What to Expect: (more information and new COVID policies are found on the Policies page)

As a licensed massage therapist, I integrate relaxation, deep tissue, and myofascial massage techniques to soft tissues with the intention of improving circulation, digestion, immunity, flexibility, breathing, posture, and general health; reducing stress and anxiety; increasing clarity and body awareness; increasing energy; and focusing on a greater sense of the mind-body connection. I do not diagnose, prescribe medications, or manipulate/adjust human skeletal structures.

 

Please plan on arriving about 10 minutes early. Before the massage, I will review your health intake form and ask questions to give me a small insight into how it feels to be in your body. I will then assess that against my training in Swedish, deep tissue, and myofascial release and develop a plan for our session, which I will share with you.

 

My primary concern is for your safety. Some conditions are contraindications for massage, and I especially need to know of your allergies and if you may be in your first trimester of pregnancy. But, it is also my priority to make sure you feel secure and comfortable during the session, that you know what to expect and so can allow your body to relax into the healing change of therapeutic massage. A session is a partnership.

 

You may dress however you like, though if you would like to receive a massage following a workout, please shower before your session. Once you arrive, I will show you into the massage space for the discussion to plan the session, and then leave the room to allow you to undress and get onto the table and under the sheets. You should feel free to remove as much or as little of your clothing as you wish. I will be more effective if you are fully undressed, including your underwear, but your comfort level is most important. I work with clients fully draped, meaning that only the part of your body where I am working at that particular moment will be exposed.

 

Once you are undressed, on the table, and under the sheets and blanket, I will knock to make sure you are ready, come back into the room, and begin the session. I will check in with you about pressure, temperature, and general comfort, but please remember that only you can feel what is going on inside your own body, and that you should feel free to tell me if anything is at all painful or uncomfortable.

 

Sessions include the use of hypoallergenic oils, creams, and lotions to reduce friction on the skin; if you have a particular cream you prefer, bring it and I will make sure that is what I use. I also integrate aromatherapy and scented candles; again, if you have a particular oil or scent you prefer, bring it and that is what we will use. And finally, soft music is provided for all sessions; if you prefer a particular genre, please request it, or bring your own music and I will play it for the session. Generally I find that talking during the session takes away from your body’s process of relaxing, but if you would like to converse during your session, feel free to do so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Training and Credentials:
I am licensed to practice in Virginia and the District of Columbia. I graduated from the Potomac Massage Training Institute in Silver Spring, Maryland. The program was 18 months long, included 622 hours of classroom training, and required clinic and fieldwork hours, which I performed at physical therapy offices, local gyms, assisted living homes, and medical clinics. I am also a member of the American Massage Therapy Association.