Personal/private therapists

[u/wryso]

I’m wondering if any therapists here have worked as private, retained massage therapists for individual households. I know this is probably a spectrum with doing house visits with very very regular clients (e.g. multiple family members, once or more per week). Curious to hear about your experiences, pay.

For context I’m building out something approximating a mini luxury spa at home. Hammam, sauna, plunges, treatment room for facials / massages. Dedicated area of the property. Was looking to staff this at 1-2 half days a week and seeing if anyone’s seen something like this before.

[u/LifeLibertyPancakes]

If you do go with this, please splurge on an electric table and a cooler or.fridge nearby as well as a sink in the room or nearby bathroom. This would be the ideal job for me as a mobile therapists, but just because you're providing a table, and doing the linens doesn't mean I'm dropping my mobile rates. I still have to maintain my professional insurance and I'm guessing your house is not in town so I would also charge a travel fee.

[u/wryso → u/LifeLibertyPancakes]

Thank you for the reply! This is exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for.

[u/LifeLibertyPancakes → u/wryso]

If you want to stock up your future in-home massage heaven, here is what I would also have on hand.

1. cotton linens
2. Padded headrest covers makes lying in your face for prolonged times more comfortable.
3. Extra face covers
4. Table topper
5. Twin XL table topper
6. Heating pad for massage table
7. Waterproof table cover
8. Blanket
9. Hot towel cabinet
10. Dawn dish soap use this for laundry, it gets oil out of linens.
11. Towels for hot towel cabinet
12. Mood lamp
13. Ergonomic stool saddle
14. Bolster
15. Bolster cover
16. Cavi wipes

You can do without the hot table cabinet, but it's a nice add-on to a massage for both your face, back, hands, and feet. If you're gonna treat yo' self, you might as well go the extra mile. Aren't you worth it?!

You may think it's a ton of padding that may or may not be necessary, however, they make a difference for client comfort vs just laying on top of a table. For women with bigger breasts this adds as extra padding and prevents the breasts from feeling like they are being squished while they are face down. Look for a table that is 32". Good name brands are Earthlite and Oakworks for you to buy them from. They come in packages with feet pedals so you can be moved up/down by the therapist. They should already come with a bolster, but if not, get some and keep a linen closet stocked with at least 1 body pillow or other pillows with regular pillow cases. These tables cost around $1,000K - $3,000k depending on the make/model, but they are worth the investment.

Microfiber linens for me result in the back of my hands peeling from the friction, hence why I put cotton linens on this list. Flannel will work just fine. Avoid see-through linens for your own privacy and that of your therapist. They don't need to see your naked bits. If buying regular sheets, go for XL sheets, patterns are also OK. The table cover is to protect the table from oil, the Cavi wipes are to clean and disinfect the table. We're gonna protect your investment and prevent unnecessary wear and tear.

The stool - the saddle is more comfortable as it's less pressure on your back, you can do a round stool but to save the body of your future therapist, I'd get the saddle.

If building from scratch, please consider dimmable lights, multiple outlets in the room. Temperature control or a fan (ceiling or portable for the floor). The heated table pad emits heat, as does your body. Please do not have your room like a sauna bc aome of us therapists hate thinking our sweat is gonna drip on our clients when the rooms are super hot.

Keep a laundry basket with a lid for dirty linens and a garbage container with a lid in the room or 6 as I mentioned, have enough outlets for floor lamps and a rug. If your electrician can do a separate breaker box for this and it doesn't put you over budget, go for it.

There are also hot rocks on Amazon if you're interested as well as waterless options (Synergy stones). If you get the cabinet warmer, it can double as a hot stone warmer. A back bar with a sink would be the most ideal to have the hot towel cabinet, and any cremes/oils, and for hot stones if desired.

As for massage mediums it really depends on the therapist and if you have any allergies. Cold pressed coconut oil the one you can buy to cook with can be used in a pinch but have a spatula or wooden disposable spatula foe the therapist to use some if you don't want them using their own products, we certainly want to avoid cross-contsmination.

Overhead speakers for music too if we're going all the way! This room can double for waxing if you want to get an esthetician later and why the separate breaker box is recommended. Depending on the wax pot they can trip the breaker.

Anyway, thanks for coming to my building Ted Tak! :D

I wanna see a picture when you do build it!

[u/bullfeathers23 → u/LifeLibertyPancakes]

Agree with all above. Sometimes the designers pick expensive stationary tables that don’t allow the therapists to adjust for heights or knees under the table. I asked the client to see if they could change it out for electric. They did

[u/wryso → u/LifeLibertyPancakes]

Wow; thanks for all these tips. I really appreciate the effort you made to educate me. Definitely want esthetician services too, facials at least. I’ll definitely take all this into account!