07/13/2026
Hello there! It's been a while so I thought I would do a little introduction or reintroduction for those of you who already know me.
My name is Tree Marino and I am a Licensed Massage Therapist here in Rochester, NY. I serve clients out of my home office in Highland Park or with out-calls in their home. At this time there is no additional charge for out of office massage.
I am in my 13th year of practice as a Massage Therapist and I'm going to let you in on a little secret, the term Masseuse doesn't bother me? Why? Because I know a lot of Midwesterners and it's a common term for massage therapists. There are those in my profession who believe that eliminating the term masseuse will eliminate the not that frequent request for s*xual favors. The truth is, s*x work is valid and should be legal. Licensed Massage Therapists are classified by NY State as Healthcare Professionals and we need to act like such. That means not accepting tips.
Not accepting tips would mean chiropractors, salon owners and spas would HAVE to pay fair wages instead of relying on clients to pay their therapist with their tips. Next time you go somewhere that isn't a self-employed massage therapist, ask them what they get paid. Most will tell you they aren't allowed to tell you (that's untrue in NYS). If they won't disclose it's a shameful amount compared to what you are paying the business.
I charge a flat rate based on $80/hour and I have raised my rate once in 13 years. I also have sliding scale fees for my retired and disability income clients. Am I worth $150+/hr? Absolutely not. This economy has gotten out of control and I won't play the game anymore. I can survive charging $80/hr with a handful of sliding scale fee clients. I don't have health insurance or retirement funds, but that's OK. Raising my rates won't get me those items, it would just eliminate some of my regular clients from the last 8-10 years who got me through the pandemic.
Any massage therapist who tells you there needs to be a $100/hr minimum in the industry isn't concerned with other massage therapists, they want to raise their own rates and don't have the skills or economic base to do so.
