As a massage therapist, I work hard to earn repeat customers by way of offering a great service at a price that reflects value for money.

Getting to know a customer and their likes and dislikes over time makes the massage much more easier. Massaging is a highly personal service so any familiarity built over time, helps both the massage therapist and the client relax into what is a very enjoyable experience.

Where there is no ‘standard’ rate of frequency for being massaged, most Massage Therapists would suggest one massage per month is a standard rate of frequency for a repeat customer. More sessions may be required depending on whether an injury or health concern is being treated.

So what happens when a customer starts booking massages weekly, or twice per week, for no reason other than they just ‘like being massaged and massaged by you in particular. In any other profession, accelerated frequency of a customer is a welcome event. In the world of massage, it may actually cause concern to the Massage Therapist.

Could this customer be addicted to massage? If they are, is this a negative thing?

One often associates addition to what are regarded as negative habits – smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, excessive gambling, etc. Or, addiction is often associated to events that give people a ‘rush’ of sorts. High impact sports, bungee jumping, sky diving, etc. But massage? The act of being pampered into slumber!

If we break it down, my belief is that our society has become one where ‘touching’ others is at the very least, avoided – think about the discomfort of standing close to others in an elevator, or how one says ‘sorry’ when they accidentally touch by someone in the street (well most of the time). Consider how we bustle for our own patch of turf on public transport. How we act in the workplace is highly regulated and ‘touching’ of any type may point toward sexual harassment. I don’t disagree with the need to protect all in a workplace against any form of discrimination.

Human beings are programmed to be social – we seek community and we seek the company of others.

Now think about a person, who is either single or in a non affectionate ‘non touching’ relationship. They wake up and go to work and in every instance where they have ‘touched’ someone albeit accidentally, they apologise.

It is actually possible that some people in our society today go through whole days, or even months and never get ‘purposely touched’ in a positive, healing, way by someone.

Could some be using massage as a way of simply being touched? Where does someone go who yearns being touched in a non sexual, healing, pampering way go?

In a society where touching is avoided, discouraged or legislated against, one can see how easily some may become addicted to what in its essence, is a basic human need – being touched.