The adjective “trauma-informed” has become its own buzzword in healthcare and education. From Psychology Today, “to be ‘trauma-informed’ is to recognize the pervasiveness of trauma in the world. . . It means becoming aware of trauma's many personal and societal consequences, anticipating how trauma survivors may respond to our words and actions, and doing our part to create a world that does not cause further harm. Even more, being trauma-informed means helping to create a world that can foster growth, resiliency, and healing...” 

How many times have you been asked how the pressure is, and responded, “fine,” or been asked if you want “light, medium, or heavy” pressure? At IMEB we believe it’s also part of our job to establish a common language between clients and therapists so we can communicate effectively. When it comes to pressure, here’s what we say:

It’s the day of your appointment! You filled out the intake and consent forms last night so your therapist can look them over. You arrive and we greet you at the door. Once you’re in the session room your therapist will check in with you briefly about how you’re doing, go over your intake, ask any questions they might have and answer any questions you may have. And then you get the new client spiel. It takes about 3 minutes and is very important!

Principles without practical applications are meaningless. In the case of body-neutrality in the context of massage, the necessary action is to consider the needs of fat and larger-bodied folks when selecting furniture, equipment, and linens. . . Inclusive language and imagery are absolutely necessary, but insufficient.

The devastating reality is that the question being asked by many gender-queer, BIPOC, and fat or larger bodied individuals is, “Will I be safe there?” This should never be the question anywhere, much less in an industry that claims to be concerned with the well-being of its clients.