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Frequently Asked Questions and Policies

I strive to be fair to both my clients and myself in order to cultivate a mutually collaborative and respectful therapist-client relationship. For this reason I have compiled the following policies.

Scheduling, rescheduling and cancellations

Services are scheduled by appointment only. I do not accept walk-ins. I do occasionally accept same-day appointments, which you can request by texting (preferred) or calling me on 551-404-7994. However, to accommodate your preferred appointment time, please schedule with as much advance notice as possible. Please schedule or reschedule on Vagaro or by clicking the Book Now buttons on my website, which will redirect you to my Vagaro page. You can also reschedule in person after your session or by calling or texting me on 551-404-7994.

All first-time client appointments must be made on Vagaro, which will prompt you to complete an online intake form and enter your credit card to reserve your time slot.  Please notify me in the online intake of any health conditions, allergies, special needs or concerns. Your safety is important to me, and some services may not be appropriate or may need to be adjusted for certain conditions.

Please endeavor to provide me with at least 24 hours’ notice to cancel, reschedule or change/downgrade your appointment. Otherwise, at my discretion, late cancellations and no-shows will be charged 50% and no-shows 100% of the service charge to the payment method on file. Cancellations or reschedules within 24 hours will receive a full refund to the payment method on file. As a courtesy, you will receive email and text reminders 26 and 48 hours prior to your scheduled appointment. It is your responsibility to remember your appointment dates and times in order to avoid late arrivals, missed appointments and cancellation fees. Giving me ample notice that you are unable to make your appointment may allow me to fill your slot with another client in need of my services.

Illness policy

Please notify me as soon as possible if you are sick/contagious, so we can make an informed decision on whether to reschedule your appointment for your safety, my safety and that of my clients.

Timeliness

Please arrive to your appointment on time so I can honor your full session time. If you book a 60/90/120-minute appointment, that is 60/90/120 minutes of hands-on time. If your appointment is at e.g. 9 am, please arrive at 9 am. If you arrive early, I may still be in session. I have other clients after you, and I will end your appointment at the scheduled time in order to respect their time.

If you are running late, please let me know as soon as possible, and it is at my discretion whether I will be able to honor all or part of your appointment time or whether we will have to reschedule your appointment. Regardless of the length of the service actually given, you will still be responsible for payment of the full service you originally scheduled.

Intake and outtake

For first-time clients, I perform a thorough intake to get to know each new client’s wants and needs, and establish an open and trust-based therapeutic relationship. In my experience, the more comfortable clients feel with me, the more effective the subsequent treatment will ultimately be.  During the intake we will discuss your physical and mental health, your treatment goals, as well as music, pressure and modality preferences to design a customized integrative treatment to suit your needs that day. At each new appointment I will ask you how the last treatment was, so we can ascertain whether we want to do anything differently.

After your session, I will be happy to schedule your next treatment to ensure your desired appointment slot. As a Certified Yoga Teacher, I’m also able to give you “homework” in the form of stretches or other recommendations to improve things like ergonomics and body mechanics between our appointments. Post-massage I recommend clients take an Epsom salt bath (the magnesium can help to relax your muscles and reduce any possible soreness), practice gentle stretching and ensure plenty of hydration. Subject to your consent, I will follow up with you in a few days to see whether you have any questions and also give you the opportunity to reschedule if you haven’t already done so.

Payment

Full payment is due at the time of service. I accept cash, credit cards, Venmo, PayPal, Zelle and Cash App.

Gift cards

Gift cards may be purchased for any value amount here and are redeemable for services only, no cash value.

Gratuities

Gratuities are not included in the prices of my services and are always appreciated. All gratuities are at the client’s discretion, but are customarily 20+% of the full price of the service.

Massage frequency

Treatment frequency is based on the individual client’s lifestyle, profession, health, needs and budget. However, I make the following recommendations.

Once a week to several times a week: ideal for clients with an acute issue (for instance an injury or a sudden-onset issue). It takes time to re-educate the body and muscles, so it is more beneficial to get massages closer together in order to maintain our progress, and so we don’t have to start from square 1. Particularly stressful or physical professions also benefit from more regular massage.

After a number of sessions close together, we are usually able to taper off to less frequent sessions as needed and desired, such as once every two weeks or (my minimum recommendation for maintenance) once a month. We will discuss this during the intake and outtake to mutually determine an appointment frequency that works for you.

I encourage my clients to make massage a regular part of their holistic healthcare routine to maintain their energy, mental health and pain-free range of motion and flexibility. Sadly, it’s not realistic to come once a year and expect your LMT to solve all your problems, especially when you consider how long it has taken for your body to get that way.

Massage duration

60 minutes: this is my minimum session time, and I only recommend it for clients who get regular massage or require a localized treatment. Clients who get less regular massage often tend to be tighter, and so we often require more time to loosen up your muscles and fascia (connective tissue) in a way that we are working with your body rather than fighting against it. On intake I will ask clients about their priorities for that session, and this will be my focus. Sometimes, this may mean that in order to effectively treat the problem area(s), I am not able to perform a full-body treatment.

90 minutes: this is ideal if you not only want a full-body session, but also have several problem areas you would like me to work on.

120 minutes: this is ideal for us to perform a full-body session, work on multiple problem areas, and perform complimentary add-ons such as hot stones/hot bamboo, cupping and stretching.

Communicate your preferences

I want to empower all of my clients with the knowledge that you are in charge of your massage experience. You know your body best and I encourage you to speak up if something doesn’t feel right or if you want me to change a technique. My job is to give you the healing tools for your body to heal itself. All aspects of your massage session can be modified to your preference: pressure (too light or too deep), lighting in the room, style of music, temperature, and whether or not you choose to have a conversation or enjoy the treatment in silence.

Clothing and draping, professional services only

In accordance with my Georgia Massage Therapy License, all massages will be performed fully draped. I perform professional services only. If you seek to solicit anything else, I reserve the right to immediately terminate our session, and payment will be due in full.

For fully clothed services such as Thai or Reiki, please dress in comfortable, loose fitting and lightweight clothes, such as yoga pants or leggings. For services where I ask you to undress to your comfort level, you are welcome to leave your underwear on or disrobe. If I am working with low back or hip issues, it can be helpful to work skin on skin, but your comfort is always my top priority.

Parking

There is ample free parking outside my office.

Insurance billing and HSA/FSA cards, collaborating with other healthcare providers

I do not offer direct insurance billing, but can provide a receipt for your session that you may be able to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. A prescription from your doctor or chiropractor is typically required. You must contact your health insurance provider to verify that massage therapy is a covered plan benefit and for instruction on how to submit your claim. You are responsible for payment in full at the time of service.

However, in some cases, my credit card processor is able to process HSA/FSA cards, although this seems to depend on the individual card and insurance company’s policies.

Subject to your consent, I am also willing to collaborate with other healthcare providers to design a treatment regime to suit your goals. I have in the past worked alongside personal trainers, chiropractors, physical therapists and acupuncturists.

Reviews

I am grateful to my loyal clients, and much of my business is word-of-mouth. So, if you love my work, please share your review on: Google Maps, Yelp, Facebook or all of these platforms