FAQs & Policies
Frequently Asked Questions & Bodywork Etiquette
Therapeutic massage utilizes various manual techniques, all to reverse wear and tear on soft tissues. Therapeutic massage goes beyond just tension relief by focusing on rehabilitating injuries, decreasing pain, restoring mobility and function, and maximizing physical performance.
A few examples of therapeutic massage/bodywork include Neuromuscular Technique, Orthopedic Massage, Sports Massage, Medical Massage, Rolfing, Structural Integration, Active Release Technique, Visceral or Neural Manipulation, and Lymphatic Drainage.
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Typically, the style of massage you would experience at a spa or similar setting is intended more for relaxation. Which is important and still offers great health benefits; however, the massage strokes are usually more general and broader, and don’t always produce long-lasting results. Depending on the type of environment a therapist works in, it is commonplace to only work on a body once, whereas therapeutic massage is often performed similarly to physical therapy (as part of a rehabilitative series) and as routine maintenance.
All massage therapists must obtain a certain amount of training from recognized institutions, with a minimum of hours that each state(s) requires, pass their licensure exams, and undergo background checks, to be qualified and legally allowed to touch people. However, those who practice therapeutic types of bodywork must necessarily receive further advanced training. Equally as important as the quantity and quality of their training is the amount of hands-on experience they have – working on different types of injuries or health conditions and experiencing how bodies change and transform as therapies progress.
There are misconceptions about what deep-tissue massage is. The most common being that it is a more aggressive massage. Which simply isn’t true. Deep-tissue massage performed correctly does press deeper into the soft tissues than, say, Swedish massage, but it is most effectively employed by slowly and gradually melting into the tissues, not ripping through them with force or in a painful manner.
That being said, the starting point or foundation of therapeutic bodywork is deep-tissue massage. First, we warm up the muscles using the more delightful techniques like effleurage and petrissage, and then we progressively melt through the muscles, fascial, tendon, and ligamentous layers using deep tissue techniques. However, the work gets more specific by using a variety of selected techniques to break up fascial adhesion, increase fluid flow, unimpinge nerves, and balance muscle tone. With patience, we decrease the demand placed on the bones by the soft tissues, which can help with proper alignment, an increase in range of motion, and lower pain.
Though the touch can at times be intense and does wake up your body, performed precisely and with presence, therapeutic massage doesn’t have to be aggressive. In other words, we iron you out without beating you up. You will feel different the next day, as we promise.
We always prepare the soft tissues before going deeper, sometimes with the help of warm towels, hot stones, and essential oils or analgesic ointments. We also use T-bars and other tools to help pinpoint and sculpt away at your tense muscles.
If what you are looking for is highly customized, detail-oriented massage therapy that creates change (results) in your body, then the answer is yes. Keep reading.
We get to know you and your body. During the initial session, during the intake process, we go through your health history, learn about your aches, pain, dysfunctions, how daily activities and lifestyles are either contributing or being interfered with, and your goals/intentions for receiving bodywork.
During subsequent sessions, we will discuss changes that occurred, what needs further addressing, and make modifications to our plan or approach deemed necessary. All throughout the process, we value your input and feedback and will tailor each session to those needs.
If what you are looking for is an aggressive type of touch, then we may not be a good fit for you. We believe the “no pain, no gain” mindset doesn’t serve you in bodywork. Learn More
Besides a willingness to allow change to happen, you will only need to bring a list of medications and supplements you are taking. You are invited to bring any x-rays or other diagnostic records that may be of value in helping us determine a treatment plan or as little interesting known facts about you.
We do provide water unless you prefer to bring your own. If you have blood sugar sensitivities, then you may want to bring a snack for afterward, to hold you over to the next meal.
This depends on many factors…
- How chronic your condition is (the older the issue, the more stubborn, rigid, and habituated it becomes)
- The current state of your health (inflammation levels, pH, microbiome health, etc,)
- Whether your body is being supplied with the hydration and nutrients it needs to repair and rebuild
- Whether you are giving your body proper rest and practicing healthful methods for reducing stress
- The amount of physical demand you place on your body
- Occupational hazards and the wear and tear you place on your body
- Other types of routine bodywork and self-care practices you participate in
- It depends largely on what other self-care methods and therapies you participate in regularly. Health is a culmination of lifestyle practices.
Our rule of thumb is that we spend some time checking in and connecting during the beginning of session (the first few minutes or so). Then we like to provide you a healthy amount of silence for you to be able to sense and become more aware of how you feel in your body. Unless, on a given day, talking is what you needs to happen in order to process something, than that is okay too.
We want you to experience peace and calm and have a sense of retreat from all the things that create tension or disconnect/distract you from just being. We intentionally hold space for you to be able to release the tension and just be with your body.
The environment we provide is safe to show up in your raw authentic state and we do our best to nurture our therapeutic partnership.
It is best to arrive 5 minutes early so that you can get situated and we can begin on time. It is also best, not to make any plans immediately after your appointment. It may take you several minutes to ground yourself afterward and feel ready to drive. You may need to check out for your treatment afterward and discuss future appointments. It is better not to be rushed. Besides, we don’t want to induce stress on your newly relaxed state of being.
Snoring, drooling, sighing, gurgling tummies, flatulence, and involuntary twitching are all natural responses when the body becomes relaxed, and quite frankly are compliments in our profession.
Therapists have a body too, and they experience all these things. No need to apologize or feel embarrassed. We see it all the time. The same goes for things that you may have bodily insecurities about – body hair, cellulite, scars, anomalies, quirks, tattoos, etc.
For you men…erections can happen. There is no need to bring any attention to it. Honestly, we won’t even notice when it occurs because our attention is never focused there. We know this fear can prevent men from getting massages or can become uncomfortable. If need be, please allow yourself to reposition so that you can get comfortable and continue to relax.
To be direct, our treatments are completely non-sexual. You are in a safe space for healing and transformation to happen. Delight in the healthy therapeutic touch.
This is self-care at its finest.
We work with many different body types (or constitutions), each with its own story to tell.
Some clients have extremely high tolerances for pain, while others are extremely sensitive. Even this can vary from one body part to the next. Some are small, some large, some freckled, some weather-worn, some hairy, some not so much. Working with such variety keeps us from ever getting bored.
During our training and in practice, therapists look for body symmetry and can definitely spot asymmetries. We develop the ability to see and discern tension patterns, feel various tissue textures, and learned to speak fluently with muscles and nervous systems.
We never want you to feel self-conscious. We appreciate and accept everybody, even with flaws and imperfections. Although we perceive what needs to be aligned, we do so without emotional attachment or malicious intent, with only a desire to help you improve. This is the Mender’s Mindset.
Well for starters, we always leave the room while you undress and get on the massage table. Even if you are quite comfortable being nude in front of others, we maintain this boundary for everyone. It is part of how we maintain trust and safety.
It is also important that we both remain 100% present to and responsible for our own well-being. That both parties maintain responsibility for communicating any issues or concerns that may arise during our treatments together.
You may experience a range of after effects. Your treatment initiates the release of what your body has been holding onto, signaling that change is in progress.
We don’t like to plant seeds in your mind about what to expect, because it’s unpredictable. However, it is important to note that sometimes symptoms do temporarily worsen, or rather, you become hyperaware of them.
Sometimes you may experience soreness that feels like you had a good workout, or a fresh bruise (though my work rarely causes any visible bruising). You may feel your nervous system discharging (little zingers), or your bones adjusting to being in a different position.
You may have memories surface or old latent injuries reawaken.
All or none of these things are possible. Either way, the willingness to allow change to happen is key.
I always tell people to give any type of bodywork treatments two days to “land”. For two days afterwards, your body will continue to release and repair.
It is beneficial to understand that change doesn’t always look the way we think it should or happen as fast as we want. Change can be uncomfortable at first and takes consistent effort. Yet, the willingness to create change is necessary for transformation to happen.
Bodywork is a process of continuous surrendering. Including surrendering any expectations you might have about how healing is supposed to look.
Just like eating healthy and getting in shape, healing isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. However, it is a worthy endeavor. One where the quality of your life depends on it.
Yes, it does happen from time to time. People may find themselves needing to cry or feeling anxious or angry when a certain area is pressed. Although it is unpredictable, it is always imperfectly perfect. Even if it feels raw, vulnerable, or sloppy, we do our best to remain calm, taking it one moment at a time.
If you experience an emotional response during your session, we just ask that you be open and honest about what you need us to do (or not do), and how we can best support you.
Some emotions are accompanied by a memory associated with them, and some are not. You are welcome to share or not share what you are experiencing. Either way, we want you to feel safe and know that we are a trusted partners in personal growth.
Receiving bodywork is a collaborative relationship. In order to optimize your experience and outcome, it is incredibly important that you openly express with us your experiences, both pleasant and unpleasant.
Open communication will allow us to tailor our work to suit your needs and preferences and makes a world of difference in the results we create working together.
This includes:
Telling us when we find spots that are tight, tender, or contributing to the problematic area. Even better yet, describe the sensations you are feeling using descriptions like “tingly, burning, numb, zingy” etc…Tell us if the pain is radiating to another area or if a spot is calling for more attention.
On a pain scale from 0-10 – 7 is your threshold of comfort. Anything about 7 is registered as pain. For example, if you are holding your breath, clenching, or resisting. The pressure we apply should never elicit a response that goes above a 7. Ideally for soft tissue release, we want to remain in the 4-6 range. We refer to this as “hurts so good” zone.
If we find an area where the pressure applied is above a 7, tell us where it’s at on the pain scale, so that we can recalibrate our pressure back to therapeutic range, rather than injury. We intend to reduce tension and inflammation, not exacerbate it.
Tell us if a technique or position is uncomfortable. There is no reason to feel you have to endure something you know doesn’t feel right. The “no pain, no gain” mentality won’t serve you in the treatment room. We can make adjustments to the pressure or angle, and slow down the speed at which we achieve depth.
This applies to room temperatures, music, or any discomfort imposed by the face cradle or bolsters.
Let us know if you have to go to the restroom, need to blow your nose, or take a drink of water. We can pause the treatment at any time. We want you to be able to relax.
You are always welcome to call or email us with any questions or concerns you may have concerning your body. We also love to be updated about progress we have made.
We also strongly encourage you to let us know if you are experiencing any unpleasant side effects so that we can modify to our treatment plan if need be, or offer suggestions for ways to alleviate discomfort naturally and in harmony with the work we do together.
In some cases, we may refer you to other health-care professionals, if your situation can be further assisted by other therapies, or not within our scope of expertise. We are not just your massage therapist; we are also great resources for health.
Unless you are schedule for Cranio-Sacral therapy, than it doesn’t matter what you wear, because you will be undressing.
You are welcome to keep underwear/panties on, if you are more comfortable that way. However, if we are planning on working on your hips, than it is best to remove them too (though not mandatory – we can work through them, if need be).
If you are scheduled for a purely Cranio-Sacral Therapy treatment, than you will want to wear comfortable stretchy clothing. Clothes that you would wear to work out in or to do yoga are perfect attire! You may also wear these items if you aren’t comfortable receiving direct contact onto your skin or if we are only working a specific area that does not require you to undress.
Only the areas that are being worked on will be exposed at any given time during your treatment. Genitals are never ever exposed. All other areas will be draped with a top sheet and blanket.
Embodiwork may be a good fit if you:
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• Prefer a detail-oriented, thorough approach. That is both therapeutic and relaxing – quality over quantity.
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• Are looking for a non-aggressive style of bodywork. You want to experience change (results), but you don’t want to feel beat up afterward.
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• Experience neck pain, headaches/migraines, TMJ dysfunction.
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• Are rehabilitating an injury or managing pain/discomfort and require more consistent care with someone who will take the time to get to know your body.
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• Have a complicated case, possibly chronic. Surgeries, multiple/compounded traumas, or other anomalies – and therefore require a practitioner with a higher degree of hands-on experience.
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• Tend to take a holistic-integrative approach to your health. Maybe you have a small team of wellness providers that you work with and you want a somatic therapist to work in conjunction with them.
Embodiwork may not be a good fit if you:
Are looking for an intensely vigorous massage style. If you require that your massages be aggressive, then we may not be for you.
We work deep (deeper than most). Deep tissue techniques are our starting point. We melt in the soft tissues, sculpting through the layers gradually in a way that doesn’t aggravate your nervous system but rather gets it to a much-needed resting state. The difference is in the precision, the patience, and the speed. We can weave together several techniques, including craniosacral therapy, to produce a deeply relaxing yet thoroughly therapeutic experience.
If you have questions, we offer a 30-minute free consultation (in person or by phone) to discuss your case, explain how we work, allow you to see our space, and meet our therapists.
Embodiwork Policies
For your safety, you must provide us with an honest health history and list of medications taken during our initial intake process and continually update when changes occur. This is in case there may be any contraindications for any particular type of treatment.
It is important you arrive not under the influence of alcohol during your appointment. Please inform us if any pain-relieving medications have been taken within 24 hours of your scheduled appointment. Consumption of certain substances can alter depth perception and may contribute to unpleasant side effects of massage (like soreness or nausea).
It is best to eat light meals before a treatment. Overeating and hunger pangs during a massage can undermine relaxation. It is best if your blood sugar levels are balanced so that you do not feel woozy afterward.
Proper hydration is highly recommended. Hydrated tissue tends to release more easily than parched ones do. Maximizing the overall effectiveness of your treatment, meanwhile minimizing soreness and discomfort. Not to mention, your therapist’s hands will appreciate it.
Please come clean, having showered the day of your session. Make sure your therapist is made aware of any rashes, warts, or other contagious conditions you are experiencing.
All services offered at Embodiwork are non-sexual. Sexual harassment and vulgar language are not tolerated. Clients remain draped at all times during the session. Only the parts of the body being worked on are exposed at any given time. The genitals are never exposed or massaged. If our safety ever feels compromised, the session will end immediately.
Payment is expected at the time the treatment is rendered. Pre-paid and membership options are available for your convenience. Any other
arrangement must be made prior to treatment. We accept cash, check, and credit cards.
Appointment times are reserved just for you. We understand that sometimes schedule adjustments are necessary and we do our best to be flexible.
We respectfully ask that you honor our 24-hour cancellation policy. Without giving enough notice, we do not have sufficient time to fill that time slot, and other folks miss the opportunity to receive services.
- Less than 24 hours’ notice will result in a charge equal to 50% of the reserved service amount (single session pricing).
- “NO SHOWS” will be charged 100% of the reserved service amount.
- For appointments made within 24 hours, clients must cancel within 4 hours of appointment time or it will result in a charge equal to 50% of the reserved service amount.
Cancellation Policy for Pre-Paid Packages and Lifestyle Memberships