Happy New Year! I hope you have had a great start to 2024. Although the clinic continues to be quite busy, there have been a few cancellations lately for the next couple of weeks, so if you are interested in booking an appointment, please check out the calendar online to see if one of those time slots might work with your schedule.
With a new year comes new resolutions and plans for the clinic. Below are a few things you can expect for the months ahead along with other information regarding a new policy, and massage therapy and illness.
Massage and Illness
Now that the colder weather is here and the Christmas holidays are over, people have started to hunker down inside to endure the winter months that are still ahead of us. As we all know, cold and flus are hitting hard again throughout the fall and winter months now that mandatory masking has been lifted in work environments and schools. Even if you are masked and have tested negative for COVID, I strongly discourage you from coming in for your regular massage if you are fighting an illness of any kind. Massage therapy has a direct affect on the circulatory system and can spread a virus throughout the body which can result in an increase of symptoms when you are sick. For this reason, I highly recommend you weigh the pros and cons of receiving treatment when you are even on the tail end of fighting a head cold. You will not be charged for cancelling an appointment if you are sick, however, please try to be as considerate as possible when cancelling by giving as much notice as possible. Please don’t wait until the last minute to cancel to see if you are feeling better. Giving 24hrs notice is important so that the appointment spot can be utilized. I will continue to keep a cancellation list so that client’s can be contacted if there are appointments that become available. If you are interested in being added to the waitlist, please email me at [email protected] to get your name added. By providing additional information of times and days of the week you are available to have treatment, I can also reach out only when those specific appointments become available to you.
New Policy
Starting March 1st, there will be a new implementation of mandatory credit card information for all online bookings. This policy is designed to help prevent no-shows and missed appointments, ensuring that all client’s needs will be met. As appointments are sometimes difficult to book due to high demand, clients commonly ask to be put on the cancellation list and to be contacted if an appointment becomes available. No-shows and missed appointments due to last minute cancellations don’t make it possible to get these clients in for treatment which can be frustrating to both parties – client and therapist.
How it works:
1. Booking an appointment: When you book an appointment through the website, you will be required to enter your credit card information securely. Rest assured, your information will be handled with the utmost care and in compliance with all security measures. The credit card will be required in order to hold your appointment spot.
2. Cancellation Policy: It is understandable that sometimes unforeseen circumstances can arise and you may need to reschedule or cancel your appointment. As long as you cancel or reschedule your appointment at least 24 hours in advance, you will not be charged a fee. Please note that the confirmation email that gets sent to you conveniently gives you the ability to cancel or reschedule your appointment online.
3. No-Show Policy: If you fail to show up for your appointment or cancel within 24 hours of your scheduled time, your credit card will automatically be billed for the full amount of the appointment. We understand that emergencies happen, and if you have a legitimate reason for having to cancel your appointment, please contact us as soon as possible, and I will do my best to accommodate your situation.
Although emergencies can occur and illness can play a part in the need to cancel last minute, I would ask that if you are feeling unwell prior to that 24hr period of time before your appointment, please don’t wait until the last minute to cancel to see if you are feeling better. Your therapist needs that time to be able to fill the appointment and, again, massage therapy during illness would likely cause you to feel worse due to the affects it has on the circulatory system.
This new policy will be reflected in writing and updated in the Consent & Policies form that is to be signed yearly with your updated Health History and Intake forms that also get sent out. It will hopefully benefit all clients as it improves the availability shown on the online schedule. For all my new clients that have booked in online, it has already been implemented for the past few months. By giving 24 hours notice for cancelling an appointment, it allows another client to book in who may be in pain and needing treatment. I appreciate your understanding, cooperation, and respect with regards to this policy.
Continuing Education
This April, I am excited to announce that I will be furthering my education by attending a course on Craniosacral Therapy. Craniosacral Therapy targets the bones of the skull and its connecting relationship with the sacrum (the portion of the spine just above the tail bone). This type of therapy can help benefit those that suffer from headaches, migraines, post-concussion syndrome, and neck pain along with several other conditions. This type of treatment is based off of osteopathic research and techniques and I look forward to seeing how it may benefit clients suffering from different types of pain and discomfort. I will update everyone on what I have learnt after the course takes place.
Masking
As you all know, I have been very slow in lifting my masking mandate at the clinic. However, I do feel that it is time for that change so starting May 1st, I will no longer be masking with every client. If you are more comfortable having your massage therapy treatment while I am masked, please be assured that I will continue to mask for you. If you email or text me before your first May appointment, I will indicate in your file your preference and will make sure to be masked for every appointment you receive if that is what you are more comfortable with. I realize that each individual has different views on this topic and I want everyone to feel as comfortable as possible with their experience at the clinic. Your health is, and will always be, my top priority.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding the policy or the lifting of the mask mandate. Your feedback is valuable, and I thank you for your continued support. I look forward to seeing you at your next treatment!
In Health,
Jen Medeiros