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Reasons to Work with a Self-Employed Massage Therapist

Better Value

When you choose to book a massage with a self-employed massage therapist over a national chain, or even a locally owned spa, because all of the money spent goes directly to the livelihood of the therapist providing care, the massage can be priced more affordably. I was curious about what some of the national chains were charging these days, and this is what I found, in comparison to what I charge:

• 60 Minute Massage:
  • Massage Envy: $130
  • Massage LuXe: $120
  • Triangle Wellness Bodywork: $100
• 90 Minute Massage:
  • Massage Envy: $195
  • Massage LuXe: $180
  • Triangle Wellness Bodywork: $130
• 120 Minute Massage:
  • Massage Envy: Unavailable
  • Massage LuXe: Unavailable
  • Triangle Wellness Bodywork: $170

More Time

What these chains don't tell you is when you book a 60 minute massage with them, what they mean is 60 minutes is allotted for the intake session, the massage, and the therapist's time to clean up and prepare for the next client at the top of the next hour.

This means that the actual massage itself is 10 minutes less than advertised of hands on time at a chain, with very little time for the therapist to understand your individual needs prior to the session.

When most self-employed therapists decide how to schedule their appointments, 30 minutes are scheduled in between appointments, so that each client not only gets the full time advertised on the appointment, but also up to 15 minutes of dedicated time before the appointment to discuss your individual needs.

Better Massage

Because the full cost of the appointment goes to supporting the livelihood of the therapist offering your care, that allows the therapist to take better care of themselves, ensuring they show up fresh and ready to offer the best care possible for every session.

When I started my first job at a local spa, I was only paid $16 per hour plus tips for each massage I performed! In a profession where it's simply not possible to perform 40 hours of massage per week without risk of career ending injury, I found it difficult to afford basic needs, much less invest in my own care, or in continuing education to improve the massage services I provided.

Thank you for supporting small business

If you're receiving this email, it's likely that you have received a massage from me before, or perhaps you may be thinking about it. You have my deepest gratitude. If I haven't seen you in a while, I hope you'll book an appointment soon. These are stressful times, and it's important we prioritize care as we move through uncertainty.