I’m looking at schools and I’ve done some research where I live. Is there a schools near Pittsburgh (Ohio and Virginia is fine too), that doesn’t focus so much on social justice? Like they focus more on plants and what they do, what happens if you take too much, etc?
My girlfriend, coworker and I are doing classes this year after we heard that it’s a good school according to some of my girlfriend’s clients. We went to the website to check it out and they definitely used colorful works to attract a certain type of people. I was a little confused onto why certain topics were discussed, that has nothing to do with herbalism.
Anyways we’re taking the class now and the topics that was mentioned fit perfectly with herbalism like colonialism effects of herbalism ect. We do get homework that I appreciate, but then couple of classes later, we were presented with homework that only white people have to do… and the next class was about racism. My girlfriend and I are white and my coworker is black and all three of us felt very uncomfortable with the homework and next class discussion. My coworker couldn’t make the class because he was “sick” ( I know him lol he definitely wasn’t sick ), so my girlfriend and I was like fuck it let’s see what happens.
We get to class (btw it’s a mix bag of people in the class, couple of black women, couple of mix and rest were white with one of them is trans. They all had their pro nouns while my girlfriend, coworker and I are straight he/him she/her type of deal.) and we dive deep in the conversation. Thank god I was at the very end of the circle just so I can see what everyone else think/say, everyone did this drawn out answer, some of them were crying, my girlfriend did a wonderful job giving her answer, and me?… well I didn’t know how to answer. I’m mix, experienced racism from every color, look white though, I’m cool with everyone as long as you’re not a dick lol.
It just felt like they were targeting white people or whiteness, which in turn is racism. People felt like they’re ashamed for being white cuz of what our ancestors did, which has nothing to do with us now.
Anyways!!! Usually topics like this leads to herbalism… I would think but it just dropped off and we went to another topic. Idk it was weird and I don’t know what to think about this school. Is this normal in herbalism school???
So I work at this spa and we mostly do couples massage. One thing I would like to point out is that as a massage therapist, you work on anyone. Doesn’t matter on the age, sex, race nothing although there are restrictions on age (need a parent for minors in the massage room), but sex is a big thing in the industry because everyone for the most part wants to work on women.
So I have this coworker (We’ll call him C) and made it well know that he prefers women because they’re easier to work with (which is true for the most part). He does this thing where when a couple comes in he act overly feminine (although he’s married and just had a kid), like you think he’s gay and tells them what my “style” is and definitely gears it to a sports massage for the guy. then he either gives them about 5 seconds to see what therapist they want, which they don’t know, then immediately when picks the girl and says why don’t I work on you? And of course they go with him. For me, I always give them the option to pick who they want, who they feel most comfortable with and go from there. Easy, less awkward and fast.
Now I have another co worker that I trade with at the spa and idk what happen but we got onto the topic about C and he experienced the same thing. Which I feel validated because it felt like I was going crazy. Now I talked to my manager and she doesn’t like confrontation so she knows about it but doesn’t do anything about it and we’re always paired. And it feels like since I’m the best massage therapist in the spa he’s like leaching off of my energy so he can get more money cuz I do make pretty good money there. This wouldn’t have bothered me so much if the client picked and it the therapist.