Frequently Asked Questions
What forms of payment do you accept?
I prefer Cash, Cheque or e-transfer (to email akelseymassage@gmail.com)
but will take debit or credit
What if I need to cancel my appointment?
There is a same day cancellation fee. Please call, at minimum, the day before your scheduled appointment to reschedule your appointment when needed. There are others who would like to be able to take your place if you cannot make your appointment. I cannot fill that spot on short or no notice. A fee of 100 % of scheduled appointment will be charged for missed appointments and appointments cancelled on the day the massage was to take place
Additional Cancellation Policies: Decreasing the length of your massage at the time of your massage is the same as cancelling part of your massage last minute and therefore you will be charged the full amount of your scheduled appointment.
Late arrivals will receive the remaining time left of the scheduled appointment and will be charged the full amount of the scheduled appointment.
If I do not use all my coverage for the calendar year can my RMT write me receipts for the unused treatments?
No. Receipts may only be issued for treatments actually received.
If I run out of benefits, can my RMT write me receipts in my spouse's name?
No. Receipts can only be issued in the name of the person receiving the massage therapy treatment.
How early should I be?
Please arrive at the time of your appointment or a couple minutes early.
Please consider traffic, and allow ample driving time to ensure that you are punctual. If you are a new client, please try to have printed and filled out the case history form which you will find on the contact and PDF form page of this website before you arrive. Unfortunately, we regret that if you are late, we cannot add additional time to your appointment.
Do I have any responsibilities when I get a massage?
Before your first session, you and your therapist will develop a treatment program based on your medical history and lifestyle. Each subsequent visit is structured to fit your personal needs which can change from session to session. Also, to ensure you get the most from your massage treatment, your therapist will ask you to provide ongoing feedback concerning the depth of pressure, your comfort on the table, your temperature etc. It is your responsibility to communicate anything regarding the massage about which you feel uncomfortable or uncertain.
Should I cancel my massage if I'm sick?
Yes, please. I don't want to get what you have. When you are sick, your body needs time to rest. It may seem odd, but receiving a massage is actually an active task. It causes change in the body, forcing it to maintain stability. This takes attention away from infection-fighting. Massage affects the lymphatic system (part of the immune system). If you are sick this could overwhelm this system, leaving you feeling worse. Also, you could get me sick, or other clients of the clinic. Most of the common winter viruses are contagious even before symptoms show up. Because of this I could pass the germs along to more clients before I even know it’s happening.
Will the massage treatment be painful?
Some modalities, such as Trigger Point Therapy or frictions may be painful, but these techniques are not employed unless deemed the necessary form of treatment and not without your informed consent. It is your responsibility to inform your therapist when the massage is too deep, or too light (ticklish). Your therapist will periodically ask about how the pressure is during your treatment.
What is informed consent?
Your therapist will seek your informed consent to treat certain parts of your body. Your therapist will explain the reasoning/rationale for the proposed treatment. Through the process of "informed consent" you create and understand a shared objective for the outcome of the treatment. This will ensure you have free choice with respect to accepting or rejecting the proposed treatment.
If you've never had a massage before, you might be worried about how your body will respond and appear to the therapist. My advice - just relax.
Massage therapy has become pretty mainstream, but there are still many people who are nervous about it. Will I feel weird being naked? What will the therapist do? What if I fall asleep and drool? Will it hurt?
If the fear of the unknown has kept you from getting a massage, here are a few things you should know:
1. If you want to get the most out of your massage, plan on being completely naked. We are professionals, everything that needs to stay covered is going to stay covered. If your lower back and hips are stiff, do yourself a favor and skip the boxers so we can really address those areas. We will move the sheet around to access the areas that need work - we're not going to move your underpants. Most good therapists will treat that as a boundary and leave areas that you choose to keep covered alone. Knuckle kneeding into the buttocks over the sheet is an option if you're to shy to remove your underwear.
2. On the flip side, you are welcome to keep as much on as is necessary for you to feel comfortable. Most people go though that scary inner dialogue at their first massage. Should I take everything off? Do I seem like a perv if I take everything off? Do I seem like a prude if I keep something on? The answer to both is "no". The massage is about you and helping facilitate your healing and relaxation. If you are going to be a nervous wreck in the nude, keep your underwear on.
3. Bodily functions happen. If things are going well in the massage and you are fully relaxing, guess what? It improves your digestion. Your stomach might get noisy and you might pass gas. It's a good thing. Don't worry about it. It's a sign that the massage is doing what it's supposed to do. Same goes for falling asleep. To me, that's a pretty big compliment if someone feels relaxed and safe enough to doze off on my table.
4. It's pretty rare that you would get an erection and sustain an erection during a massage, unless you are contributing to that situation. It happens, but it doesn't happen often and if you aren't trying to sexualize the massage, it's not a deal breaker. When you are getting a professional massage, one of the goals is to help you relax - not get aroused - so it's unlikely 99% of the time. If that one percent of the time happens to be you, don't sweat it. Take a deep breath and relax. I'll give you an extra blanket to cover up.
5. But on a related note, if you ask for a happy ending - even as a joke - we won't be re-booking you. You don't walk up to a pharmacist and ask for cocaine. We are professional health care providers. Act accordingly. Any sexualizing your massage treatment, or references indicating so will result in immediate end of treatment AND full payment is to be received.
6. A shower before you massage is a good idea. It's going to warm up your muscles a bit, begin your relaxation process, and it's much nicer to work on a clean body and feet. Sports massage is an exception here, and we expect to work on sweaty or even muddy bodies at sporting events. But if you have the option, shower first.
7. There is no right or wrong amount of body hair. We aren't shocked by it. We aren't grossed out by it. It really is all good, regardless of how you've decided to groom it (or not)
8. This is YOUR massage. If you don't like how something feels, speak up. If your therapist asks if you need more or less pressure - be honest. We won't be insulted or offended. We want this to be the best experience possible for you, and honest communication will help ensure that.
9. Be honest on your health history. We aren't asking out of curiosity. A therapeutic massage is not like a back rub from a friend. There are some conditions where we'll have to modify how we work - or possibly postpone the treatment.
10. Your body is amazing. No, really. We are so much in our heads and online and just busy being busy, that we forget to be connected to what's going on in our bodies. We forget to listen to what our bodies are telling us. We keep all of our stresses, our hurts, our joy, our sadness with us in our bodies. Getting a massage is a way to stop and listen to what's going on in your body, and your heart. It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of that time with you.