Coping with occupational stress: exploring women spa therapist’s experiences

Abstract

Traditionally performed by women for low wages, the gendered nature of therapy work entails a complex interaction between customer service, therapeutic expectations, and contact with naked bodies in intimate settings. There is currently however a paucity of research exploring occupational stressors for spa therapists, and how they cope (or not) with these workplace challenges. A study involving qualitative interviews with women working as spa therapists in Victoria, Australia identified negative stress outcomes associated with job overload, emotional labour and gendered aesthetic labour. A unique combination of coping behaviours and coping resources for spa therapists in the work environment was identified, which contributes to our understanding of these workplaces and women’s experiences of occupational stress.