Frequently Asked Questions About Booking An Appointment
Thanks for reaching out!
You have probably landed on this page because you contacted me about getting an appointment, and I sent you a text that directed you here.
I’m always rushing between clients, and rather than give out partial information, or come across as short/rude because I only have a minute or two, I made this page to answer my most commonly asked questions.
This page helps to speed up the process of communication, answering the simple questions. This frees up my time to answer the questions that are unique to your individual situation.
I do value you as a potential client, and I will answer whatever questions you have above and beyond this information, so please reach back out to me via text at 505-554-5185 if your question is not addressed here.
What info Can You Find Here?
Click on a link to jump to that section.
Prices & How Many Massages Do I Need?
How to Book an Appointment
My No-Show / Late Cancellation Policy
Having a Hard Time Finding an Appointment Time? / My Availability
Why Should You Wait to See Me?
Prices
The most common one I get is on price. For a basic 1-hour lymphatic session (detox, post-op, cancer recovery, etc.) the cost is the same, no matter what you are being seen for. I do offer package deals. Info on discounted package pricing can be found here.
How Many Massages Do I Need?
This is a very individualized question. Why are you getting lymphatic massage?
People who add lymphatic massage to their detox regimen often come once or twice a month.
Post-Op Recovery Clients most commonly come about 10 times, but some people may come more often. Here’s an article on how many massages you need after plastic surgery.Package deals offer discounts for people coming for multiple visits. They are listed in the link in the prices section above. If your budget does not allow you to purchase that many visits at once, you may get multiple smaller packages (for example, 3 x a package of 3 = 9 visits).
How to Book
The next most common question people want to know is how to make an appointment. They are done online through my scheduling software. Most appointments are 60 minutes and can be done online.
Note: If you want a 90 or 120 minute session, please reach out to me directly.
To book your appointment,
go to this link:
*Book An Appointment*
First
Choose to Book
a Single Session
or a
Package Deal (multiple sessions)
You will see 3 options:
Bodywork Services, Discounts & Promotions, and Gift Certificates.
1) To book only a single session, select “Bodywork Services.”
New clients should select “First Appointment – Lymphatic Massage,”
then select the desired amount of time – usually 60 minutes.
OR
2) If you wish to purchase a package deal, select “Discounts & Promotions.”
Select the package you would like to purchase.
Second
Pick Your Date and Time
After completing either step 1 or 2 above, my scheduling calendar will appear. Available dates will be in white. Unavailable dates will be colored in gray.
Select the date you are interested in and times will appear when that appointment can be booked. Note that there are only a few 90 minute slots and no 120 minute slots. Please get in contact with me so I can make a time available to you to book. If you wish to book multiple visits, you have to make them one at a time.
Third
Create an Account
After choosing your date and time, you will be prompted to enter your email address to create an account, and the checkout process will begin.
Here is a link to a detailed tutorial for how to book online if you get confused with the process.
Fourth
Complete Payment – if this is your first visit
Once you have created an account you will be taken to the payment screen. Complete your payment and then check your email for the confirmation email that ensures your appointment was booked.
If you have had an appointment before with me, you may opt to prepay or select “pay at time of service.” This option is only available to clients who have made at least one pre-paid booking. This means if you just paid for one and want to book a second one, you may book as “Returning Client” for your second, third, etc. visits. Then select “Pay at time of service” when you go to check out.
(In case you are wondering, if this is your first visit, selecting “Returning Client” will not bypass the need to prepay your first visit. The difference in “First Appointment” and “Returning Client” is that booking “First Appointment” will send you the intake form and “Returning Client” will not.)
Fifth
Booking Your Other Prepaid Visits
If you bought a package deal, you must complete the checkout process and booking of the *first* appointment in your package *before* you book the others. Simply log back in and you will see credits for the remainder of your package. Select to book with your prepaid visits, and book the next one in the series. Once that is complete, return to the beginning and book the next one. You may only book one appointment in your prepaid series at a time. Once each appointment booking is complete, start over and book the next one.
My No-Show / Late Cancellation Policy
The *first* appointment must be paid for when you book it. This is due to the high number of no-shows for first appointments (explained later).
After making your first appointment,
you may log back in and
book other dates *without paying*.
Why Do I Do This?
Honestly, I wish I didn’t need to.
However, due to high numbers of no-shows/late cancellations (less than 24 hours) I’ve had,
I had to implement a strict no-show/late cancellation policy. Part of that is requiring the first visit to be paid in advance.
I realize that this is not a popular thing. However, most no-shows I have are the first visit,
and pre-payment addresses this issue, keeping appointments available for people who really need them – like you. 🙂
Also, I only get paid when I am working, and the cost of multiple no-shows in a week adds up fast.
No one likes having less money than expected at the end of the month when bills are due. 🙂
Side Note for Post-Surgery Recovery Folks:
If you are recovering from surgery, it is highly recommended to book several sessions over the next few weeks as I am usually booked a couple to three weeks in advance. You will want frequent care (probably no less than 2 per week for a few weeks).
If you wait until your first appointment happens to book other appointments, you will have to wait again to see me.
Most people come a minimum of 6-9 times after plastic surgery – usually 2-3 times the first week,
and a couple of times per week thereafter.
Everyone:
BE SURE YOU GET A
CONFIRMATION EMAIL
after you book.
If you do not, no appointment was booked. Contact me if you cannot find this email. (Be sure to check your SPAM folder.)
*Make note of your appointment time and date.* My scheduling program sends out reminders via email a few days ahead of time, and it sends a reminder text a few hours beforehand.
Fill Out Your Client Intake Form
You will also receive a Client Intake Form link as a separate email if it’s your first visit. Please fill this out before your appointment. You may do it from your phone. Be sure to click SAVE at the end after the waiver form where you type your name, or it won’t remember any of it.
The client intake form is super important to me because it tells me 1) why you are coming to see me so I can have the room prepared for your arrival so I don’t have to use your appointment time to get things ready, 2) specific details about why you are being seen (for example – if you had surgery, how far along you are and what problems you are currently experiencing), and 3) general health issues that need to be taken into consideration to ensure your therapy is carried out in a safe manner given those conditions.
If you don’t fill the form out in advance, then we will have to do it orally in the office during your appointment time. This takes about 10 minutes for me to read it to you, you to answer, and me to type in the answers. Head’s Up: I don’t have paper forms, so you can’t arrive early to fill out the paperwork in advance. If you are having difficulties with this task, let me know.
Having a Hard Time
Finding an Appointment Time?
Info on My Availability:
I’m the only licensed and insured person in the state
who specializes in cosmetic surgery recovery, so I’m a busy lady.
Yes, I am typically
booked a bit into the future.
I know this seems discouraging,
but usually I do manage to get people in earlier despite this.
People’s surgeries get postponed opening up 6 or so appointments all at once, people have emergencies that take them out of town for a week at a time which opens up a couple of spots, and other such things occur enough that I am usually able to get people moved up enough for it to matter.
Rule #1: Don’t Panic.
You will be fine, even if you are post-op
and have been told that you must get your
massages immediately or your surgery is ruined.
It is not.
I know you are scared,
but don’t be.
I deal with this every day.
You are going to be ok.
If you have an appointment booked with me, I’m available to you
via text to answer questions until your appointment.
I really do care about how you are doing, and I am happy to help ease your concerns until we meet.
Social media will have you believe
that the world will come to an end if you don’t get a massage right away.
While, sure, it’s ideal, your surgery is
not going to be ruined if you have to wait a couple of weeks.
Real problems tend to happen when people go for months
without getting any post-op work done.
Minor lumps and bumps can be handled easily
so long as we get to them in a few weeks.
What You Can Do to Help Yourself Until Your Appointment:
Since many people have to wait for appointments, I made a free
video on how to do self-lymphatic massage to help you out in the meantime.
Go ahead and get your appointment booked (even if it is not soon) and then stalk my schedule in order to grab cancellations before someone else gets them. While I do have a cancellation list, most cancellations are filled before I see them. Either I am working on a client or I am asleep, so keep an eye out.
You may let me know via text if you want to be seen sooner in case I get a cancellation. I do get cancellations and work hard to fill them. Although I can’t offer a guarantee that you will get in sooner, but there’s a good chance that will happen given the large number of clients I see and the fact that I work extremely long days.
It is not uncommon for people to get moved up 2-3 weeks, but again, it’s dependent on how many cancellations I get.
I do my very best to get people in as early as I can. Top priority for cancellations goes to people who have already booked an appointment. (Honestly, I usually never get to people who do not have an existing appointment.)
Once you have booked your appointment,
if you want to be on the cancellation list,
send me a text to 505-554-5185
to let me know.
Also, give me an idea of what your schedule is like so I can put that in the notes. If you had a surgery, please let me know the date for that as well. If you have a lot of travel time involved, please tell me what amount of lead time you need to make it here.
Remember that the BEST strategy to get in earlier is to stalk my schedule after you book your appointment. Sometimes cancellations happen while I’m in session and someone comes along and grabs it before I even know it was there. If you have already booked an appointment, you can simply switch it to that time slot. Do this by going to the absolute bottom of your email confirmation and select the “Change or Cancel Appointment” button.
Why It is Worth The Wait
Getting good, appropriate therapy
from a qualified, licensed
therapist is key to healing,
not just getting “a massage.”
No, I’m not the
only massage therapist in town.
Can you get *someone*
to work on you? Oh, yes, but…
What you don’t know about a person’s training and licensure can hurt you.
Here are some really important things to consider:
There are unlicensed (and uninsured) people
who claim to know how to do plastic surgery recovery.
Ask to see the person’s massage license.
By law it must be posted at the place of business.
Here’s where you can verify someone at the very least has a license in New Mexico.
If you hear of someone who claims to be licensed who is not, you should report them.
Beware of people who “do lashes” who can also help you with your BBL, or people who claim that they have taken “a class” on post-op massage and are doing it out of their home. These are HUGE RED FLAGS that you are not being treated by a person with proper training.
There are people out there offering a few hours of “training” to people who are not licensed or insured. These people then say that they are “certified” to do post-op massage.
Would you let a surgeon who only took one class or who did not carry malpractice insurance operate on you?
Of course not!
Why would you then trust your body (and the massive amount of money you spent for your surgery) to someone who has no training and who carries no insurance work on you?
One class does not make a person qualified to work on someone who is recently out of surgery. Years of training in anatomy, physiology, and technique are necessary to ensure your safety.
It’s a good idea to check out this post on that very problem:
Dirty Little Secrets About the Plastic Surgery Recovery Industry
What you don’t know CAN hurt you.
So, yes, there may be a bit of a wait to see me,
but you are in good, qualified hands.
Let’s say you found a licensed massage therapist
who says that they can do lymphatic massage post-op
Did you know that
most massage therapists
should not touch someone for
6-8 weeks after surgery?
Why?
- Because without advanced training, therapists do not know how to correctly adjust their pressure to work over surgical sites.
- Most therapists do not have any training, let alone advanced training in Manual Lymphatic Drainage (what we call lymphatic massage). In fact, many therapists have been *improperly* trained for lymphatic work. How do I know? I hear LOTS of stories. Comments like “Now that I know what it should feel like, I know that I paid that woman for a tickle (or to torture me – depending on the therapist), not lymphatic work,” are things I hear every week.
At a BARE minimum, a therapist should be Manual Lymphatic Drainage Certified – a 40 hour course – from one of the following schools: KLOSE Training, Norton School, Academy of Lymphatic Studies. Even BETTER is if they are a Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT), which is an advanced level of study far beyond MLD certification. Simply taking “some continuing education course” over a weekend does not qualify a therapist as MLD certified.
Always, always, always check the credentials of your therapist. (Remember – there are people working who are not licensed and who do dangerous things.) They should be visible either on their website or in their office. I am a LANA-Certified Lymphedema Therapist, a step above being a basic CLT. You may view my credentials here. - Even if a person is properly trained in lymphatic work, that still does not mean they know anything at all about plastic surgery. This is a very highly-specialized discipline.
- Most therapists are not trained to work around wounds or medical devices such as drains.
- Some people will take your money, and you won’t get what you *think* you are paying for. They get away with this because most people don’t know the difference. It is unethical, but it happens all the time.
While this certainly isn’t representative of all therapists, there are some people who will take whatever kind of work they are asked to do simply because they need the work. Other people are downright not licensed, certified, insured, or have any informal training. Yet, they believe that YouTube videos will tell them all they need to know.
Oh, and Another Reason to Wait to See Me Is:
I also fit people for fajas that I have at my office –
along with boards, foams, and other post-op goodies.
Plastic Surgery Recovery really *is* my specialty.
I’m happy to answer questions about booking, cancellations, etc.
Just send me a text at 505-554-5185
Thanks so much! I look forward to helping you!
