Massage is back on the table!
Pun intended š
Though the studio started out providing massage therapy, slowly that had to be dropped so that I could focus on my specialty of using somatic modalities in order to facilitate a deeper healing process. Targeted towards those in chronic pain (physical or emotional), the training I received in helping to bring healing to deeply-held/buried wounds using nervous system regulation paired with a specialized form of bodywork for trauma ended up being much more powerful for getting long-term results. While I absolutely love it, my heart has ached at no longer being able to provide ānormal massagesā as well; a girl only has so much time in her weekly schedule, and somatics and massage canāt both fit. I miss massage for the interaction it gave me with the general publicāto those who hadnāt yet connected the dots between their chronic tension and their wounded past, and who simply moved through life hurting and not knowing why. I miss being able to serve as an educator and enlightener to those folks on the table, inserting hope into their situation by telling them that there was a way to truly heal, all while providing in-the-moment relief via massage. And I miss being able to answer my office phone and say āYes!ā to requests for last-minute massage appointments, as somatic work has ended up providing me with a waitlist of people who had connected the dots between their pain and their trauma history and were ready to embark on a somatic journey of healing. Donāt get me wrong, I wouldnāt change a thing about what I do. But it has come with having to put a hold on providing massages, which can be valuable in so many ways to people who are hurting in life.
But alas! Maybe a girl can have it all, after all! Because while I canāt provide both massage and somatics myself, I can build a team that provides both. And that is precisely what Iām here to tell you about!
I am so pleased to announce that I have hired a Licensed Massage Therapist to join me in the work at Studio A! š Callie Willoughby found me online right around the time she was finishing her studies at The Costa Rica School of Massage Therapy, and we hit it off right away. As I got to know Callie better over the following weeks, it became clear to me just how wonderful of a partner in this work she could be. After offering her a job and waiting for her reply for a few days, I was giggling with delight as I found myself texting my husband a āShe said YES!!ā message the second I got her email. š
And so, folks, just like that, massage is back on the table! I am thrilled to offer this valuable service again, and eagerly await my co-worker Callie to arrive with her U-Haul truck this weekend. She is a gem, and I canāt wait for all of you to experience her warm presence and attuned hands. Starting this Tuesday sheās available for 60-min, 75-min, and 90-min massages, plus 1-hr and 1.5-hr Prenatal Massages. Read her bio here.
And so to celebrate her arrival and to help fill her books, weāre doing a Flash Sale!! Now through Sunday, you can book a 60, 75, or 90-minute massage with Callie to take place anytime in the next few weeks, for up to 40% off! We have a limited number of coupons, so grab them quick before they're gone. Here are the discount levels and number of coupons available for each one:
40% off - 3 coupons! - use code FLASH40
30% off - 5 coupons! - use code FLASH30
20% off - 10 coupons! - use code FLASH20
10% off - 15 coupons! - use code FLASH10
Head to www.studioAbody.com/book-now to apply the highest discount level coupon code you can before they all disappear! Andā¦. GO!!!
Massage for Everyone (not just those with trauma)
With all this talk about ātrauma-informedā massage and healing trauma, you may be wondering if you can receive a massage at Studio A if you don't have any known "trauma" that you are carrying or seeking to heal from. This is a common question, and one that we are happy to address. The short answer is "Yes! Come!"
The longer answer: While the trauma-informed practices we implement are there to accommodate clients who have trauma and therefore a greater sensitivity to certain things, those practices do not get in the way of or impede a normal massage. We flex and make adjustments based on people's sensitivities and triggers, and yet there is no need to accommodate what's simply not there. Even without a client's trauma history influencing how the session goes, the reality is that every massage could benefit from being "trauma-informed" and including at minimum the following components:
clear boundaries
clarified expectations
good communication
client-centered care
shared decision-making
We believe these things should be the standard of care for every massage. (Why not?) And yet, we find that it's not the norm, unfortunately. Additionally, the massage therapist should ideally be one who:
is deeply attuned to the client
has a gentle and compassionate presence
can remain calm and reassuring if the client releases emotions
holds non-judgmental curiosity about the client's experience
firmly believes in the client's potential for healing
Each of these traits play a significant role in the impression left upon the client, and the results they walk away with, trauma or not.
So come experience the difference that trauma-informed care makes in massageā¦ You might find it hard to return to any other way of doing it!Ā
I have written in more depth here the value of massage being trauma-informed and how power, boundaries, and ownership are a big part of it.
Get Booking!
Okay, now go book those massages at the incredible discounts weāve made available! Will you be one of the lucky ones who gets it at 40% off?
See you soon!
Allie