Office Policies
IMPORTANT: BECAUSE OF SERIOUS ALLERGIES, MASSAGE HORIZONS IS A NUT-FREE ZONE!!! DO NOT ENTER THE PREMISES IF YOU HAVE EATEN ANY NUTS, NUT BUTTERS, PROTEIN BARS OR SHAKES OR OTHER NUT PRODUCTS WITHIN 6 HOURS OF YOUR APPOINTMENT TIME.
Definition
Massage therapy may very well be the oldest form of healthcare known to mankind, and can trace its origins to the first hugs and back rubs of infancy. By definition, massage therapy is the manipulation of the soft tissues of the body, utilizing the techniques of friction, compression, pounding and torquing, in various combinations. These techniques are commonly applied with the fingers, hands, forearms and elbows, and sometimes the knees or feet, and include the uses of stone, wood, metal or plastic devices, hot or cold packs or electrical pulse therapies as means of more directly and specifically addressing certain needs.
The primary purposes of therapeutic massage and bodywork is to help the body's soft tissues to relax and recover from the results of physical & emotional stress, such as muscle tension, limitation of movement, soreness and pain. There is also evidence to suggest that it has benefits on a host of illnesses, including depression and PTSD. With very few exceptions, your massage should be an extremely comfortable experience. HOWEVER, no matter how comfortable your session may be, and no matter how your body may physically respond to that level of comfort, at no time will your session include contact with your breasts, genitals or anus. Please be aware that any illicit or sexually suggestive remarks, requests, advances or direct actions by you will result in the immediate termination of the session, that you will still be liable for payment in full for the entirety of the session (regardless of the amount of time you have actually received), that you will be required to leave the premises immediately after payment has been made, and that you will be refused service at any time in the future. This is non-negotiable.
Appointment Scheduling
Massage Horizons massage therapy, Reiki, life coaching and affiliated services are provided on a "by appointment only" basis; that is, Massage Horizons does not offer walk-in service. Please feel free to call between the hours of 9am-9pm to ask questions or discuss your needs and reserve an appointment with your MasterCard, Visa or other major credit or debit card.
First Appointments
Please arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled appointment time to provide any additional health information and consult with me regarding your conditions and medications.
Cancellations
If for any reason you are unable to keep an appointment, please provide me at least 24 hours notice in advance of your session, so that I may offer that time slot to someone else. A 50% cancellation fee will be charged for appointments missed without prior notification. Exceptions will be made for cancellations due to illness or car accidents with a valid medical note or accident report.
Lateness
If you arrive late for your session, I will provide treatment only for the remaining session time originally reserved for you, with no reduction in the cost of that session. If there is additional time available after your session, you may extend your session into that time slot, at my usual rates for that service. If _I_ arrive late, you'll be able to choose between:
A) receiving the treatment you had requested for the remainder of the time we had originally agreed upon, discounted by 20% per each 10 minutes I am delayed, or
B) extending your session by 30 minutes (if the day's schedule permits) at no cost to you, or
C) rescheduling your session to a time that is more convenient for you, at no additional cost, whatsoever.
Illness and Health Concerns
It is absolutely crucial that you keep me up to date on any and all health conditions, allergies and illnesses, and prescription or over-the-counter medications or other treatments you are receiving, whether or not you think it's important for me to know about them. This is because there are some conditions for which massage therapy is directly contraindicated, and in order for me to provide you with the highest quality of care possible, I need to know if it is safe to work on you.
In addition, even though it should be common sense, I must strenuously request that you reschedule your appointment if you are experiencing any symptoms of a contagious disease or chronic condition, including but not limited to a sore throat, cold, bronchitis, sinus infection, fever, flu, cold sore/herpes/shingles outbreak, fungal infections, staph infections, lice infestation, etc. This is not only in consideration of your health and the potential worsening of your condition, but also mine and that of my other clients.
Insurance Coverage
Although many of the therapies I offer are covered to one extent or another by the major health insurance companies, the extent to which they are covered for or discounted to you varies considerably from company to company and policy to policy. Please contact your insurer in advance of your appointment, to be sure.
Accepted Forms of Payment
I accept payment in the form of cash, personal checks, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover and/or debit cards, and via Paypal, Venmo, Zelle and the Cash app.
Discounts, Gifts and Other Considerations
From time to time, I offer discounted services as part of my business marketing efforts, or to make those services more readily accessible to those who might not otherwise have access to them. As a token of my appreciation, any client who has received three or more massages from me within a six-month period at my usual and customary rate will be entitled to receive a free 30-minute massage on his or her birthday. I also offer courtesy discounts to AARP members, veterans and those on public assistance, as a way of making quality healthcare more readily accessible to those who might not otherwise have access to it. These discounts do not in any way affect my Usual and Customary Rates (UCR) to all others.