“I’m a Therapist, Not a Prostitute!” – Irish Acupuncturist Hits Back After Series of Lewd Responses to Advert

Sometimes a massage is just a massage… (And acupuncture is not a massage).

When Aedín Collins advertised her skills in alternative treatments, a succession of older men enquiring about happy endings is most certainly NOT what she had in mind. 

In an account, published on her blog this week, Galway-based acupuncturist Aedín shared the details of some pretty disturbing communication she received after posting an advert in the classifieds of her local paper. 

Aedín, who runs Aceso Acupuncture Clinic from her Galway home, offers clients Acupuncture and Reiki treatments, but NO special extras. This seems perfectly clear from her professional website, but perhaps less so from a classified published in the Galway Independent newspaper this week. 

The seemingly harmless advert did little for legitimate business, but mere hours after the paper was in circulation Aedín received a number of enquiries of a more delicate nature…. 

“… those who have read the ad have decided that acupuncture is some kind of code word for 'sexy time'. The first call was from an elderly gentleman who was wondering would acupuncture help with his cold feet. Cue me enquiring as to the nature of the problem as a good therapist does-was it the result of an injury? How long has this been going on for? How is his diet and lifestyle in general? The conversation proceeded in this vein for nearly ten minutes. He then began to enquire about my fee and location and then asked me a question which instantly set off alarm bells-

"Do I offer any extras?"

I played dumb-"Extras, sir?"

"Yes," he replied, "Sex."

I couldn't believe he had just er, come out with it so to speak and mumbled a shocked, "I'm hanging up now, do not call again." 

The next call was from another elderly gentleman who didn't waste quite so much time in getting to the reason he was calling-after the standard what are your fees/location questions, it was straight into "Would acupuncture help with ejaculation?"

Aedín went on to share details of further texts enquiring about “naked massage” and whether acupuncture could be carried out on man’s bum. 

Collins admitted that the exchanges left her with her blood boiling, saying; “I am appalled to have been treated this way by perverted men who somehow think it is acceptable to treat a professional woman offering theraputic services by reducing her to little more than a whore.”

 

Read the full blog post here, and see Aedín’s business website here.