​Here's what will happen when we meet . . .

For your first visit, plan on spending about 90 minutes to 2 hours (for the 1-hour price), unless you just want a basic relaxation massage or are fulfilling a gift certificate.  It is best if you wear or bring shorts to change into, and a sports bra or tight tank top--something you can move in and that Teresa can see your body's holding patterns in. Usually she will send you a medical history to fill out before you come.  It is a detailed medical history.  Many clients say, "That's the most comprehensive medical history anyone's ever done on me."  We'll go over it together first thing during the appointment.  We need to know your body's history in order to help it heal, and massage affects many different systems in our bodies, hence the lengthy history. Doctors are trained to deal with specific parts of the body, but massage looks at the body as a whole and how it is functioning for you holistically.   

Scoliosis screening is not just for children.

After the history, we will usually perform a series of simple tests to see how your body is functioning and check for structural imbalances that can cause muscle pain. Then you'll actually get that massage.  How that proceeds is dependent upon where you are that day and how we can help you achieve your goals for massage.  Your massage will be different each time as a result.

After this initial consultation, if you want to disrobe (see below), you'll do that down to your shorts or panties to your level of comfort while I step out of the room.  Then you will lie on the table either face up or face down beneath the top sheet and blanket.  The pillow or bolster on the table is there to put under your knees if you're lying on your back, or your ankles if you're lying face-down in order to take some pressure off your lower back.  You'll be draped appropriately at all times, in accord with state law.  

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During the massage, your only job is to breathe deeply and get in touch with what's going on in your body.  We so seldom have time for this in our lives that it's easy to we lose touch with our bodies.  As Teresa works, she will tell you what she's feeling, and it helps her to know what you're feeling as well.   A good massage is dance of feedback as together we work on a deep level to follow where your body is tellings us it needs help for healing.  

What type of massage you will get depends upon where you are that day and what your body needs.  Each person is different in what kind of massage is needed.  You'll be getting a combination of Swedish massage, myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, neuromuscular release, stretching, and orthobionomy. You can read about the techniques used here.  

Ambience.  Space has the capacity to expand or curtail us.   Teresa wants you to feel like you are being gently held in a warm healing light when you get a massage.  So she thinks a lot about making your massage space something more than a sterile medical environment since nature, beauty, safety, and serenity are important healing agents. The highest quality of essential oils chosen just for you will be in the diffuser, and they're often used in massage, too.  Teresa has a variety of oils and hypoallergenic lotions that she works with as well, including CBD oil.  A large part of the healing journey is knowing that you are beloved and worthy of attentive care. 

You remain in charge of your body at all times--​as much as any of us is.  (Farting is normal, by the way, so just let 'er rip. Burping and twitching are also good signs that your body is relaxing.)  Tell me if anything hurts or if you'd like more pressure.  I always respect your right to say no to anything that doesn't feel right.  And if you say, "Stop!" I will immediately stop what I'm doing, and we'll figure out what we need to do. Again, you're in charge of you. ​

My massage is strictly therapeutic.  Nothing sexual will be tolerated.  No innuendo, no acting out.  If you're looking for that kind of "massage," don't bother calling Massage Ministration.  We'll be calling the police.

Each visit, we'll check in to see what's been happening with you and usually do some brief tests. This is our time to share information about what's going on and what you and your therapist understand is happening with your body.   We'll work out a quick general plan for the massage that day and get you on the table as soon as possible. ​

After the massage, drink lots of water to help the body function optimally.  Our goal is not to hurt you, but to help you heal. You should never feel beaten up by a massage! It's possible for some of us, though, to feel a bit sore, like you've had a vigorous work-out, but that should never last more than one, or possibly two days.  Once that clears, you should feel better.  Teresa wants to know if you're really sore after a massage because that tells her that we need to change some things up. Each person is different in what kind of massage is needed, and we differ in what we need at any given time.  So feedback is encouraged.  Your therapist can only help what she knows about, so speak up! 

We disinfect after each massage. Massage Ministration has always disinfected and followed CDC and professional standards for massage. Since the pandemic, though, cleaning has taken on the quality of compulsion, as you can see from our disinfecting checklist.   

Teresa also charts what happens during our time together after your massage so that she can track changes over time in order to delve deeper into root causes of imbalances and dysfunctions.  She listens, annotates, and then studies these notes  ahead of each session.  She also notes any additional research needed before seeing you next time.  If she feels the need to consult with your other doctors or colleagues, she will ask you first.

All our work remains confidential within the limits of the law, which means your file is kept in a locked filing cabinet, and nothing you say leaves the room, unless someone is in imminent danger.  Massage therapists are court-mandated reporters, which means that we are legally required to ensure a report is made when abuse is observed or suspected for those under the care of others (children, elderly, disabled). With other adults we have more leeway in how to proceed for the good of those being abused because it's not always in the abused's best interest to report. In such cases, Teresa will always act in accord with your safety and care. 

In short, Teresa spends the time it takes with you so that you might know healing, carefully tailoring our work to your body's needs. 
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Read more about how the Covid-19 pandemic has changed massage practice.

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Do I Have to Take My Clothes Off? 

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​No!  Some of us are modest or self-conscious about scars or have other body issues. Honestly, massage therapists are not paying attention to what you may perceive as your body's "flaws." Sooner or later all our bodies end up embarrassing us, and no one Photoshops us in real life. Teresa laughs when she encounters those who think they're too big to get a massage. "Seriously? Have you seen me?" she asks.  "I'm hardly in a position to judge, even if I wanted to, which I don't."  Instead, she's focusing on your body's structure and the tissue beneath your skin in order to discern how best to help you do your life better.  "Trust me.  Everyone looks beautiful from the angle where I'm sitting when I'm working on your neck."  

​Sometimes it can help if all your therapist has to palpate through is skin, but she can usually massage through clothing with no problem, unless you're in a puffy ski jacket. Some myofascial release work is best done on skin, but Teresa will ask if it's ok first.  So just disrobe to the degree with which you're comfortable, if that just means taking off your coat. If you decide to take everything off but your undies, you'll be draped at all times beneath a nice clean sheet and comfy blanket, and your vulnerability will always be protected with appropriate draping. "The only person I ever want to see naked in my office is the person on my anatomical chart who's so naked he doesn't even have skin," Teresa says.   "And I don't want that for you--ever!"  ​​ 

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Umm, no, you can't really get a massage in this.

And no one ever wants to see you like this. For a whole variety of reasons.