If you’re here, then you must be looking for help as you consider signing up for an in-home massage. Perhaps you are working from home now and you typically received massage at a clinic near your office. Maybe it is impractical for you to travel (or find time to travel) to a massage clinic. Maybe you have mobility challenges or are home-bound as you recover from a procedure. Some people dislike some aspect of the clinic environment or experience.
There are many good reasons to consider in-home massage. The next challenge is finding a mobile therapist.
The first thing you might notice when searching for “mobile massage therapist near me” is that, well, there aren’t many. Yelp, Zeel, Soothe, Thervo, or Thumbtack come up (in large part because of massive ad budgets), but chances are you don’t want just any massage therapist, you want the right therapist for you. I understand that inviting someone into your home is a big deal!
This short post is intended to help with this process of choosing a therapist and offer suggestions for how to use the searching and booking process to begin building the professional and trusting relationship that is essential to a good massage, especially when it comes to in-home massage.
In addition to the logistical and physical differences between massage in a clinic and mobile massage, the dynamics of the therapeutic relationship are different as well. In a clinic, you are entering the therapist’s space. They set it up, chose the music, set the temperature, and, hopefully, eliminated obnoxious smells or sounds. A good therapist will equalize this power differential by being welcoming, listening to your requests, and giving you as much control as possible over the music, temperature, and flow of the massage. But the fact remains that as the client you are entering someone else’s space.
For in-home massage, the therapist is entering your space. You have more control over the session because it is happening on your turf. In many sessions, I notice a tendency for clients to play host and offer me water, make sure I’m comfortable, and apologize for cat or the state of the living room. It makes sense, I’m a guest in your home.
However, that host-guest dynamic needs to reverse. Don’t worry about the cat, the sounds, or whatever else: let your therapist take care of you so you can receive the benefits of the massage. Whereas in a massage clinic a good therapist will relinquish and share control with the client, in your home you can relax and allow your therapist to host you throughout the session.
Rest assured, your massage therapist is probably a little nervous too! They are meeting you for the first time as well. Rather than seeing this as an obstacle, I believe in-home massage presents a unique opportunity for communication and connection, one that can begin long before they show up at your door.
Finding a mobile massage therapist
Professionalism
This is a given, but how do you gauge professionalism? Does the therapist have a website, even just a single page? Do they have good reviews? Are their photographs clear and composed? If they have a profile on Yelp, Thervo, or Thumbtack, have they written a good amount about who they are and what they do? You aren’t necessarily going to get a life story, but you should feel that the therapist has prioritized their public appearance. It’s a good sign that they take their craft and profession seriously.
Communication
If you like what you see so far, the next best thing to do is to email, call, or message them through whatever platform you found them. Don’t hesitate to ask your questions! You’ll learn a lot from the manner in which they answer and how quickly they get back to you (hopefully they will answer the question too). And remember, quick isn’t always possible if they are out working.
Even if you don’t have any essential questions, reaching out anyways begins to build that communicative and trusting relationship. Ask about their cancellation policy, ask about their service area, or ask what kind of space requirements they need to set up the table. Ask anything; it will get the conversation started.
Intake and Health History
A massage is not a massage is not a massage. No two massages, even for the same person, are identical. This begins with how the therapist learns about your health history and your goals. If the therapist doesn’t prioritize these, you are rolling the dice as to whether you’re going to get a cookie-cutter massage or one designed for you. If you have old injuries or certain medical conditions it can also be dangerous for the therapist to neglect this process.
If it isn’t clear when or how you will complete your initial intake, ask.
Despite the potential to make massage available to more people, it can be difficult to find a good therapist and get the relationship off on the right foot, especially if you’ve never hosted a massage in your home before. I hope this helps give you the confidence in your search for a therapist.