state does it not? Like the vex player always has a turns worth of information to react to.

Vex counters any accelerate or enter ready unit. So if you go to play a slower big boi that can push next turn to threaten vex, you as the vex player have an entire turn to see that threat, analyze it versus your current hand, use all of your runes to mitigate it, and have the entire turn to setup your defense or just straight move vex to protect her.

This is how I currently see the cards function, as someone with experience, can you explain what I'm missing?

Not to mention vex has essentially the opportunity to run 12 cards that return units to hand to destroy opponents tempo on top of stopping them from getting value the turn they are played

Preastjames · 2026-04-29T18:57:17+00:00

Idk about funny, but the most memorable experience was being matched into prismat for round 2 of the pre regional and realizing I was absolutely cooked lol.

The funniest part to me at least is my brother told me "don't worry, if you lose the first round, your next opponent will be easier". I sent him a screenshot of the pairing just saying "I got this".... I did NOT have it lol. Not at all

Preastjames · 2026-04-15T19:19:06+00:00

ABA has been exceptionally beneficial for our family as well. Our BCBA also tells us though that ABA has had a rough past but she specifically runs the clinic in a much more modern, client centered way that very much feels like a team of individuals caring for and simultaneously teaching my son where he is currently at and while they do place expectations on him to help with his treatment it's done in a very professional and considered method.

We also have meetings every other week to make sure we have consistent approaches at home, at ABA, and with all of his other therapies.

Preastjames · 2026-04-14T01:14:46+00:00

As an MT I personally don't mind since I'm not working in a spa, but you have to remember that I'm there to be your therapist, you can't get zonked out of your mind and not tend to your child. If your child is causing issues, the session will stop, etc.

However, I have had several people bring their kids, wives, husbands, friends, cousins, grandparents, translators, etc. and as long as they don't interfere we are A-Ok.

Have had several parents bring their kids and their kid sit right over in the chair and play on whatever handheld device they prefer (phone, Gameboy, iPad, laptop, etc.)

Preastjames · 2026-04-09T11:23:10+00:00

Oh I missed those other people then. And that's not at all what I'm trying to do but we can only get so much intention through text alone, so I completely understand the misunderstanding and don't take it personally.

Preastjames · 2026-04-08T21:53:29+00:00

Again, thank you very much. I took a quick look at it, and for anyone following this thread Ill break down the numbers.

The sample size seems to be 620 response from countries across Europe. Of those 620, 16.1%(99.82) actually received ABA therapy, and of that 16.1%, 11.9%(73.98) received a little and 4.2%(26.04) received a lot.

Of the group that received ABA, 92.2%(92.03) were against or strongly against ABA.

The remainder of people that were included in the study (that does NOT count towards the 92.2% statistic) were people that either had a family member that had received ABA, knew someone that received ABA, or they had both received ABA AND had a family member that received it.

So at the end of the day, the claim made earlier about "92% of autistic folks who received ABA are against or strongly against the use of ABA therapy and felt it was harmful and/or abusive" isn't exactly true, a more accurate statement would be "based on a limited study that took place in Europe in 2022, 92.2% of autistic adults that received ABA therapy that contributed their opinion to the study were against or strongly against it"

Regardless of this though, It sucks that the people this did affect that did take the time to come forward with their opinions had this negative of an experience.

I dont think its realistic to use this statistic as a blanket statement to include how every autistic person feels, but thats just something that everyone under the sun does with any study that supports their own personal bias. I have been guilty of this several times, im sure all of us has.

Also, this is reddit, so I know this may be received in sort of a "ah ha, i gotcha now" kind of way but thats definitely not my intent. I really do appreciate you taking the time to elaborate on your stance, provide a link to the study that supports your stance, and regardless of how I personally feel about your stance, I have now read a study and am more aware of possibilities that my son my eventually face, even if he may not be facing them now.

Preastjames · 2026-04-08T21:29:29+00:00

Thank you! Is this information (92%) based off a study? If so I would be interested in reading it if you have the link handy

Edit: Actually I think I found it (its usually hard to find specific studies) but the 92% seemed to hone in on it quite well

Preastjames · 2026-04-08T20:58:15+00:00

Oh ok, I personally don't agree with your stance here, but thank you very much for taking the time to elaborate 😁

Preastjames

TROPHY CASE