Feel Better ~ Registered Massage Therapy

Once you are checked – in, you will be given an intake form to complete and sign. Then, I will bring you into the massage room where we can discuss in more detail exactly what you want from your massage. This is a great time to share any questions or concerns you might have. After we chat, I will step out of the room so that you can undress and get comfortable on the table. Once you are ready, we will start your hands-on time. I will check in with you during the massage to make sure that everything is wonderful. Once we finish up, I will step out so that you can dress and drift away!

Usually, your hands-on time will be the length of your scheduled massage. If you are late or your intake is especially lengthy, I will make every effort to give you as much hands-on time as possible, but this may reduce the hands-on time available for your appointment.

It is a good idea to wear comfortable clothing that is easy to remove and put on. Wherever possible, I recommend coming in with minimal makeup, jewellery, and hair products. Clients who choose to remain dressed for a massage are encouraged to wear form-fitting garments like leggings and tank tops, in order to provide access for massage.

No, you don’t. How much clothing you wear during your massage is completely up to you. For most clients, I recommend wearing only panties and removing your shirt, bra, and bottoms; I will only uncover the area of your body I am working on at any time. However, some clients prefer to be partly or fully clothed, or wear a garment such as a headscarf throughout their massage.

You do not require a doctor’s referral to make an appointment with me. However, some insurance providers require a doctor’s referral for massage therapy services. If you are planning to use your health benefits for your massage service, please check in with your insurance provider to confirm their requirements before booking.

Many extended health benefits plans provide some massage therapy coverage. Please check in with your provider to determine what coverage you have. Massage therapy is not covered by OHIP.

After your massage is complete, I will provide an insurance receipt that includes my name and registration number. You can submit this receipt to your health insurance provider for reimbursement. Unfortunately, I am not able to provide direct billing at this time.

Expect to relax! Many women find prenatal massage a welcome break from the tiredness and discomfort that can come along with pregnancy.

Prenatal massage is so special because it helps you and your baby! During a prenatal massage, we use some special pillowing and draping techniques to get you as comfortable as possible. I will also make some modifications to the massage to be sure that it is safe for your changing body and for your baby.

I know it can be challenging to lay comfortably once your baby bump starts to grow! Not to worry; when you are no longer able to lay face down, I will position you on your side and on your back, and provide additional pillows for support.

Yes! In most cases, prenatal massage is safe. We do, however, take a few extra precautions. You can learn more about these here. If you have a high-risk pregnancy or are experiencing related health concerns such as gestational diabetes, please confirm with your doctor before scheduling your appointment and be sure to let me know so we can plan the best treatment approach for you.

Prenatal massage is so wonderful for your changing body! It can assist with joint and muscle pain, swelling in the extremities, exhaustion, and some women even find it helps with nausea! Massage is also proven to reduce stress, which is a must for healthy maternity.

In your first trimester, you might not be telling people yet that you are pregnant. However, whether you are a day, a week, or a month along, I need to know. This allows me to modify my massage to make it safe for you and the baby.

Filler

This service includes scalp and face, neck and shoulders, upper and lower back, arms and hands, legs and feet. If you do not want any of these areas to be massaged, just let me know!

Absolutely! Clients often doze off during a full-body wellness massage. When you are sleeping, your body is healing. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to rest and refresh!

Massage therapy has many therapeutic benefits! You can learn more here.

Aromatherapy is the use of fragrant essential oils to produce therapeutic effects. In my treatments, aromatherapy is a complimentary option for those who wish to enjoy it.

Yes, you may bring your own oils. However, oils that include medicinal actives, strong fragrances, or sensitizing ingredients may not be usable in treatment; use of client- provided oils is at the RMT’s discretion.

Addressing the kind of long-standing muscle tension that often causes chronic pain will usually be a slow, meticulous, targeted treatment. This massage style can include lots of sustained compressions, trigger point release, stretches, and deep work. We will often spend time on connected muscles that don’t directly hurt, but indirectly contribute to the problem areas.

For clients who have chronic pain due to ongoing lifestyle factors such as computer work, frequent driving, posture, carrying a child, or chronic stress/ tension, I can often develop a treatment plan that will attain approximately 70-75% resolution; these results can usually be maintained with regular massage treatments and further improved with home care. However, unless the causative factors change, for most people, management and prevention are more realistic goals than a ‘cure’ or permanent resolution.

My philosophy is that massage should ALWAYS feel GOOD for the client. Even if it is slightly uncomfortable, the GOOD feeling should always outweigh the discomfort. Some people experience a ‘hurts-so-good’ sensation during a massage. Others find deep tissue massage soothing and may even fall asleep. If a deep massage makes you tense up, cringe, hold your breath, or otherwise feels bad, your muscles may not be warmed up enough for that much pressure. It can take time for your body to acclimate to massage- this is why I work slowly and within YOUR tolerance.

We can absolutely work within your limits! If you do not want deep tissue massage, we will use other approaches. Gentle massage can be very effective for temporary pain relief. However, please note that surface massage is less likely to address the deeper structural considerations that are often involved in chronic pain. This means that you may not experience as much relief, or it may not last as long.

I specialise in Upper Body treatment. Upper Body regions include head/scalp, face/jaw, neck/shoulders, arms/hands, upper back and lower back. For chronic pain syndromes of the lower body (hips, glutes, legs, and feet), I would be happy to refer you to a colleague.

In general, consistancy is very important for maintenance; perhaps more important than frequency- in most cases, a massage every two months will be more beneficial than six consecutive massages in a week, for example. A consistent massage schedule allows each session to build on the positive results of the previous one, providing the client with an improved baseline and cumulatively improved function over time. For most clients, coming every 4- 8 weeks is ideal. However, we can discuss a more personalized care plan during our first session.

Of course! Self-care is one of the building blocks of a healthy body. If you would like suggestions for exercises or stretches, we will incorporate this into your massage session. I am also happy to discuss additional modalities that might help you!

Tenderness or soreness after a massage, especially a deep tissue massage, is normal. This can last up to 3 days. Some clients even experience bruising due to the continuous pressure on a specific area, and this is within the range of normal responses to a massage therapy treatment. If the soreness after your massage is too much for you, please let me know during your next session so we can reduce the intensity of your massage.

In Ontario, Registered Massage Therapy is a regulated health profession that is defined by the CMTO as:

‘The assessment of the soft tissue and joints of the body and the treatment and prevention of physical dysfunction and pain of the soft tissues and joints by manipulation to develop, maintain, rehabilitate or augment physical function, or relieve pain.’

While anyone may perform a massage, only CMTO registrants may use the title Massage Therapist or Registered Massage Therapist. As health care professionals, RMTs have the ability to provide insurance reciepts for our services.

There are four areas that the CMTO has deemed as ‘Sensitive Areas’ or ‘Special Consent’ areas. To uncover or massage these body areas, a Massage Therapist must ask for extra consent over and above the ordinary intake process.

The four body areas are: Chest, Breast, Buttocks, and Upper Inner Thigh.

For Chest, Breast, and Upper Inner Thigh, clients must sign a consent form every single time. For Buttocks, clients must sign every time the treatment plan changes, or they are treated by a different Massage Therapist.

In my practice, I do not perform treatment on Breast or Upper Inner Thigh regions, and I require a signature for Buttock and Chest massage every time they are requested.

The CMTO has chosen not to provide specific anatomical landmarks to define where these regions begin and end, leaving it up to the discretion of the practitioner to determine. In my practice, I define Chest as including the pectoral muscles above the nipple, and the sternum if massage of the sternum proceeds below a horizontal line drawn from the left to right armpit. I define Buttocks by drawing an angled line from the gluteal cleft to the greater trochanter of the femur: anything below this area that includes gluteal muscle, I consider buttocks rather than hip.

To ensure 100% compliance with the spirit of these regulations, and ensure that clients never feel undue pressure to have potentially unwanted massage on Sensitive Regions, I only treat these areas if specifically requested by the client, requested while the client is fully clothed, and requested prior to the start of treatment.

The CMTO is the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario. This is not an educational institution; it is the Provincial Regulatory body for Massage Therapists. The CMTO website can be found here.