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A Psycho Among Us?
Fellow MTs: I hope you will share this with your networks.
Facebook isn't the only place we all meet up; there are also lots of blogs written by massage therapists (one of them mine, of course!), message boards, forums and chat communities for massage therapists. There are a lot of FB groups devoted to MTs, plus the new massageprofessionals.com and other websites where we all converge our family of hands.
I heard an incredible story yesterday. It seems that there is an unhappy MT in the state of Washington who has been posting negative and sometimes downright vicious remarks about the massage profession in general on these forums, and here, folks, is the scary part: this person has created over 60 names, email addresses and identities for herself. She has discussions with herself. For example, she'll post a question on a forum about whether it's possible to make a good living doing massage, then she'll answer herself under another name, stating how awful it is trying to make a living, putting up with people expecting happy endings, discouraging people about going to massage school, and that's the least of it.
Since I'm notorious for my opinions on the politics of massage, I am the last one to criticize freedom of speech. And if someone is unhappy in this as their career, they should certainly move on to whatever they think is better.
However, I think she has gone beyond the pale, as she has recently homed in on several popular therapists in the Seattle area, and has posted some things on their discussion groups that are just over the top. She has also written negative reviews of their books on Amazon.com. Now, anyone is welcome to get on Amazon and give MY book a negative review if you're so inclined, but I'd appreciate the heck out of it if you didn't write a whole bunch of them under different identities just to try and make it look like everybody agrees with you.
These therapists started noticing commonalities in the things these different people were saying, and started investigating. They found that these numerous postings were coming from the same IP address (the unique address that identifies which computer someone is using) belonging to a therapist in Vancouver, WA. The therapist has actually admitted to it and dared anyone to try to stop her. She made another posting this morning; I read it myself on indeed.com in one of the massage forums.
It's just my opinion that someone who would go to the trouble to create over 60 identities for herself, throw such a negative light on the massage profession an an obvious attempt to keep people out of it, and then do what amounts to cyber-stalking fellow massage therapists, is unbalanced at best and a downright psycho at worst. Would you want that therapist to put her hands on you?
It's my take on it that there are two things wrong with her: she has a fear of not having enough for herself, thus her need to keep discouraging others from joining our profession, and she is suffering from professional jealousy of these successful women.
I'd just like people to know who you're dealing with if you get sucked into a conversation with her on a message board, or she comments on YOUR blog. Quite a few of the 300+ therapists that are my friends on FB have blogs and belong to different massage groups. To me it's sad that someone feels so desperate she has to attack other therapists like this. I am glad to say that I have never thought my success had to depend on someone else's failure, and until I heard about this, I've never heard of any massage therapist that felt that way. We're a group that's usually supportive of each other, whether we've ever met in person or not.
Some of the aliases that this woman is using are MT IN WA, Manny in Denver, Terry Time in FL, Lalani Parker in SanDiego, searching4morein Bell CA, Teri in Portland, Teresa Lyle in Trout OR, Sabeena in OK, abodyworker in LV, Mic Ben in UT, Nunya Beezwax, Mia in Portland, Mari in Portland, Tracy in Portland, Sum Bunny in FL, yeameagain in LA, ABZ129 in LV. They're all one and the same person. If you're in the Vancouver area, you may know this person. If that's the case, I think you should encourage her to get professional help. I think she needs it.
Facebook isn't the only place we all meet up; there are also lots of blogs written by massage therapists (one of them mine, of course!), message boards, forums and chat communities for massage therapists. There are a lot of FB groups devoted to MTs, plus the new massageprofessionals.com and other websites where we all converge our family of hands.
I heard an incredible story yesterday. It seems that there is an unhappy MT in the state of Washington who has been posting negative and sometimes downright vicious remarks about the massage profession in general on these forums, and here, folks, is the scary part: this person has created over 60 names, email addresses and identities for herself. She has discussions with herself. For example, she'll post a question on a forum about whether it's possible to make a good living doing massage, then she'll answer herself under another name, stating how awful it is trying to make a living, putting up with people expecting happy endings, discouraging people about going to massage school, and that's the least of it.
Since I'm notorious for my opinions on the politics of massage, I am the last one to criticize freedom of speech. And if someone is unhappy in this as their career, they should certainly move on to whatever they think is better.
However, I think she has gone beyond the pale, as she has recently homed in on several popular therapists in the Seattle area, and has posted some things on their discussion groups that are just over the top. She has also written negative reviews of their books on Amazon.com. Now, anyone is welcome to get on Amazon and give MY book a negative review if you're so inclined, but I'd appreciate the heck out of it if you didn't write a whole bunch of them under different identities just to try and make it look like everybody agrees with you.
These therapists started noticing commonalities in the things these different people were saying, and started investigating. They found that these numerous postings were coming from the same IP address (the unique address that identifies which computer someone is using) belonging to a therapist in Vancouver, WA. The therapist has actually admitted to it and dared anyone to try to stop her. She made another posting this morning; I read it myself on indeed.com in one of the massage forums.
It's just my opinion that someone who would go to the trouble to create over 60 identities for herself, throw such a negative light on the massage profession an an obvious attempt to keep people out of it, and then do what amounts to cyber-stalking fellow massage therapists, is unbalanced at best and a downright psycho at worst. Would you want that therapist to put her hands on you?
It's my take on it that there are two things wrong with her: she has a fear of not having enough for herself, thus her need to keep discouraging others from joining our profession, and she is suffering from professional jealousy of these successful women.
I'd just like people to know who you're dealing with if you get sucked into a conversation with her on a message board, or she comments on YOUR blog. Quite a few of the 300+ therapists that are my friends on FB have blogs and belong to different massage groups. To me it's sad that someone feels so desperate she has to attack other therapists like this. I am glad to say that I have never thought my success had to depend on someone else's failure, and until I heard about this, I've never heard of any massage therapist that felt that way. We're a group that's usually supportive of each other, whether we've ever met in person or not.
Some of the aliases that this woman is using are MT IN WA, Manny in Denver, Terry Time in FL, Lalani Parker in SanDiego, searching4morein Bell CA, Teri in Portland, Teresa Lyle in Trout OR, Sabeena in OK, abodyworker in LV, Mic Ben in UT, Nunya Beezwax, Mia in Portland, Mari in Portland, Tracy in Portland, Sum Bunny in FL, yeameagain in LA, ABZ129 in LV. They're all one and the same person. If you're in the Vancouver area, you may know this person. If that's the case, I think you should encourage her to get professional help. I think she needs it.
Views: 242
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike Hinkle on
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Thanks, Laura!
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Permalink Reply by Travis Alligood on
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THANK-YOU LAURA !
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Permalink Reply by Marissa on
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Keep on using that freedom of speech, sister! It was given for a reason ! Thanks for the heads-up!
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Permalink Reply by Mary Mizio Bevier on
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IMHO this is definitely unethical behavior on her part. If her real name and license number can be traced, she should definitely be reported to her local board and any professional associations she's a member.
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Permalink Reply by Donna Whitton on
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I hope this issue is resolved quickly. Thanks for your diligence in reporting it.
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Permalink Reply by Kevin Melough LMT on
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Freedom of speech applies to those who are not so ashamed of their "speech" that they need to hide or manipulate their true identities. Obviously this person does not stand behind their own thoughts if they need to manufacture identities.
Of course this is the down side of the internet as well. When the Web is working it allows like minded individuals to communicate and share ideas; to grow and see other perspectives. The dark side however, is it allows people to invent identities and hurt others with the abuse of hiding behind an IP address.
Thanks for the heads up....PS I'm not her.
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Permalink Reply by Laura Allen on
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Just an update, folks: She has now posted a semi-apology on the massage forum at indeed.com, and acknowledged that she created a mess. She claims she did not realize how much harm she was causing, and also claims that she has now deleted her fake identities. Time will tell. Her posts under the different names were so obviously alike, I don't think she'll be able to hide that...she doesn't appear to be the brightest light bulb in the bunch.
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Permalink Reply by Gerry Bunnell on
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Thanks for the info Laura. It is good to maintain vigilence against misinformation and disinformation. Imagine if this person was a bit more skillful. It shows how a small group of people can cause themselves to seem a great amount of people and sway the attitudes of an entire nation on important issues. Always seek the truth.
Peace
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Permalink Reply by Mae Onosaki on
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Creepy! It makes me almost glad I'm somewhat of a hermit, I don't think I've had any run in's with this person in real life.
(It's not me, I swear! LOL)
I love what I do, and really don't feel that the situation here in the Portland/Vancouver area, let alone the massage world in general, warrants this kind of competitive behavior.
Now I want to keep my eyes peeled (though I wonder if she'd have the guts to act that way in any real life gatherings...)
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Jeffrey on
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Why are these websites allowing multiple IDs from same IP address? Surely there are software answeres.
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Permalink Reply by Kathy Jo King on
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I agree that she should be found and reported to her professional association and state licensing board (or equivilent). On Facebook she can be reported for abuse and shut down. The other sites may have such a option as well.
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Permalink Reply by James Mills on
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Years ago, as martial arts training was developing in the east, there were white belts, (students), and black belts, (the most senior students and teachers). It wasn't until martial arts came to the west that the different colored belts emerged in between. Because people in the west needed recognition and they needed it now. I was taught old school and told that the color of your belt meant nothing ... but what you know and feel on the inside is what matters most.
Unfortunately, not everybody learns, or perhaps is even taught, this simple lesson of life. Many people still feel they need this recognition from others because they do not have the strength of their own convictions to stand tall by them selves. Knocking people down and piling them up so you can get higher up a ladder is not any type of recognition a healthy person would aspire to.
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