Policies that protect client and practitioner alike
These are the thought and pragmatic agreements that underpin our therapeutic relationships.
Cancellation Policy
Please provide 48-hour notice for any schedule changes or cancellation requests. You will be charged in full for late cancellations or missed appointments. If you have a fever, a known infection, intense headache of unknown origins, or have experienced vomiting or diarrhea within 24-hours prior to your appointment time, please reschedule your appointment. No fees will be charged for rescheduled appointments.
Late Start Policy
Please make our workspace available 15-20 mins prior to your appointed time to allow for set up and intake questions, and 5–10 mins after for takedown. Issues can arise that may cause a late start—just inform me so I can do our best to accommodate you. However, starting after your appointed time may result in a shorter session. Full service fees will still be charged in this case. With that said, I am punctual, but if I am unable to arrive on time, I will add time to your session to make up for my late arrival or prorate your fees.
Modesty Policy
While all Bodywork is sacred and intimate, The Body Mechanic Body Shoppe is for relaxation and therapeutic purposes only. You will be asked to undress to your comfort level and wait under the sheets/blankets for the session to begin. In this space, your comfort level is my comfort level. Any part not being actively worked on will remain draped throughout our session, so nothing within the “Bikini Area” will ever be exposed. Disposable spa undergarments can be requested for increased privacy without limiting treatment accessibility. At no point are illicit or sexually suggestive remarks, insinuations, jokes, gestures, conversations, or requests tolerated. Any violations will result in the immediate termination of the session and refusal of future services, with full-service fees charged regardless of length of session.
Emotional Release Policy
Bodywork can unearth unexpected, unnamed emotions—up to spontaneous tears. If you find yourself experiencing this and wish to pause or end the session, please voice your needs. Otherwise, I will trust that you wish me to continue as planned and finish the session without interruption. If you’d like to unpack the experience, however, know that psychotherapy is outside of my Scope of Practice, but I will happily refer you to a competent professional.
Intoxication Policy
Bodywork requires active input from the client for things such as pressure level and discomfort. While I aim for relaxing sessions, and will check in at various points, everyone’s different and one person’s greenlight may be another’s yellow or red. So it’s important to be able to listen to your body and advocate your needs when necessary. For this reason, and the fact that consent cannot be fully given while under the influence, I ask that you do not render my services while intoxicated.
Privacy & Confidentiality Policy
Your privacy matters. The Body Mechanic Body Shoppe keeps your personal, health, intake, and treatment information confidential and secure, and uses it only to provide safe, appropriate bodywork, manage appointments, process payments, and meet legal or professional obligations. We follow HIPAA privacy principles and, whenever HIPAA legally applies, its requirements. This means your identifiable health information will be protected, shared only when necessary, and limited to the minimum information reasonably needed. You may request access to or correction of information maintained about you. Information about a client will not be discussed with colleagues or other professionals unless the discussion is directly relevant to the client’s treatment plan, the client has authorized it, or disclosure is reasonably necessary or legally required to protect someone from abuse or serious harm. By agreeing with this policy you give written consent for the above practices.
Mandatory Reporting Policy
Confidentiality has legal limits. As a licensed health-related professional, I may be required to report reasonable suspicions of child abuse, including sexual abuse. I may also report suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or immediate threats involving an older adult, a vulnerable adult, or another person when required or permitted by law. When a report or other disclosure is necessary, only information reasonably relevant to the concern will be shared with the appropriate authorities or protective agency.
No Tipping Policy
While we fully support tipping when it is both customary and essential to provide service professionals with a living wage, as Sole Proprietary of The Body Mechanic Body Shoppe it is unnecessary to us tip after sessions. We are able to charge based on the worth of our work and consider transparent pricing a consent issue. However, if a tip is insisted upon we will accept it with gratitude.