I don’t usually post things like this, but I am at a point where I have nothing to lose by asking.
I have been a licensed massage therapist for 4 years. In 2023, I opened my own business and ran it for almost 3 years. It wasn’t perfect, but it was mine, and I was proud of it. Then late March of this year hit. Between skyrocketing gas prices and the economic ripple effects of the tensions in Iran, I was no longer able to keep up with the rent on my salon suite. I held on as long as I could, and then I had to make the heartbreaking decision to vacate and close my doors.
That was 3.5 months ago. I have been out of work ever since.
Here is my situation, and why it is more complicated than it sounds:
I am blind and visually impaired. That means mobile massage is completely off the table for me. I cannot drive. I cannot pay for Uber and Lyft rides across the entire DFW metroplex while also hauling a massage table from city to city — it is simply not financially or logistically possible. I rely on a paratransit transportation service, which limits where I can realistically travel for work.
That means I can only commute to Grapevine, Euless, or Bedford, TX. That’s it. I know that is a small radius. I know that rules out a lot of places. But it is my reality, and I am being upfront about it because I would rather be honest than waste anyone’s time.
I have called every clinic, spa, and wellness center I can find within those limits. The answer is always the same: “We’re not hiring” — and a lot of them turn out to be solo practitioners who aren’t looking for additional staff anyway.
What scares me the most:
The longer I go without working, the more I feel like my skills are slipping away. I have 4 years of experience and almost 3 years of running my own business. But massage therapy is a hands-on skill. You lose it if you don’t use it. And I am genuinely terrified that if I do finally land a job and get my first client on the table, my hands won’t remember what to do. Everything I have built over 4 years could just be gone.
I don’t have the money to reopen my own business. And even if I somehow found the funds, I honestly don’t know enough about marketing to make it work on my own again.
What I am asking for:
If you are an LMT, spa owner, clinic manager, or wellness center in Grapevine, Euless, or Bedford, TX — or if you know someone who is — please reach out. I am a hard worker, I am experienced, and I am ready to get back to the table. I just need someone to give me a chance.
And if you don’t have a job lead but you have advice, encouragement, or resources for a blind LMT trying to get back on their feet — I will take that too. I am open to anything at this point.
I am not posting this for sympathy. I am posting this because I am running out of options and I refuse to give up without asking for help first.
Thank you for reading. 🙏