If you’ve ever experienced an out-call massage then you know what it’s like to be on the receiving end. Have you ever wondered what it’s like from the therapists view? Let me walk you through what the out-call massage is like for me.
Before the massage even begins, I’m already hard at work. In the instance that I’m going to someone’s home or office it starts with a phone call or online booking. During phone calls I speak with the caller about what services they’re wanting and discover what’s going on. I then take down their information and book the appointment in my scheduling app. An intake form is automatically sent to their email. After the intake form is completed, it is received and checked for conditions or illnesses that would prevent massage services. I take note of areas of concern and check for allergies and sensitivities. I make sure my bag has oils that won’t cause reactions.
The day of the out-call massage, I fill my bag with the necessary equipment: clean set of sheets, sanitation wipes for cleaning the table, and massage blends. In my other bag is my table and chair with bolster and face cradle. After I’ve checked and rechecked that I have everything I need, I put the address into my GPS and head to the clients house. I am very careful to vet every person I see in their homes for my safety and have safety protocols in place in case anything does go awry.
When I reach my destination, I double check the address one last time and approach the door with my table and bag. I knock and introduce myself, “Hi, I’m Savannah! You must be (Insert clients name here). It’s great to meet you! I’m looking forward to working with you today!” After I’m welcomed into the home, I ask where they would like me set up and the space is transformed into a massage oasis. I leave the room to wash my hands after telling the client to undress to their comfort level. After a few minutes, when the client is on the table and fully draped I reenter the room.
This next part is where the magic happens! For simplicity sake I’ll be going over what a session looks like with the client starting face down. After I enter the room I approach the client from the head of the table. I hover my hands above their back to get an energetic feeling for what might be going on in their body. I take note of any areas that feel hot or cold; anything that catches my attention. I then uncover their back and start with long flowing strokes from their shoulders down both sides of their spine. After a few introductory strokes I get into the meat of the matter; so to speak.
For relaxation massages I keep things lighter and more general just really focusing on increasing circulation and helping the client reach a state of total peace. For deeper work I take the time to focus on the areas I noticed earlier and any areas the client had previously mentioned. I do stretching and hold points when necessary. My hands, intuition, and the reactivity of the client act as my guide. Working with the muscles to melt deeper into the tissue, I get to the source of the pain or dysfunction. Every massage is a unique experience, every body has it’s own story to tell and requires custom strategies and approaches.
Depending on time and what I find while working on the back and arms I typically move to next section about 25% of the way through the massage. The back is draped and I move to the legs and glutes. Carefully, I uncover one side of the gluteals at a time. I typically start at the feet and move my way up the rest of the legs and buttocks. Often times, the muscles are stretched during this portion of the massage. A lot of tension is held in the hips and deep tissue work through this region can make a huge difference for lower back and hip pain. When I’ve done adequate work in this region and at about half-way through the session it’s time to be turned over.
Once the client is face-up, I carefully undrape one leg while leaving the genitals securely covered. I do some nice flowing strokes from the feet to the upper thigh then spend time really working on the feet before addressing the rest of the region: the knees, quads and outer hip muscles. When the legs are complete I move on to the chest and arms.
I stretch the arms while working on the pectoral muscles to find any tension or limits in range of motion. When those spots are found I spend extra time getting them to release or loosen up. I massage the arms and hands especially paying attention to tension in the forearms and any pain they may be experiencing. Once the hands, arms, shoulder and chest are complete I move on to my personal favorite! The head and neck!
Sitting down behind the clients head, some introductory strokes across the chest and shoulders are preformed, additional time may be spent on the chest muscles at this point as well. Slowly and carefully, work on the back and front of the neck muscles are done. Some stretching and traction on the neck can be incorporated as well. During this time there may be some holding or deep breathing as we work on the smaller knots that can cause the biggest headaches. I move into the scalp, massaging the head in a way that has been described as blissful. I also include the face in my massages especially focusing on the TMJ and temples. When the massage is complete, I gently tell them to take their time getting up, exit to wash my hands and give them time to get dressed and come back to reality.
After the session I check in to make sure they’re feeling good and to assure there were no issues. I clean and fold-up my table and load everything into my bags. I accept my payment, unless they prepaid, and ask if they would like to re-book. Then, I head out the door and they sit at home soaking in the glorious afterglow of their out-call massage!
There you have it! A day in the life of an out-call Massage Therapist! If you have questions about massage, or specific topics you’d like me to cover please leave a comment below! Feel free to check out my site and services! If you’d like to book a mobile session Click Here!