Before Your Visit

  • No Fragrance: Refrain from wearing perfume, cologne, after-shave, scented lotions, body sprays or other similar "smelly" products on the day you visit Aberdeen Massage. Synthetic chemicals found in scented products can trigger migraines and asthma attacks in our sensitive clients.

  • Avoid Smoking: Smokers are asked to please shower before your appointment and avoid smoking until after your appointment; this helps us avoid the smell of smoke in our office, which triggers migraines and asthma attacks in our most sensitive clients, especially children. 

  • Complete Forms: All new clients fill out the New Client Intake Form.

  • Arrival: Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your first scheduled appointment. This allows you time to fill out necessary paperwork, use the restroom, & enjoy our space for the first time without feeling rushed. 

  • Hygiene: Shower/bathe on the day of your appointment.

  • Communicate Needs: At the time of scheduling, please inform Aberdeen Massage of any health conditions, allergies, special needs or concerns you have. Your safety is important to us & some services may not be appropriate for certain conditions.

During Your Session

Silence Cell Phone: In our effort to maintain a relaxing & tranquil atmosphere for clients, we ask that all cell phones and other electronics be silenced upon entering Aberdeen Massage. Cell phone use is not permitted beyond the reception area.

Undressing: For your session, undress to the point of where you feel comfortable. It is completely normal for clients to undress completely for the session. The massage therapist is a professional who has been trained to keep you covered with sheets or draping where appropriate. Undergarments can sometimes get in the way of long strokes or pressure points and inhibit you from experiencing the best massage possible. You will speak with your therapist before the session and then the massage therapist will leave the room so you can get undressed to your level of comfort. During the massage, only the body part that the therapist is working on is uncovered.  Your massage therapist will only work on one body part at a time and will never work under the sheets. 

Communication: Be sure to speak up. All aspects of your massage session can be modified to your preference: pressure (too light or too deep), lighting in the room, style/volume of music, temperature, and whether or not you choose to have a conversation or enjoy the treatment in silence. You know your body best, so we encourage you to share anything you feel; this helps us deliver the best approach for you.

Breathing: It may sound simple, but it's extremely important. It can be tempting to tense up and hold your breath, but it is important to breathe fully and deeply into your hips as this promotes a calming state for you and your muscles. Relaxed muscles are more "open-minded" to what the therapist is working to accomplish for you. 

Pain/Discomfort: If you begin to experience any pain or discomfort during this session, immediately inform the practitioner so that the pressure and/or strokes may be adjusted. Please do not endure pain/discomfort. The idea of "no pain, no gain" does not apply to integrative massage. Pain/discomfort that causes you to tense up, hold your breath, cringe, etc. will actually reduce the effectiveness of the integrative massage (muscles tensed from pain will not relax; thus, no improvement will be made). At times, a targeted muscle area may feel tender while the practitioner performs balancing techniques, however tenderness should subside.

After Your Session

Drink Water: Hydrated muscles are happy muscles. The better hydrated you muscles are, the better your muscles will respond, and the better results we can provide you.

Avoid Caffeine: Drinking caffeine after a massage can tense the muscles that were just worked on, so it's best to avoid caffeine for 6-12 hours after your massage, if possible. We suggest trying herbal tea or water instead. 

Wait for Workouts: If you receive deeper massage work, it’s best to wait 12 – 24 hours before working out to allow for healing time from the massage itself. With deep massage work, micro-tearing of the muscle fibers can occur (the same way as a hard workout) and the muscles need to recover.

Expect Soreness: After an integrative massage, it is normal to experience some soreness for the next few days. This soreness is similar to what you'd experience with an intense exercise workout. The soreness will subside as the body is brought back into balance.

Expected Results: Some clients may experience a drastic improvement after 1 session, others clients may need 3 to 6 sessions to achieve there goal. There are many complex factors that play into aches and pains however this largely depends on how long an ache or pain has been happening and how deep a specific issue is.

Consider Maintentance: Taking care of your body on a regular schedule is really the same concept as taking care of your vehicle, except that If you fall behind on vehicle maintenance you can get a new one. Did you know that getting an integrative massage every 4 to 6 weeks, often makes it much simpler and less time consuming to bring balance a specific area before it becomes a more painful issue. During a maintenance session, we are on the lookout for any areas of imbalance that you cannot feel yet, so that we can keep you living the best version of you .