Make it the Right Time:

First of all, make sure it's a good time for you to have a massage. There is very little value to getting a stress relieving massage if you are stressed out driving as fast as you can to make your appointment. Make sure you leave plenty of time to get to your appointment on time and ready to enjoy the experience.

If you have any of the following conditions, you should NOT get a massage:

Fever
Any type of infectious disease
Systemic infections
Severe cold
Fracture, bleeding, burns or other acute injury
Liver and kidney diseases
Blood clot (unless you have a doctor's written permission)
Pregnancy-induced diabetes, toxemia, preeclampsia/eclampsia
High blood pressure (unless under control with medication)
Heart disease
Open skin lesions or sores (therapist may work around them if localized)

You don't want the massage to make an underlying medical condition worse, and you don't want to pass anything contagious to me. If you have a chronic medical condition, check with your doctor before proceeding on a course of massage therapy.

A couple days before your massage, makes sure you are drinking lots of water. Its one of the things I say to my clients time and time again. Drinking water helps flush toxins out of our body. I also advise against eating just before your massage therapy session.

Intake Discussion:

I ask first time clients to arrive 15 minutes early for their appointment. This ensures that we have time to discuss any areas of discomfort or pain and allows me time to determine what areas to focus on. Each new client is required to fill out an "Intake Form" prior to us starting your first massage session. This form covers several topics including:

Contact information
Medical conditions
Areas of concern
Your level of pain or discomfort
What means you might be currently using to help with any pain
Personal preferences for level of massage pressure

This form provides me contact information so I can follow up with you and allows you to document those areas that are experiencing any physical discomfort as well as identify preexisting medical issues that might make it unwise to receive a massage. This "Intake Process" normally takes no longer than 15 minutes and is very important to ensuring that I do everything I can to help you.

During Your First Massage:

It's important for my clients to be comfortable and equally important my clients know that I do everything in my power to ensure that you are. Massage therapy is a very personal experience for you and it is my highest priority to ensure that you are relaxed, comfortable and feel safe. Please let me know:

You are too warm or too cold
If you would prefer me not to touch a part of your body
If you are not enjoying the music or incense during your session
If you do not like the amount of pressure that I am using
If you don't like a particular technique that I am using

During your massage you will be laying on my massage table and you will be draped at all times during your session. Breasts, genitals and other areas you have identified will not be touched and only those areas being worked on at a particular time will be uncovered.

I typically will play calming music and may use scented oils and/or incense to help you relax and enjoy the experience. If at any point you do not like any of these elements, please bring it to my attention immediately. This massage is to benefit you and I work closely with my clients to ensure that they have a very calming and beneficial experience.