Cookie Cutter Massages

In 1991 when I started my career as a Massage Therapist, one of the biggest battles I seemed to fight was certain stigmas that came with being a Massage Therapist. Most often I was faced, at the age of 17, with people who would ask if I was a Masseuse a term that had over time started to denote someone who did a little something extra out of the realm of Massage. Or people flat out asking did I give that little something extra at the end of the Massage. Or being put on the spot when I was out somewhere to give spot treatments to someone's neck or shoulders.

Over the years of practicing, honing my skills, continuing my education, learning advanced Massage Therapy techniques, eventually studying skin care, and then much later of course moving on to study Traditional Chinese Medicine, I set myself apart as practitioner by having the ability to focus on specific conditions that people came to me were battling. I became an expert at helping people manage and alleviate multiple back pain issues, upper back and neck strain, lumbar/ low back pain, thoracic pain. I was able to help with shoulder pain, hip pain. I helped people resolve issues with headaches.

I worked for a brief period of time in a Spa where we did "50 minute hours" at the start of my career. I hated 50 minute hours. You couldn't even begin to touch on what was happening in someones muscles in such a brief period of time. Throughout most of my career once setting out on my own, most of the people I treated received 90 minute treatments. I was able to focus on more than one issue that someone was battling with their back. Or if their issue was headaches, I could spend 30 minutes working on their scalp, face, neck, and shoulders while still spending time on their back allowing them a treatment for their body.

So often times their are places where you are getting cookie cutter treatment. When I worked in the Spa where we did 50 minute hours, the owner had a specific rules about spending 2 minutes on each arm and 2 minutes on each leg, etc. Sometimes you just want a few more minutes on that knot that is plaguing your right shoulder. According to the cookie cutter places, you just won't get those few extra minutes to work out that knot.

At my center, the focus with our Massage Therapists is on making sure that your low back pain is getting enough attention, those headaches are getting addressed and resolved, those knots in your neck and shoulders diminishing. At our center you have your own personal cookie cutter, not the same cookie cutter as everyone else. And when you schedule an hour massage - you are receiving an hour massage.

Namaste!
Stephanie