Why I'm No Longer Accepting Tips

Tips have been greatly appreciated over the years, but it's time for them to go.

Massage Therapy is Healthcare

Have you ever tipped your doctor? Your psychotherapist? Dental hygenist? Massage Therapy is healthcare and tipping simply isn't appropriate in that setting.

While you may feel the desire to appreciate your therapist in a monetary way, I would encourage you to channel that energy into writing a stellar review on Google / Yelp or by referring a friend.

Tipping is Confusing

Most clients aren't sure if they should tip or not. When I receive a massage, I do tip, but it's always a guessing game of what each massage therapist will expect and what message they will attach to the amount I give.

Tipping communicates, but it's not clear how much communicates what. Sometimes a tip is simply dictated by someone's ability to pay extra.

This all feels strange. It would be so much easier to know what something costs and to simply pay it.

Tipping lends itself to implicit biases

Our implicit biases are judgements about people and their identites that we might not be aware of.

Tipping has historically been a justification to pay workers less than a living wage and tipping practices often end up being racist, sexist, and classist. Read more about the history and research on this here.

It's a movement!

There is a interdisciplinary movement away from tipping and I support this movement.