An erotic massage is far more intimate than a therapeutic massage and requires more trust. It combines some of the same techniques used in Swedish massage with Eastern medicine, but the experience is intensely sexual and can include breast, anal, and genital massage. This would be off limits in a purely therapeutic massage which is done more for pain relief and stress reduction and not for guiding the receiver into an erotic trance. Erotic massage also uses caress strokes which would be too light for therapeutic massage. None of what I've written should be taken as a critique of therapeutic massage - I get them regularly to reduce tension in my back and they're *wonderful*. They are different types of massage, each with its own aim.