Toxic Choke Hold – The Power of Toxic Masculinity in the Massage Therapy Industry

BY: ALEX QUIGLEY

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This audio interview was produced for a Media Training course in Fall 2025, with a focus on applying core interviewing techniques such as structuring questions, maintaining conversational flow, and staying centered on the interview’s purpose. The piece explores toxic masculinity within the massage therapy industry, a topic chosen to highlight misconceptions and bring attention to the nuanced challenges professionals face. Through thoughtful questioning and guided dialogue, the interview aims to foster a clearer, more informed perspective on an often misunderstood field.

TRANSCRIPT

Interviewer: We're here with Alex, a massage therapist of 5 years. Alex, thanks so much for joining us.

Alex: Thank you for having me.

Interviewer: To start, what motivated you to pursue a career in massage therapy, and did gender expectations influence that decision at all?

Alex: I can say that I genuinely love helping people feel their best during their healing journey, but getting into this industry, I quickly experienced the bigger societal issues like toxic masculinity and outdated gender norms. And given that this industry is female-dominated with about 84% of therapists being women, stereotypes end up shaping everything from client expectations to even hiring decisions. The male therapists get booked less, not because of his skill, but because of existing stigmas. And oftentimes male clients feel too embarrassed when receiving self-care from another man, so they'll always choose a female first.

Interviewer: Did you anticipate facing these kinds of barriers before you entered the field?

Alex: I do think that I had a little bit of an idea, and I knew it could potentially be a problem. And there's no doubt that women often have a hard time trusting men who are strangers. And being a man myself, I can recognize the worry of judgment that a lot of men often have when put into vulnerable positions. However, I often work through it with frequent education and positive intent.

Interviewer: What was a moment that really made you realize how strongly societal perceptions of masculinity were affecting your work?

Alex: It happens often. A male client checks in, they see me as their therapist, and immediately will request a female. However, that's toxic masculinity at work. It's taking therapeutic touch, something rooted in healthcare, and sexualizing it so deeply that receiving bodywork from another man feels threatening or weird to them.

Interviewer: How do you personally navigate those moments with clients then?

Alex: I educate, I explain the overall goal of healing through therapeutic touch, I explain the intent and the mindset needed to seek assistance through bodywork. And I hope that with that education, they are capable of letting their guard down and possibly changing their mindset about self-care.

Interviewer: So do you think this misunderstanding of massage therapy is only rooted in toxic masculinity? Or is there a broader layer of sexism involved?

Alex: I think it's both. I mean, toxic masculinity affects how men feel about receiving touch, but sexism affects how society sees the people giving it, especially women, and it often distorts the purpose of massage. But unfortunately, those misconceptions aren't necessarily harmless. When people sexualize this work, it leads to boundary violations and even harassment of the therapists.

Interviewer: Mm, I see. And finally, what changes could help people better understand the purpose of massage therapy and move the field towards being more inclusive?

Alex: We have to challenge the outdated social norms and toxic masculinity that distort what this work really is. When society stops sexualizing touch and stops treating self-care as feminine, people will finally see massage as the healthcare service it truly is. It's often a culture shift, but it's doable and it benefits everyone, especially men.

Interviewer: Before we go, if you could change one thing in the industry tomorrow, what would it be?

Alex: I would hope that eventually men can understand the importance of mental health and wellness and how the presence of toxic masculinity impacts their choices in self-care. And once that barrier drops, we can see the gain in access to tools that can better their lives and health.