Q: What can I expect at my first session?
A: Before your first appointment, you will receive a welcome email containing pertinent information about your first session. When you arrive, you will find a new client intake form at the front desk, and will be offered some water or hot tea. When you come back to the cozy treatment room, we will sit and discuss what your needs may be, as well as any concerns you may have. After undressing to your comfort level, your therapist will encourage lots of communication through that first session, making sure you are comfortable throughout. Post-session, we may discuss how the session went, what the findings were, and create a plan for moving forward as needed. Each session is customized to the unique needs of each client.
Q: What is included in my session?
A: You are receiving a truly customized bodywork/energywork session! Each appointment, your therapist will check in with you about your specific needs that day, to build a session that meets those unique needs. Your appointment also includes (as needed and/or by request) heat therapy, topical enhancements (arnica, biofreeze and/or CBD oil), and aromatherapy (using pure essential oils, diffused and/or diluted in a carrier oil for topical application).
Q: I've been to some massage studios where an "hour" massage is only 50 minutes. How long is my actual treatment time at Exhale?
A. At Exhale, you receive the time you are paying for, not paying for the time it takes to get ready for the next client after you leave ;-) There is a five minute buffer created at the beginning of your booking time, so unless you need more than five minutes for your pre-session consult (or are more than five minutes late), your session time is a full 60/75/90 minutes.
Q: What types of payments do you accept, and what is your policy if I have to cancel my session last-minute?
A: You can view payment options and cancellation policies here: https://exhale.massagetherapy.com/payment-and-policies Contactless payment methods are preferred but not required.
Q: What is your tipping policy?
A: Tipping is never expected, but is graciously accepted. If you choose to give a gratuity, you may do so via cash or Venmo (credit card tipping is possible, but discouraged). Thank you!
Q: Why don't I see Swedish, Deep Tissue, or Sports massage on your menu of services?
A: You may have noticed that our menu of services is relatively simple compared to some other places, with the exception of a few specialty services. In my years of experience, I found that clients often weren't really sure what they needed, or they would "order" one type and then ask for something different/deeper (this often happened when I worked in an overpriced spa, where folks were trying to get a more affordable session but still get the deeper work they needed). So I have made it simple for both you as the client and for your therapist, and offer "Therapeutic" massage. This allows each session to be created just for you, and may incorporate a variety of modalities. So for one person, their therapeutic session may be lots of Swedish techniques with some myofascial release. For someone else, it may be deep tissue work with trigger point therapy and lots of stretching. It may be full body, or it might be highly concentrated and specific work on a certain part of the body. We will work together to create the session that meets your unique needs.
Q: I have massages on my account from purchasing a package/series. Can I "share" one of my massages with someone else?
Unless there are circumstances that would make it impossible for you to use your massages (for instance, you suddenly find out you have to move across the country (this actually happened once!)), "sharing" of massages with someone else is generally not permitted. There is no easy way to do it in the system, it would make bookkeeping much more complicated if it happened regularly, and if that was casually allowed there would be nothing stopping multiple acquaintances from banding together to purchase packages (when the packages are designed to offer discounts to those who are regular clients). If you are hoping to "share" a massage with someone because you are concerned that it will expire before you are able to use it, no worries! Read on.......
Q: I realized that I will not be able to use all of the massages in my series before they expire. Do I lose them?
Of course not! You are, of course, encouraged to use the sessions in a timely manner, as our series are intended to offer a discount to those coming in regularly, but if you end up with "expired" massages we can reactivate them up to 90 days after the expiration date (exp date is 6 months from activation for series of 3, 12 months for series of 6 or 12) . After this time, the unused percentage of the original purchase price may be turned into a gift certificate (so for instance, if you have a single expired session from a series of 3, 1/3 of your original purchase price will be given as a gift certificate). Please let us know if you have any questions about this policy. Thank you!
Q: Should I keep my underwear on, or take it off?
This is completely up to you! We have clients who do both, depending on comfort level. It does make the muscles of the low back and hips more accessible without underwear, but we are certainly happy to work through cloth if that is how you are most comfortable (as we say, undress "to your comfort level"). We of course always use proper draping techniques, so your gluteal cleavage, genitals, and nipples will always remain covered during your session.
Q: When should I not get a massage?
There are (thankfully!) only a few instances when you would want to avoid massage completely. This would be if you have symptoms of ANY communicable illness, if you have been directed to quarantine, or if you have a contagious skin condition. We also ask that you not schedule a massage in the days following a vaccine, to avoid potential last minute cancellations due to any side effects. There are many conditions which may require us to modify our technique or avoid a certain area of the body, and if you have certain conditions you may want to consult with your doctor before receiving massage therapy, but there are very few reasons why you would be unable to receive massage therapy at all. Please reach out if you need clarification about a specific contraindication.
Thank you for your business, and please let us know if you have questions not listed here.
