MOBILE MASSAGE SERVICES
Look on many massage therapists websites and you will often find a phrase "I will tailor the massage to your requirements" or something similar. I probably have it somewhere on my website. What we are trying to do when making such a statement is to let you know that we are not "cookie cutter" therapists. Each person will be different and for the same person each session may be different depending on particular needs and requirements on a given day.
This differentiates us from those therapists and clinics whom just do the same massage each time without even asking about what you like, what you don't like or your particular health conditions.
The massage "tailorers" will ask to you speak up during a massage and let us know if there is anything that is not going the way you would like it (as an aside I often looked for another synonym for tailor but have never found such a economical way of expressing how a session will be individualised - suggestions welcome).
If the pressure is too light or too heavy, if you don't like particular techniques or strokes, if the room is too warm or cold, if the music not to your taste then please speak up. It is your massage. I'm there to give you the massage experience and the results you are looking for. I know it's sometime difficult to speak up, I struggle myself as you don’t want to hurt a therapists feelings. But I'm a big boy and if something isn't right then tell me.
However, please give me five minutes or so into the massage before bringing up any issues with my bodywork. I occasionally get people asking for more pressure after 30 seconds when all I'm doing is palpating muscles and/or warming up soft tissues.
Sometimes you know as a client know that a particular therapist will never be the right fit for you and there's little point talking to the therapist about how they are missing the mark with you. And at the end of the massage you smile sweetly, say through gritted teeth "thank you, that was great" and write a mental note to self "never again". If this happens during a massage with me then feel free to let me know - we can end the massage then and there. Obviously my massage guarantee applies should this occur.
I'd like to think that it's never happened but massage is such a personal experience that I know it is inevitable that I would have given some massages that missed the mark for the person receiving my bodywork.
Having said that it is your massage and you are encouraged to speak, talk to most therapists and then they will make general comments about clients who have micromanaged sessions, seemingly dictating every stroke and massage technique employed. Most therapists (myself included) do struggle with constant feedback and direction during a session as it interrupts flow and gets the therapist too much inside of their own head rather than relying on what they are feeling with their hands and observing with their eyes.
But it's your massage - you are in total charge.
The best sessions are where you can feel comfortable and confident that you are getting the massage you want. I like to think of it as working as a team, I bring my skills and training (and intuition) to the table, you bring your body and your communication. So by all means speak and let me know what is working and what isn't working for you. It's your money and time.
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