Frequently Answered Questions
We totally understand the desire for more information. Our need for knowledge is tremendous!
Below is some of the types of questions we get often. If you have any other questions, we’d love to know!
Why does it take so long to get in? Why can’t I just get a walk-in or same day appointment?
What we do here is unlike anything else you have likely experienced before. We specialize in treating pain patterns, limited movement and injury recovery. The work we do is cumulative and requires many sessions to create the change you are ultimately seeking. Once we begin working with someone, we make priority for them to receive the ongoing treatment that will give them the best results possible and our clients value this opportunity. So when we recommend that you book not only your first visit but several follow-up visits weeks in advance, it is because we are certain you will have benefit and will appreciate that benefit and will understand why we have such a long waitlist.
Do you do couples massage or tandem massage?
Not really. Not in the way most people mean when they ask that.
Looking for a romantic date night activity? We might not be what you were looking for. Or maybe we are- who am I to say? Take a close look at our website and specifically the pictures- our treatment area is open with multiple sessions happening simultaneously in a shared space. We do not listen to somber massage music with wind chimes or pan flutes. But if you want an experience you can bond over- we may be just the kind of self-improvement activity that two loving beings gift to each other!
Bachelor/Bachelorette thing? Sure, you definitely want to be as pain-free as possible for something like that! Just know we are not getting all of your party in here at the same time. We do not offer champagne. Also, you had better be planning that out very far in advance.
Is your family member visiting in two months and you want to introduce them to our work- it’s possible to do but best to make sure they are interested in what we do! (And that they will be okay being sad we don’t have a clinic in their town!)
Have some obstacles to getting multiple members of your family here on different days? We may have to book out a ways but we will do our best to accommodate you and your family.
The pictures show people clothed- is that just for the website or do I have to wear clothes?
Yes, the pictures represent actual treatments! Everyone receives bodywork fully clothed, on a mat, on the floor, in a communal space. No small individual rooms, no tables, no undressing. On rare occasions and for specific treatments, your therapist may have you disrobe a particular/specific area of your body. If this is the case, we will close the curtains around your treatment area for privacy. The options for treatment will be discussed so that you can decide if that is something you feel comfortable doing. But in general, everyone is clothed for the entirety of their session. We do have some clothing available to borrow for your session, should you show up in something restrictive or less than ideal. These clothes are “one size fits most but not all” so please plan accordingly.
I have an injury. Can I still receive bodywork?
Well, generally yes. It depends on the type and severity of the injury, obviously. But also if you will be able to get up and down from the ground, with or without assistance. Many injuries we can work directly with, others we will work around. If you want a more specific answer regarding your specific injury, please contact us.
Do you work with kids? What about elders?
We work with people of all ages, yes the very young and the very old as well as everyone between. Age does not preclude any of us from needing corrective or supportive bodywork. After experiencing the profound changes possible, many of our clients end up bringing family members to us. We often end up treating three or four generations of a family, which is quite delightful to say the least.
I’ve heard that Thai Massage is like having Yoga done to you? Is that true? Are you just going to stretch me?
Nope. Thai massage is part of an entire Traditional Medical system and is a very dynamic physical therapy. While some stretching of tissue may be utilized in a session, it is not a primary goal nor primary treatment used in our clinic. “Yoga” as most Americans think of, has nothing to do with Thai massage- anyone who says that it does lacks proper understanding.
Can I request a specific kind of treatment?
If you are wanting to request that we work on a specific area- of course, treating your primary concern/issue is our goal along with treating the underlying factors and patterns contributing to that issue. Your therapist will, however, determine what is the best approach and techniques to be used to reach your goals. Requesting specific techniques is fine to do, just know that your therapist will decide if those are appropriate or not for the issue at hand.
I had a ‘Thai massage’ on vacation/in another town, can you do what they did?
Nope. We have no idea what you may have experienced before nor how much that individual actually knew about treatment. Often when people on vacation get ‘Thai massage’ it is at a location designed for visiting tourists. And often the folks working there have only been trained a routine, not treatment based care. While it may have felt great (or super not great depending on who you ended up with) it has no bearing on what we provide here.
I had a ’thai massage’ and it didn’t help my issue or it actually hurt me. How do I know you won’t do the same?
Again, when most Americans say they’ve experienced ‘Thai massage’ it very likely was done by someone who was not specifically trained to be a theraputic bodyworker or only had minimal training in a routine. A week long or two weeks training course does not mean you understand how to treat any issue, let alone how to not harm someone who already has an injury or issue. “Tourist Thai” as we refer to it is not anything close to receiving treatment from a knowledgable practitioner and is something akin to taking your car to a quick lube station as opposed to an experienced mechanic. The technician at the quick lube can have some knowledge of how the car works, or they might literally only know the routine they’ve been taught to change the oil. Either way, you probably wouldn’t try to take your car to a quick lube if what you needed was a mechanic.
We are highly trained practitioners with years of training and experience.
We do not use routines.
We treat the person who is in front of us and whatever bodily limitations they may have.
My partner/family member/friend recommended I come see you but they also said it was intense or you really got into some intense areas. Im curious but I’m also worried it will be too much for me…
Every session is different for every person. We do not provide “one size fits all” treatments. While we aim to create space at every layer for you, we always go at the pace your body is able to move, respect the time your body needs to release and progress and are responsive to your personal level of comfort. We aim to work within your boundaries of what is tolerable- which varies for everyone or even from day to day for the same person.
Keep in mind, we work on the very young, the very old and everyone between. What is comfortable and tolerable for a 20yr old, 40yr old and a 90yr old is likely going to be a bit different. We might use completely different techniques (or exactly the same ones!) and varying pressures for each of them. However, all could easily say we did some intense work, for their body, on that day. So it’s all a matter of personal perception.
All of that being said, most folks that experience the transformative bodywork we offer eventually lean into what they consider ‘tolerable’ because the outcomes far outweigh the short term intensity of the work available. This is always at your control and preference and is really something hard to describe to anyone who hasn’t experienced the work and the benefits. But don’t worry, we can take care of the most delicate rose petal and still make beneficial changes. (Winking at you Mary!)