Elevating Touch

Before your massage

• Allow for 10 mins before and after your treatment. It gives time to set up and put away the massage table and supplies. It also gives time for you to fill out a health history form and a consent form for direct billing, and for me to review your information so that I can formulate a safe and efficient treatment for you.

Download the health history form here.
Download the Sun Life or Telus Health consent form for direct billing here.

Don’t forget to fill it out and have it ready at your first session!

• Do not have a full or empty stomach. Avoid eating 1 hour before your session because food takes a while to settle down in your stomach and pressure will be applied towards the heart. Massage also increases metabolism which may make you hungry.

• Void yourself before treatment. Time used to dress and relieve yourself will not be compensated for.

• Wear comfortable clothing. You may dress down to your level of comfort. Only the body part that is being treated will be undraped. If you prefer to be massaged over your clothes wear clothes that are flexible and are comfortable to move around in.

• You have the right to ask questions and decline treatment, use of techniques and use of modalities at any time throughout the session. Feel free to ask questions and/or decline certain parts of your treatment or the whole treatment any time during your session. I will happily give explanations for techniques and modalities used, try to answer your questions and cease treatment if you so wish to.

During your massage

• Communicate! For the best experience communication is key. We’re taught to read non-verbal cues but we can’t read minds! Feel free to say if a technique or the position is uncomfortable or painful, if there’s something you do or don’t like, if you want more or less pressure, or even if you just want to blow your nose.

• No cellphone. The session is dedicated to you and having your phone turned on can be a distraction for either of us. If you are expecting a call or need to have it on incase of emergencies please let me know.

• Inappropriate behavior by either the therapist or client will not be tolerated. Both parties should feel respected and safe throughout the session. Massage therapists have the right to cease giving treatment if we feel our safety is at risk or are uncomfortable to continue. Clients have the right to withdraw their consent for treatment at any time during the session.

After your massage

• Drink lots of water. Massage increases the circulation of blood and the lymphatic system helping get rid of waste products from cells and built-up toxins in the body. Drinking water helps move these products along the circulatory and lymphatic systems and out of the body. It is common for people to use the toilet after a massage because the body is getting rid of any toxic build-up so drink lots of water to stay hydrated.

• Don’t drink alcohol or coffee for at least 12 hours. Alcohol and coffee are diuretics which stops the circulatory and lymphatic systems from effectively absorbing water. It is important to stay hydrated to help flush out built-up toxins and expel them from the body.
Also, drinking alcohol can interfere with the benefits of massage and actually make you feel worse by increasing and prolonging the soreness from a deep massage. Getting a massage increases the effects of alcohol while drinking alcohol introduces toxins to the body.

• Munch on some food. Massage increases metabolism because it speeds up the circulatory system increasing other body functions such as the digestive system. In addition, the muscles have been given a workout especially if deep tissue work was done.

• Rest. The body needs time to recover after a massage especially if deep tissue work was done. Avoid intense physical activity because the muscles have been stretched, lengthened, and are now relaxed and don’t have the same tension as before risking an injury.