Your First Appointment

PLEASE!  If you’ve never been to my massage therapy office in Kalispell, watch this short video.  It can be a little hard to find within the building.

So you’re thinking about booking an appointment with me and want to know what to expect…well here’s a bit about how it works that will help you plan and schedule your time.  If you’ve never been to my office building, I’ll give you a short tour showing you the separate mens and womens bathrooms, the community kitchen, and waiting room.  First time clients fill out a brief medical history form, and Informed Consent waiver.  I look over your medical history form and we discuss why

you’re here, what you need, and how I can best facilitate your healing.  If applicable, I’ll show you the breast recess on the massage table, explain that while you’re undressing I will leave the room and knock before I come back in, and ask if you need to use the bathroom before we get started.  To help you plan your time, for example, if you have a 1pm appointment, you can expect your massage to actually begin roughly twenty minutes later.  Of course, if you become a returning client, your paperwork will already be on file and you’ll get in and out quicker. Sessions usually begin with the client face down on the table;  I start by doing gentle compressions over your whole body through the sheet and blanket.  I usually then uncover the back and begin working there, followed by legs and feet.  About half way through the session, I’ll have the client turn over onto their back, then work the legs, arms, and neck.  I check in frequently on the pressure and use an analog scale of 1-10 to gauge how the client is feeling my work, 1 being feather lite touch, and 10 being very painful.  Usually a “hurts so good” 5/6 is where we want to be for the best results.  During your massage feel free to “ooh”, “aaah” if you’re liking the work and of course also let me know if you’re uncomfortable, too warm, cold, need to use the bathroom, etc.  Talking during your session is really up to you, we can visit about anything you want provided it’s not intrusive to your healing.  If you prefer just to relax and only talk when asked about the pressure, that’s fine too.

After the final amazing massage stroke, I will pour you some water and then leave the room while you get dressed and knock before I come back in.  We will visit about how you feel, what you would like to change, if anything, for your next session, and the importance for you to drink lots of water (I know you like coffee and koolaid, BUT YOUR MUSCLES DON’T)  Payment can be cash, credit card, or local check.  I advise clients to take it easy the rest of the day after a massage, call me if you need anything, and of course rebook your next session.  With pain issues, you don’t usually get in that mess overnight, and it won’t get fixed overnight so it’s important to plan another appointment.

As with all new things we try in life, there can be a learning curve for both you and I, and every time we work together we both find more that can be done to enrich your massage experience.  I work hard to customize my work to your needs and invite feedback and internet reviews.  Thank you for the opportunity to serve!  CHEERS!