Comments on: Charging for massage services http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/charging-for-massage-services/ Explorations in the Theory and Practice of Massage and Bodywork Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:50:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Michele http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/charging-for-massage-services/#comment-96 Michele Fri, 03 Nov 2006 13:22:42 +0000 http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/charging-for-massage-services/#comment-96 What perfect timing for this topic! I have been in practice for 8 years. My office rent is $755. I live in a town where it is massage therapist central! Which is good because not every massage therapist practices the same. I take continuing ed classes on a regular basis and I am getting more involved with advanced work like TMJ work, working in the mouth & advanced craniosacral...my work has changed a lot and along with that so should my price - I just decided that. I also handcraft bodycare products using natural ingredients, herbs and essential oils that have anti-inflammatory & anti-spasmodic properties. I make a muscle spasm salve which works wonders, a muscle relief oil and during cold 'n flu season I make a cold 'n flu oil with infused rosemary oil. After making sure they aren't allergic or sensitive to the ingredients I personalize the treatments as much as I can and let me clients know what I am using on them and why and also if I am going to try a new technique on them and why I think it would help them. If I read an article that may apply to their situation in life or to their current health condition I copy the article and give it to them - I'm always thinking of ways to help my clients feel better because I am always on that quest for myself - joy & peace! Before I decided to raise my rates I received massages from seasoned LMTs and those that had recently graduated. There were some good massages, a few great, and some average. The average will change with experience...and their rates were the same as what I was charging - even the LMTs who just graduated. So after a thorough analysis of what my process is with the different types of clients I see I have adjusted my rates accordingly because I am confident in my skills and know that I am constantly improving them because I get bored with doing the same type of massage - that's just the way I tick. To give an example some of my chronic pain clients I end up spending 1 1/2 hr. with them between doing the intake, range of motion testing and visual observation...and when I work on someone new I tend to work slower because I want to see what their body is going to best respond to. So now I'm going to charge accordingly for that first visit for a new chronic pain client. Therapeutic massage is preventative health care and it is our job to educate the public about that. We should constantly be educating about the positive effects massage has on every major system of the body...the paradigm needs to be shifted that it is a luxury. If you feel you want to give back to the community you could also offer massage once or twice a month to those that are on fixed incomes at reduced rates... So do what you're passionate about but get paid for the value of what you bring to your community and ultimately to the planet. Peace, Michele What perfect timing for this topic! I have been in practice for 8 years. My office rent is $755. I live in a town where it is massage therapist central! Which is good because not every massage therapist practices the same.
I take continuing ed classes on a regular basis and I am getting more involved with advanced work like TMJ work, working in the mouth & advanced craniosacral…my work has changed a lot and along with that so should my price - I just decided that. I also handcraft bodycare products using natural ingredients, herbs and essential oils that have anti-inflammatory & anti-spasmodic properties. I make a muscle spasm salve which works wonders, a muscle relief oil and during cold ‘n flu season I make a cold ‘n flu oil with infused rosemary oil. After making sure they aren’t allergic or sensitive to the ingredients I personalize the treatments as much as I can and let me clients know what I am using on them and why and also if I am going to try a new technique on them and why I think it would help them. If I read an article that may apply to their situation in life or to their current health condition I copy the article and give it to them - I’m always thinking of ways to help my clients feel better because I am always on that quest for myself - joy & peace!
Before I decided to raise my rates I received massages from seasoned LMTs and those that had recently graduated. There were some good massages, a few great, and some average. The average will change with experience…and their rates were the same as what I was charging - even the LMTs who just graduated.
So after a thorough analysis of what my process is with the different types of clients I see I have adjusted my rates accordingly because I am confident in my skills and know that I am constantly improving them because I get bored with doing the same type of massage - that’s just the way I tick.
To give an example some of my chronic pain clients I end up spending
1 1/2 hr. with them between doing the intake, range of motion testing and visual observation…and when I work on someone new I tend to work slower because I want to see what their body is going to best respond to. So now I’m going to charge accordingly for that first visit for a new chronic pain client.
Therapeutic massage is preventative health care and it is our job to educate the public about that. We should constantly be educating about the positive effects massage has on every major system of the body…the paradigm needs to be shifted that it is a luxury. If you feel you want to give back to the community you could also offer massage once or twice a month to those that are on fixed incomes at reduced rates…

So do what you’re passionate about but get paid for the value of what you bring to your community and ultimately to the planet.
Peace,
Michele

]]> By: Hans Albert Quistorff, LMP http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/charging-for-massage-services/#comment-95 Hans Albert Quistorff, LMP Fri, 03 Nov 2006 08:42:12 +0000 http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/charging-for-massage-services/#comment-95 This is my retirment income. SS income >$700/month. Theraputic massage income over $600/week. My minumum fe is $20/session. For the insurance company that is $20 for each 15 minuit segment but for those that have devoted their life to the ministry like myself aditional segments are acording to their need and and additional payment is at thier option. I usualy go to thier home or office where thier is usualy a group of two or more, one group is at a Reiki practitioner where one client consistently pays $60 another $40 the host and an elderly $20 all between 9 ans 12 am. I basicly have no over hed besides my car, insuranc and taxes. Because I am a specialist the demand for my services is always a little more than my capacity so I ration it according to need. Hans Albert Quistorff, LMP Antalgic Posture Pain Specialist This is my retirment income. SS income >$700/month. Theraputic massage income over $600/week. My minumum fe is $20/session. For the insurance company that is $20 for each 15 minuit segment but for those that have devoted their life to the ministry like myself aditional segments are acording to their need and and additional payment is at thier option. I usualy go to thier home or office where thier is usualy a group of two or more, one group is at a Reiki practitioner where one client consistently pays $60 another $40 the host and an elderly $20 all between 9 ans 12 am. I basicly have no over hed besides my car, insuranc and taxes. Because I am a specialist the demand for my services is always a little more than my capacity so I ration it according to need.
Hans Albert Quistorff, LMP
Antalgic Posture Pain Specialist

]]> By: carmella http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/charging-for-massage-services/#comment-94 carmella Wed, 01 Nov 2006 20:35:41 +0000 http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/charging-for-massage-services/#comment-94 thanks so VERY much!!! needed this today!!!!! it is as true today as it was 13 years ago when i started!! wish i had done some things differently. i am in seattle,too!!!! thanks so VERY much!!! needed this today!!!!! it is as true today as it was 13 years ago when i started!! wish i had done some things differently. i am in seattle,too!!!!

]]> By: Julie Onofrio http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/charging-for-massage-services/#comment-93 Julie Onofrio Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:05:12 +0000 http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/charging-for-massage-services/#comment-93 Yes my book is full actually and it takes a few weeks to get in. Can you live comfortably at $50 per hour? How many massages do you need to do a week at that rate? I only want to do between 12-15 massages a week as that is all my body can take at this point. I also am way underpriced for downtown Seattle. My rent is over $650 a month. A friend I share the office with charges about $120 per massage and she is booked solid too. I do my sessions differently - doing 50 minute sessions and doing them back to back for the most part. She always has time in between sessions and takes longer when she needs to. The thing is that you can't work on everyone. Massage Envy fills a need and is nothing to be scared of. I thought that way too until I went there and had a massage and tried to get another massage without being a member. I only paid $49 for my first massage there which was awful. If I was going to go again, I would have had to pay almost $80 and I wasn't going to pay that for an awful massage. A bad massage is a bad massage whether you pay $49 or $80. I would rather get a good one and am willing to pay for it if I know it is good. It also has to do with how people with lower incomes perceive massage. I had a woman who was a single mother, day care worker on a limited budget but she always had enough for a massage. She valued it enough to budget for it! Most people just use their limited income as an excuse. When you start making excuses it really only shows you what your beliefs are about something. You have to just charge what you need to make to have a successful business and stay in business for as long as you intend. There isn't any right answer as to what to charge except what is right for you. Yes my book is full actually and it takes a few weeks to get in.

Can you live comfortably at $50 per hour? How many massages do you need to do a week at that rate?

I only want to do between 12-15 massages a week as that is all my body can take at this point.

I also am way underpriced for downtown Seattle. My rent is over $650 a month. A friend I share the office with charges about $120 per massage and she is booked solid too. I do my sessions differently - doing 50 minute sessions and doing them back to back for the most part. She always has time in between sessions and takes longer when she needs to.

The thing is that you can’t work on everyone.

Massage Envy fills a need and is nothing to be scared of. I thought that way too until I went there and had a massage and tried to get another massage without being a member. I only paid $49 for my first massage there which was awful. If I was going to go again, I would have had to pay almost $80 and I wasn’t going to pay that for an awful massage.
A bad massage is a bad massage whether you pay $49 or $80. I would rather get a good one and am willing to pay for it if I know it is good.

It also has to do with how people with lower incomes perceive massage. I had a woman who was a single mother, day care worker on a limited budget but she always had enough for a massage. She valued it enough to budget for it! Most people just use their limited income as an excuse. When you start making excuses it really only shows you what your beliefs are about something.

You have to just charge what you need to make to have a successful business and stay in business for as long as you intend.
There isn’t any right answer as to what to charge except what is right for you.

]]> By: Paul http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/charging-for-massage-services/#comment-92 Paul Tue, 31 Oct 2006 18:36:39 +0000 http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/charging-for-massage-services/#comment-92 Julie: Thanks so much for bringing this subject up. I personally think to have a thriving practice and getting therapy to the masses I think $50.00 is a good price to be. I am just curious in Seattle @ $75.00 per hour is your book full? This is how I look at it, a great massage is a great massage whether you charge $100.00 or $ 50.00 and the same can be said about a bad massage. If one is a great therapist why not try to make it attainable for all who need it. If one is good they will have more business then they will know what to do with. As I stated in a previous post this is an area I struggle with. When I get large enough and I hire great therapists,I will want to pay them an honorable wage and still run a great business. The thought of a mill like a massage envy sickens and scares me. In my opinion it takes out the personal care that we as therapsits offer. So thanks again Paul Julie:

Thanks so much for bringing this subject up. I personally think to have a thriving practice and getting therapy to the masses I think $50.00 is a good price to be.

I am just curious in Seattle @ $75.00 per hour is your book full? This is how I look at it, a great massage is a great massage whether you charge $100.00 or $ 50.00 and the same can be said about a bad massage. If one is a great therapist why not try to make it attainable for all who need it. If one is good they will have more business then they will know what to do with.

As I stated in a previous post this is an area I struggle with. When I get large enough and I hire great therapists,I will want to pay them an honorable wage and still run a great business.

The thought of a mill like a massage envy sickens and scares me. In my opinion it takes out the personal care that we as therapsits offer.

So thanks again Paul

]]>