Ever feel worried about getting a massage treatment because you are self conscious? Well, we’re here to tell you that you aren’t alone. Many people feel worried about getting a massage treatment because of things that cause them insecurity but at Greenhaven we want everyone to feel welcome here. As your massage therapists we want you to feel comfortable on our tables and be able to enjoy your treatment without worry. So we thought it might be a fun idea to let you know what we see every day and normalize what normal folk’s bodies look like.
All shapes and sizes
We treat people of all shapes and sizes. No one is too large or too small. We will adjust our techniques to suit your needs. Whether you are 80 pounds or 350 pounds, we want you to feel better and treat what you are coming in for.
At Greenhaven we’ve ditched the idea that someone can’t be healthy and overweight. In fact we realize that weight is often the scapegoat of many visits to the doctors or specialists office. That’s why you’ll never hear us tell you to lose weight; it’s not our business or our scope of practice. Plus we think that if you were doing okay before your injury there’s a pretty good chance you can heal that injury and get back to status quo.
Stretch marks, cellulite, dimples
This brings us to our next point. Did you know that the majority of people have one if not all of these things? Well now you do! We’ve seen our fair share of it all. And guess what? We don’t mind. We realize that these things make us human. We’re really more interested in the muscles underneath!
Scars
We’ve seen all kinds of scars; from surgeries to accidents, to burns to self harm scars. Scars can sometimes come with emotional trauma around their history. We want you to know that we are comfortable making whatever changes you need with your treatment to keep you comfortable. Want massage work on the scar tissue to help with reduced range of motion and symptoms of discomfort? No prob. Rather not talk about the scar and leave it alone? Let us know and we’ll be happy to avoid the area.
Acne and skin conditions
Let’s face it, acne happens. Guess what? It doesn’t bother us. If the acne is severe we may avoid the area to prevent aggravating the tissue, especially if it is in the stages of healing which we don’t want to disrupt. Sometimes other skin conditions that pop up in our treatments that are okay to be massaged over; like psoriasis and eczema. However if you have a skin condition that is contagious or causing open wounds, we kindly ask that you talk with your massage therapist prior to your appointment because these are contraindicated conditions that must be healed. Health and safety first!
Body Hair
No need to apologize! We don’t expect you to shave, wax, or in any other way get rid of body hair. In fact we probably didn’t even really notice it!
Tattoos and body piercings
If there’s anyone who has seen a LOT of tattoos, its massage therapists. From amateur works to pieces by some of the greatest artists, we have probably seen more tattoos than you could count. Guess what? Out of those we might remember a handful, because nowadays almost everyone has one. This isn’t to say we don’t like your tats, we just see so many we can’t keep track! And that also means that the old tattoo you got in high school isn’t any concern or cause for embarrassment. We also see piercings too, which we don’t mind at all. Just let us know if a tattoo or piercing is new and we will avoid the area.
We are LGBTQ friendly
At Greenhaven we strive to be LGBTQ friendly. Want us to use your proper pronouns? Let us know! Want to talk about your family and partner without worrying we’ll think it’s weird? We don’t! In fact Greenhaven was founded by someone who believes that love is love and everyone should be free to live their life happily! We’re also open to constructive criticism and feedback if you think that we can improve and be a more welcoming space. We understand that we are always learning!
We are BIPOC friendly
We understand that there are many groups that face racism, prejudice, and exclusion. At our clinic we strive to be inclusive and check our bias regularly. We have a zero tolerance policy for racism and believe everyone deserves equal and top notch health care.
All ages
Think you’re too old for massage therapy? Think again! Some of our oldest clients are in their 90s and enjoy their treatments. Some examples include; babies who have torticollis, teens who injure themselves at sports, university students studying for exams, new and pregnant people, new retirees, and more!
What Massage Therapists Really See
Muscles! We are soft tissue specialists. During treatment we are focused on things like how the tissue feels, how joints are moving, and how to solve pain. It’s almost like we’ve got x-ray vision! Chances are we didn’t even notice the thing that you’re self conscious about because we are wrapped up treating a muscle that is giving you grief.
We hope that you feel a bit more comfortable booking your appointment with us!