About Me
My name is Sarah, and I'm a graduate of the Massage Therapy Program at San Jacinto College, Magna Cum Laude, with the program requiring courses such as Pathology, Kinesiology, Anatomy&Physiology, Hydrotherapy, etc. I've been interested in massage for a long time. As a professional Massage Therapist, I take pride in enhancing people's daily lives, activities, and physical range of motion through advanced relaxation and therapeutic techniques. Another term for Massage Therapist is "pain management specialist," and that is my ever-present aim: to reduce pain, tension, and stress in my client's lives, and set them on track to once again enjoying being physically active.
Client Policies
At High Canopy Massage, it is my pleasure to offer clients professional relaxation and therapeutic massage services in a soothing and comforting environment. I will create a unique treatment plan for each of my clients in order to address my client’s individual needs.
My customer service philosophy addresses the inalienable fact that every body is different, yet that everybody must be treated with the same level of compassion and respect.
The following policies and procedures serve as a guide for all clients of High Canopy Massage. I respectfully reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.
I emphatically respect your time by treating it as valuable as my own. I will make every attempt to be 100% prepared for your appointment at your scheduled time. In my commitment to provide a unique and outstanding experience to all my clients, I have assigned the following policies:
Arrival to Your Massage Session
Please arrive for your appointment 10-15 minutes prior to the scheduled starting time. This allows you the time to fill out any necessary paperwork, such as release forms, use the facilities, unwind, and otherwise prepare yourself for the session. All massage sessions have a specific time schedule and early arrival allows for a smooth and unrushed experience. If you happen to arrive late for your scheduled appointment time, the session and/or massage may be shortened with respect to the appointment time and subsequent clients. In the event of arriving late, you will still be charged the full rate of your session time.
Informed Consent
If you are a first-time client at High Canopy Massage, you will be asked to sign an informed consent form, providing permission to be massaged. Based on your signing the consent form, you will be indicating that you have read the information including all client policies, that you understand them, and agree to comply to them. If you are a returning client and it has been over one year since your last massage service at High Canopy Massage, you will also be asked to fill out the informed consent form.
Reservations
To have the best time available for your massage that works with your schedule, I encourage you to schedule your appointment at least 1-2 weeks in advance to insure availability. To accommodate your desired appointment, a credit card is required at the time of booking to safeguard your appointment time. You will be charged a $10 reservation fee that will be deducted from the overall cost of your session. A Gift Certificate may also be used in lieu of a credit card to hold your appointment. Should you need to cancel your appointment, please read the cancellation policy information provided below.
Cancellation Policy and Fees
Your massage sessions are reserved exclusively for you. I respect your time and value your business. I ask that you respect the office scheduling policies. No sessions can be booked within 24 hours of the scheduled appointment time. If a session must be cancelled for any reason, I require 24 hours notice. If an appointment is cancelled, I will contact a wait list of clients who may be able to fill the vacant appointment time.
Cancellations occurring with less than 24 hours of notice are subject to a cancellation fee of $15 for a 30 minute session and $45 for a 90 minute session. Any client who misses their appointment without providing prior notice (NO CALL, NO SHOW) will be charged the full rate of the scheduled service, and placed on a 2 week probationary term prohibiting them from scheduling during that time. I recognize that my clients’ time is valuable; therefore, I’ve implemented this policy for this reason. Due to the nature of the facility, I work on the basis of having my clients fulfill their appointment requests. I will be travelling to the studio specifically for your service. For these reasons, I am obligated to be compensated for any time that is missed on the client’s behalf.
All appointments require a credit card or gift certificate when booking. If you are reserving the appointment by Gift Certificate, I will require the Gift Certificate number. In the event that you do not arrive for an appointment that was reserved with a Gift Certificate, it will be treated as cash payment for the missed appointment per the policy information in the previous paragraph. If there is a balance due based on a Gift Certificate, it will be levied upon the next scheduled appointment rate. A $10 deduction of the overall Gift Certificate value will be deducted for an appointment cancellation held by a Gift Certificate made with less than 24 hours notice. Upon checkout, you may choose to pay with cash, credit, personal check, or gift certificate. If the client chooses to pay with an alternative form of payment than that which was used to hold the appointment reservation, the $10 reservation fee will be deducted from the total cost of the service. Client pays all applicable service taxes that are not included with the session rate.
Late Arrival Policy
All treatment sessions have a specific time frame allotted to them. Therefore, I regret that if you are late, there is the possibility that you will not receive all of the appointment, or possibly any appointment time depending on the amount of time you are tardy. In special cases, such as advanced notice of being late and if my schedule will allow, I may be able to accommodate a partial or full appointment. This will be at my sole discretion in this instance, and only with advanced notification of your late arrival via phone-call.
No Show Policy
I understand that unanticipated events occur in everyone’s life. If you foresee not being able to come in for your appointment, please contact me via phone-call ASAP. Please leave a detailed message if I do not answer. Clients who miss their appointments without giving any prior notification will be charged in full for their scheduled service.
Scope of Practice
High Canopy Massage is a professional massage therapy establishment, and I hold myself to the highest standards of the American Massage Therapy Association, with whom I retain insurance. You may request a copy of my insurance at any time.
Massage Therapy uses manual application of relaxation and therapeutic techniques, and may include adjunctive therapies (such as hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, hot stone, etc), with the intention of promoting the physical and whole-health of the client.
Licensed Massage Therapists do not diagnose or prescribe treatment for medical conditions. I may make a recommendation that you consult a medical professional for diagnosis or treatment of a condition that falls outside of my scope of practice. Massage services are not intended to be an alternative for targeted medical attention that may be imperative to treat specific conditions.
Respect for Client Needs and Boundaries
Please do not hesitate to address your wants/needs regarding adjustments in pressure, temperature, music preference or volume, or time spent addressing specific areas of the body.
I’ll ask you to dress down to your comfort level for the session. For most clients, this includes removing all outer layers of clothing, including socks. For women, this also usually includes removing the bra, if applicable. However, you may leave on as much clothing as you prefer. You may also, at any point in time, refuse any massage methods, or request to discontinue the massage.
The client will always be covered (“draped”) by a sheet and a blanket. The blanket may be removed according to the client’s temperature preferences. The sheet will not. Only the area being massaged will be undraped (uncovered by the sheet).
Sexual/Vulgar language, nuance, or behavior of any sort is NEVER appropriate, acceptable, or tolerated during massage. Should this be instigated by the client, the massage will be terminated immediately. Full payment of the session will be enforced, regardless of any session time not received in this specific scenario. Depending on the nature of the situation, a police report may be filed, and the police may be contacted at that time. Again, sexual/vulgar language, nuance, or behavior of any sort is NEVER appropriate, acceptable, or tolerated during massage.
Confidentiality and Conversation
All information discussed between myself and my clients is strictly confidential, unless requested by other members of the client’s medical/treatment team or in the case of legal requests. I will not discuss your visit with anyone without your prior consent.
You may choose to talk not talk during the massage. In initial sessions, talking should be kept to a minimum to provide for maximum comfort as well as my focus on your body. In subsequent sessions, if requested, once we have established rapport, more talking may occur, as is natural. Any comments or remarks made by the massage therapist (myself) will be relevant to your session and/or physical conditions.
Existing and New Medical Conditions
Before your massage, you may be asked about your medical history and any current medications you are being prescribed. It is important that you answer as honestly and thoroughly as possible. There are certain medical conditions and medications that require specialized or limited techniques when receiving massage, or massage may not be feasible based on your current health. The most obvious limitations would be a cold of fever within the previous 24 hours, flu symptoms experienced within the previous 5 days, and/or any rashes that may be contagious. Occasionally, certain conditions will require a doctor’s release in order to receive massage. This may include a chiropractor, physical therapist, OBGYN, etc.
