The nursing staff may ask some questions to screen for human trafficking, build rapport, and support patient care/victim response. You will initially deny or minimize your experience but become more trusting and open once you feel assured by the nurses.

You will eventually disclose that you are locked into a 7-year contract with this employer in return for them paying for massage school tuition, staff accommodations, staff meals, studio fees, licensing fees, etc. You were told that if you ever quit/got fired that you would have to repay your boss at least $120,000. You only get about half of your paycheque, as your boss takes the other half and puts it towards your debt.

Sometimes your boss makes you bill the “happy ending clients” as “registered therapeutic massage clients” through their health insurance/benefits plan, which you know is illegal, but your boss threatened to “out” you as a sex worker if you told anyone.

You don’t know what trafficking is, but you believe something is wrong and don’t want to be in this situation anymore. You do know you’re being taken advantage of and feel exploited or used by your boss.