Pro Tips

We love working with our massage clients! Here are some helpful things to be aware of that will make your time on the table easier for both you and your massage therapist. 

Fill out your intake form in advance! If you don’t fill out your form at home, please arrive 10 minutes early to fill it out at Rooted. Our files are all digital, but we can provide you with a paper intake form if you’d prefer that.

Being on time for your appointment is incredibly helpful. We genuinely want to give you the full amount of time on the massage table that you’ve been scheduled for. Often our practitioners are booked with other people both before and after a session, so we can’t always give the full session time for clients who are late.

Please remove your jewelry, especially smart watches and necklaces.

Share your goals for the session with your practitioner. If you would like a certain area addressed, let them know. If you need more or less pressure, let them know. Our hope is that your experience makes you want to return again and again.

Talking while on the table is up to you—we will follow your lead. If you want a quiet session and your practitioner is talking too much, it’s perfectly fine to say, “I’m going to be quiet today” or “I need to have a quiet session.” It is your time and we want it to be exceptional.

Here’s what we mean when we say, “undress to your level of comfort.”
We really mean “your level of comfort” Some people prefer to leave their underwear on. No problem. Some people prefer to leave their socks on, because their feet run cold. You can leave them on or we can warm them up for you with a heating pad or a blanket. If you leave a garment on, we respect that as a boundary. We will ask permission to work through your clothing if we feel it’s therapeutically necessary. We will always use professional draping techniques to make sure you are never uncomfortably exposed. Your practitioner may even ask you to come dressed in a certain way to facilitate working a particular area while keeping you safely covered. Your comfort is an absolute priority at all times.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I tip my massage therapist?
I love this question. Short answer? Tips are never required or expected. 

Less-short answer: At Rooted, everyone is an independent small-business owner. In other massage businesses, your therapist may be an employee or an independent contractor, in which case, they may depend on tips to supplement their wage. At Rooted, each practitioner sets a rate that they feel is fair and a livable wage for them without relying on tips as supplemental income. You are never required or expected to tip, though no one will turn your tip away. We would rather you reschedule for another session, which is the greatest tip of all.

What is “deep tissue”?
Prospective clients frequently ask to be scheduled with someone who can do “deep tissue.” But often, after some discussion about their health history, goals, or expectations, we determine pretty quickly that deeper work may be harmful to them. We also know that “depth” is an incredibly subjective experience, which can vary from person to person, day to day, and treatment to treatment. With that in mind, deep tissue is the use of firm, focused pressure and specific techniques to increase blood flow and relieve muscle tension. The practitioner works through the superficial layers of tissue to engage more directly with the muscle below. This may be done with hands, elbows, thumbs or fingers, forearms, and fists, and at times your practitioner may use a tool, such as hot stones, gua sha scraping tools or therapeutic suction cups, if they are trained in the use of these tools and the area would benefit from them.

What is integrative massage?
Massage therapists will commonly integrate different kinds of bodywork and techniques in any given “massage.” You will likely receive traditional Swedish massage strokes, as well as some connective-tissue or myofascial release, possibly some trigger-point therapy, and a variety of other commonly learned techniques. We draw from our vast knowledge and apply these skills based on the needs of each individual client. It’s not common for a client to be aware of these things while receiving a massage. We hope you can “get out of your head and into your body” and let us do the work to help you feel better. You can trust us to listen to your goals, then observe your movement and structure, and let our hands lead us as we create a treatment that applies a variety of our skills into one integrated experience.

Why don’t you take walk-ins?
Unlike other massage clinics, our massage therapists are self-employed and self-scheduled, working by appointment only. Logistically, that means that we never have anyone standing by on-site waiting for walk-in clients. We are happy to book same-day appointments when we can; however, it’s less likely that we accommodate special needs or book you with a specific practitioner.