Bridging the Gap: Kink-Aware Massage Therapy

Suzan D. Walker LMT 104331
Sep 16
2 min read

Updated: Sep 24

Person in black shorts and fishnet tights, hands cuffed behind back with leather cuffs. Bright orange nails, blurred indoor background. — Massage therapy can offer many benefits for individuals in kink communities, from stress relief and muscle recovery to improved body awareness.

Kink-informed care is rooted in the belief that everyone deserves access to safe, professional, and compassionate services without judgment or bias. Unfortunately, there is still a stigma when it comes to people with kinks seeking care. Too often, assumptions or personal biases from professionals create unnecessary barriers that prevent individuals from receiving the support they truly need.

Being kink-aware means understanding that not every person in the kink community carries trauma, and not every kink needs to be pathologized. It requires releasing ego, setting aside judgments, and recognizing that people who identify within kink communities deserve the same standard of care and respect as anyone else. Holding that space with compassion and professionalism allows individuals to feel safe, seen, and supported.

Massage therapy can offer many benefits for individuals in kink communities, from stress relief and muscle recovery to improved body awareness. But beyond the physical, it’s about honoring the whole person free from shame or bias.

A side note for other massage therapists: As professionals, we must not judge. We should never make critical errors in judgment, belittle, or insult a client based on their lifestyle. Someone in the kink community could be a family member, a neighbor, colleague or even one of our children. Failing to hold safe and respectful space can prevent clients from receiving effective care that they need. Please consider this in the future when a client confides to you about their lifestyle choices.

Working with a wide variety of clients helps us grow as practitioners, fostering understanding, empathy, and the ability to meet people’s unique needs. Unfortunately, too often medical professionals face judgment or scrutiny when it comes to serving kink or alternative-lifestyle clients. As massage therapists, being open to different experiences is essential to providing compassionate care.

At times, kink may involve practices such as BDSM, Shibari, or other forms of play that can cause visible surface-level effects like bruising or swelling. In most cases, clients will disclose this information voluntarily if they feel safe and respected. However, if there is ever suspicion of actual abuse, that is another matter entirely. Those situations must be handled by reporting to the proper authorities.

As a massage therapist, I don’t need to know the details of your kink play to provide care. I will not ask you to discuss those details, nor will I inquire about them.

Looking ahead, I am honored to continue working with the kink community and providing the highest quality of care. Not only do I support individuals within the kink community, but I am also a trauma-informed therapist who integrates a wide variety of modalities to help people from all walks of life.

I look forward to meeting you and working together on your wellness journey. To schedule your appointment, please call me at 817-966-1020.

Thank you for trusting me with your care.

Susan (Suzan) Walker, LMT 104431