you're spending a lot of time belaboring the point we ALL made (pressure is subjective).  I apologize if you inferred a personal insult from my comment. 

No one impugned your experience as a massage therapist, but we applaud your spirited recitation of your qualifications.  

Namaste', Eileen.

Yes Gary, in 18 years as a therapist I know quite a bit about acupressure...LOTS of cont. ed here...also the school I attended had a great and varied curriculum which included Eastern and Western modalities (and energy work), ...much better than most of the programs I see grads from now that massage is everywhere.  I'm also a Reiki Master, and Upledger Trained CST SER therapist as well

But is relaxation massage NOT therapeutic?  I would say relaxation massage is therapeutic.  

Pressure alone doesn't make the work 'good' or 'bad'.  (to me personally a light massage is like nails on a chalkboard, perhaps it's a nervous system thing, but I'll be wicked agitated afterward....OR is it a detox of the lymphatic system?  I've done lymphatic drainage training, and after that weekend I was soooooo pissed off...(lots draining through the liver (anger Mr. Acupressure, is in the liver, I"m sure you know)...and have heard from others that lymphatic work left them angry also...is it the energy? the detox? the pressure?  All 3?

Bottom line, I gave an answer that I felt would help a newer therapist gauge differences in pressure, and I stand by it.  Ambiguity serves only to sound ethereal and it's confusing as hell when you need a physical answer...yes, yes, you'll find your way as you work through years of bodies, but guidance will get you there faster... and I think the answer I gave..."sink into the tissue, working just below the point of tension" is what I would consider a great starting point for the difference between deep, moderate and firm work...and sinking in to the point of tension also is subjective...the point of tension varies on each body...for some it's at the bones, others it's on the surface...so it's an objective guideline, and a great place for a newer therapist to start.

Gordon J. Wallis said:

Eileen, it sounds like you are kind of upset or maybe pissed off? I hope not at me? Anyway, in a lot of my work I just use acupressure( My favorite modality). There is not much flow to it( as you know). Its just touch on acupuncture points to effect distal parts of the body. Thats the whole deal of acupuncture and acupressure. It's centuries old( 5,000 years). Its not really massage I guess. Although it falls within our license. So we are talking about two different things( not arguing). And its not deep tissue, like the topic of this thread. I have no doubt that you are a very good therapist. No doubt what so ever. I do everything I can to help people in my work, like you.