Please don't hesitate to get in touch with any questions you might have.
Meanwhile, here are some FAQs which might provide a faster answer...
Qu: Do you have Free Parking?
Yes! For the duration of their appointments, my clients are able to park their car on my private driveway, which is off-road and therefore exempt from Kingston parking charges. Please ensure that all 4 car wheels are on the driveway and not over-hanging on the pavement, as our local parking wardens are 'very efficient'.
Bicycles can be secured to the iron-railings on the side of the driveway.
Qu: What if I need to cancel or reschedule my appointment?
Please let me know as soon as you decide not to attend an appointment.
Rescheduling: It is possible to reschedule appointments with more than 24 hours notice, in emergencies or in cases of sudden illness, Clients who habitually reschedule appointments will be declined future bookings.
Cancellation: Cancellations ahead of 24 hours before the appointment incur no charge. If you cancel an appointment with less than 24 hour's notice you will be liable for your full treatment fee & unable to re-book until payment has been received.
No-Shows: To help prevent forgotten bookings, if you have booked more than a few days in advance you will be sent an email reminder the day before your appointment. If you do not attend a confirmed appointment, you will be liable for your treatment fee and will be unable to re-book until payment has been received.
These policies are in line with most local private healthcare providers (eg dentists, physiotherapists, cosmetic clinics etc) and will be exercised in good faith.
Qu: What if I am late for my appointment?
If you are running more than a few minutes late for your scheduled arrival time, please let me know by phone/text if possible to do so, otherwise you will be called to check that you are on route and have not simply forgotten.
Please be aware that in the case of late arrivals, as a courtesy to the next client, it will not be possible to extend your visit beyond your scheduled departure time and you will still be charged for the full appointment. If you are more than 15 minutes late, your appointment may be cancelled and you will still be liable for payment of the appointment fee; having said that, some time is factored in to each appointment slot for un/dressing & rebooking etc, so if you are just a few minutes late and able to change etc quickly, you won't miss out.
Qu: How long will I be at my appointment?
Unlike many treatment providers, I believe that if you book an hour's treatment, that is exactly what you should get (not 45 minutes on the couch with the other 15 minutes spent filling out forms and hurriedly changing clothes etc). Please factor in a little extra time for discussing your treatment plan with your therapist and changing etc (approx 10 minutes in addition to your treatment time), so for a 60 minute treatment, please expect 70 minutes here on site.
Qu: When should I complete my new client health form?
All new clients are required to complete a health form when they reserve their appointment slot, or within 24 hours of that. After one reminder, if this is not received, the appointment request will be cancelled automatically. Should you have booked an appointment for sooner than 24 hours time and not have completed a health form before attending your appointment, it will need to be done during your treatment time in order to ensure your safety and to comply with our professional record-keeping and insurance obligations - your appointment time will not be extended to accommodate this process and your treatment time will necessarily be reduced accordingly. If you are struggling with completing your form for any reason, please let us know as soon as possible, we'll be happy to help.
For subsequent visits, please email before your appointment or make note on the booking system of any changes in your health or medication, or if changes are only minor, these can be communicated on arrival.
Qu: What forms of payment are accepted?
For appointments: I prefer cash on the day, or direct bank transfer in advance. If those are not possible, debit or credit card payment can be taken during your visit, please note an additional £2 surcharge for using AmEx. NB: the payment terminal is often temperamental due to a poor connection signal in this part of Kingston, hence cash or bank transfer being preferable to save us both time hanging about after your treatment waiting for the machine's connection to re-establish.
For MLD package payments: bank transfer.
For Gift Vouchers purchased remotely: bank transfer to be cleared before voucher is sent.
Qu: Can I bring my child/children/someone else along to my appointment?
Sorry, no. I do not have a waiting room and my treatment room is frequently used by people with serious health issues who are immunosuppressed (ie susceptible to bacterial infection & catching every virus going). It's as simple as that - infection & contagion risk control - thank you for understanding and acting accordingly (ie rescheduling) should your childcare plans fail on the day. The exception is if you have special needs and require a carer with you to help you; in this case, please notify me of this in advance.
Qu: Should I leave a tip?
No thank you, I do not accept tips; but if you enjoy your treatment, please take a moment to leave a Google review instead, as that would be hugely appreciated and really helpful to me.
Qu: Do you sell Gift Certificates?
Yes! You can purchase gift certificates or book somebody in for a treatment on a specific date and time (eg on their birthday or after their exams finish). General gift certificates allow the recipient to choose an appointment date, time and type of treatment. You can also select a particular treatment or provide credit on the certificate so that the recipient can choose their own treatment/s.
Certificates are valid for 6 months from the date of issue. Choose between a paper version through the post or an e-certificate by email.
Qu: I have a Gift Certificate, do I need to bring it with me to the appointment?
No. You'll be asked to provide the certificate's Reference Code at the time of booking, which is enough to redeem your certificate.
Qu: I have a Gift Certificate, but I want a longer/different treatment, is this possible?
Yes. Please book the treatment you wish to receive and quote your certificate reference code when booking, any additional amount due to make up the difference in treatment prices can be paid at the appointment in cash, eg If you have a gift certificate for a 60 minute Massage but would prefer to have a 90 minute Combined Therapy treatment, your gift certificate value (as paid for its purchase) will be deducted from the cost of the treatment you book and the remainder will be payable by you in cash on the day. This will all be clarified in your confirmation email.
Qu: Can you travel to me for my treatment?
If you are able to travel to & from the practice by taxi or private transport, this will be more economical than having a clinic-based therapist travelling to you. However, if necessary for those with post-surgical mobility issues or for Oncology / Post Operative clients too unwell to travel, appointments within a short travel time of my practice can be arranged following provision & your acceptance of an off-site treatment quote. Please understand that in order to travel to your home, I must charge for all the time I spend preparing for and travelling offsite at a rate which covers the loss of earnings normally made at my practice during that additional time.
To detail this further, this is how off-site quotes are calculated:
The treatment fee...
Plus: Additional time for car travel (in both directions, as estimated by Google Maps as average for the relevant time of day)
Plus: 30 minutes additional time for setting up and taking down the massage table & other equipment both at my practice and in your home.
Plus: Any applicable parking charges (unless you provide off-road parking spot or Visitor's parking permit for the duration of the visit).
NB: All Additional time is currently charged at £60/hr.
If when choosing a therapist to come to your home, paying the lowest price possible is your priority, you will find it more economical to use a mobile therapist or a mobile massage company rather than a predominantly clinic-based practitioner.
Qu: What are your nearest public transport links?
Kingston train station is a 7 minute walk away.
65 Bus Route: Get off at the "Kings Road" bus stop.
Buses travelling towards Kingston from Ham & Richmond: the 'Kings Road' bus stop is outside The Oak pub which is on the corner of Richmond Park Road. Walk to clinic: less than 1 min.
Buses travelling towards Ealing Broadway from Kingston: cross the Richmond Road & head towards The Oak pub, which is on the corner of Richmond Park Road. Walk to clinic: 3 mins (due to waiting for the traffic lights)
Qu: How often should I get a massage?
For those using massage for general wellness, I recommend a frequency of once/twice a month, which allows people in normal good health to receive maximum benefits as each session builds upon the positives of the last. Bodies used to massage respond to it better and faster to it than those who have not experienced it before or in some time.
Research demonstrates very strongly that massage helps to combat depression, stress, anxiety and insomnia-related-to-stress, so for people going through a particularly difficult life situation or for those in high-stress professions, I suggest aiming to have a massage every one to two weeks.
For the treatment of a chronic condition eg arthritis, or for an acute problem eg muscular injury or postural aches, people generally need to receive massage more frequently in order to see any real improvement. I advise my clients individually on the type of schedule I believe most suits their needs, but very broadly speaking: approx once/twice weekly for the first four weeks, then gradually increasing time between sessions as symptoms improve, before moving down to a maintenance schedule. These 'decreasing intensity' schedules are most likely to have the best results on improving mobility or painful symptoms. You wouldn't expect to reach peak fitness after one exercise session, the same is true in harnessing the benefits of massage.
With pregnancy massage, it very much depends on the individual progress of the pregnancy and the mother's health in response to it, but many women find that in the last trimester particularly, weekly massage helps to improve stress levels relating to the impending birth and can certainly alleviate common pregnancy symptoms such as swollen ankles, back ache, headaches and sciatica.
For those aiming to enhance athletic performance, massage is a superb support mechanism for reaching peak physical fitness whilst providing some level of injury protection. People heavily involved in sports recreationally, or those competing at a serious level professionally are advised to have a massage twice (or more) a week during periods of intense training and perhaps once or twice a month during their off-season to maintain muscle health and flexibility.
The bottom line is that people who wish to treat specific conditions or symptoms will need to have massage more frequently than people who use it purely for enjoyment and relaxation. Not everyone has the time or financial ability to commit to 'ideal massage schedules' however, so to them I say "Some is always better than none!" Ask yourself how you felt after your last massage... When you need that feeling again, book yourself in.
NB: Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage is a different kettle of fish altogether and the above guidelines are not directly applicable to it.
