NEW CLIENT INFORMATION
Welcome!​
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A Touch of Balance is a place to come and relax, rejuvenate, and heal. It is a place where you can feel safe to release tension from the past week and receive ongoing care for chronic aches and pains.
Diana Clarke, owner, is a registered massage therapist and a member in goodstanding with College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia (CMTBC) and Registered Massage Therapists of British Columbia (RMTBC).
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​Massage and What to Expect
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Anticipate coming into an environment where you will feel safe to express any concerns you may have about the treatment. I encourage open communication throughout the entire treatment to ensure the treatment is safe and effective. Patient-centred care is of upmost importance to create a treatment that best suits your needs. Informed Consent will be required and can be stopped or modified at your request at any time. It is essential that if you feel your health is being compromised at any point that you express yourself.
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Prior to the treatment
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Ensuring my clients are healthy prior to treatment is important and you will be asked to complete a Heath screening form prior to your appointment. The Health screening form will be emailed to you 48 hrs prior to your appointment and must be completed at least 24 hours prior to confirm your health. If I do not receive your health screening your appointment may be cancelled. At the time of booking your first appointment you will be emailed a copy of a Confidential Client Intake form, I ask that you complete this form at least 24 hours prior to your first appointment so that I can review it prior to your appointment.
A mask is still recommended for close encounters. The nature of massage therapy it is not possible to create physical distancing between therapist and client. Therefore I still recommend mask wearing. Please wear a mask to your appointment. I will have masks and sanitation available for your use if you do not have them. In order to limit contact, I ask that you use a washroom prior to your appointment. A washroom is available for emergency access. I ask that you arrive to your appointment on-time, not early to ensure limited contact with other clients and to allow me time to properly sanitize the treatment room and complete my paperwork from the previous appointment. I do not have a waiting room. Please bring only items you require for the duration of your treatment and I ask that you arrive alone unless the person attending you is required for medical reasons. Thank you for your cooperation in helping keep the treatment room as safe as possible.
Assessment
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The initial assessment usually takes about 30 minutes and is included in your first visit. A before photo is taken with your permission to see your current posture and I will document any deviations I see in areas that may be out of balance. In the assessment, we will determine where your muscle tension is and create a treatment plan to help you feel better. I may also recommend active home care exercises as part of your self-care plan. I am trained in Orthopaedic, Posture and Neurological assessments as well as joint Range of Motion testing. A mixture of these assessments may be required to determine an appropriate treatment plan. I am not a doctor and cannot diagnosis you, this is reserved for a physicians only.
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Treatment Plan
After reviewing your confidential client health form and your assessment results, we will discuss your treatment goals and areas that you would like focus on. My assessment will be able to help me to determine my clinical impression of what is going on and I will recommend a course of treatment and self-care. We will discuss specifics of your treatment such as techniques I will use, negative side effect and benefits to determine if massage therapy is a good fit for you. Occasionally, you may need doctors approval prior to treatment depending on your needs.I will create a personalized treatment plan just for you and recommend frequency of your treatments to get the best results. I may also recommend another course of treatment other than massage therapy or another practitioner if I believe it may assist you in your care. Ultimately, you are in control of your health and you will be given a choice to proceed with treatment if you want to.
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​During the Treatment
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Many people ask what is expected from themselves. This can vary depending on what results you are expecting from the treatment. If relaxation is the goal, your only concern should be to relax and let go and focus on your breathing. If pain relief is of interest you should expect some physical participation throughout the session. Sometimes in order to treat a specific condition I may need to get you to resist pressure or move a limb in a certain direction or change your position on the massage table. Often times once I am massaging I may come across new areas of concern and the treatment plan may need to be modified. I may ask for your consent to change the treatment plan or treat that area at a later time. Comfort is of great importance so if you feel your health is compromised at any time, please feel free to express yourself.
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After the treatment
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In order to ensure that you receive the full benefit of the massage you may receive some self-care instructions. For example, keeping hydrated is very important to reducing post-massage stiffness that may occur. You may also be given a particular series of stretches or rehabilitating exercises to perform that target certain muscle groups that may need lengthening or strengthening in order to rebalance your posture and aid in pain relief. If I feel another type of treatment may be beneficial I may refer another practitioner.
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Schedule of Treatments
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Whether relaxation, stress relief or injury recovery is your goal the recommended frequency will be determined based on your personalized treatment plan and within your control. As your symptoms improve we may reduce frequency. If we do not see improvement we may adjust the frequency in your treatment plan. We will discuss your needs on an ongoing basis and made changes to best suit your needs.
Reassessment
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In order to ensure that the treatment is effective, reassessment will be scheduled and we will get an opportunity to see what is working and what is not. We may take a followup postural photo or redo previous assessments again to see any changes. Most importantly, we will discuss your satisfaction with the treatment and make any necessary modifications.
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Insurance
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Many people have coverage for massage therapy under their extended health benefits. Every insurance policy is different. A doctor's referral may be required and they not cover your treatment cost if it is related to a workplace injury or motor vehicle accident. If you have multiple policies, I will direct bill your primary insurer and issue you a receipt for the portion not covered which you will be responsible to pay and submit yourself. I suggest you reach out to your insurance company to confirm the specific details to your policy before your appointment. Ultimately, you are responsible for the cost of the treatment and if at any time the insurance company does not cover the cost, you will be required to pay. If you prefer to submit the claim yourself, I will issue you a receipt with my RMT # for reimbursement. I am set up for direct billing with Pacific Blue Cross, and many other companies with Telus Health eClaims. Ask about direct billing options at your next appointment.
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*** I currently am not acceptting WorksafeBC, ICBC or MSP claims at this time.
Direct Billing
Policies
No Show / Late Cancellations
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We respectfully ask that you provide us with a 24 hour notice of any schedule changes or cancellation requests. Please understand that when you cancel or miss your appointment we are often unable to fill that appointment time. This is an inconvenience to your therapist and also means our other clients miss the chance to receive services they need.
If less than 24 hours notice or you do not show up for the appointment, full payment will be required for your booked services. Late cancellation due to illness or inclement weather will generally not result in any missed session charges, but this is determined on a case-by-case basis. No show and late cancellation fees can not be direct billed for insurance coverage. You are responsible to pay for the treatment on the day of the appointment. In the event of multiple cancellations, you may be limited on your abilities to book online and or how many appointments
you can book at one time. This is at the discretion of your therapist.
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Late Arrival Policy
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We request that your arrive to your appointment on-time We understand that issues can arise that may cause you to be late for your appointment. However, we ask that you call to inform us if this ever occurs so we can do our best to accommodate you. Appointment times are reserved for each client, so we cannot exceed that reserved time without making the next client late. For this reason, arriving after your appointment time may result in loss of time from your massage so that your session ends at the scheduled time. Full service fees will be charged even when sessions are shortened due to late arrival. In return we will do our best to be on time, and if we are unable to do so we will add time to your session to make up for our late arrival or adjust the service charge accordingly.
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Inappropriate Behaviour
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Massage therapy is for relaxation and therapeutic purposes only. There is absolutely no sexual component to massage whatsoever. Any insinuation, joke, gesture, conversation, or request otherwise will result in immediate termination of your session and a refusal of any and all services in the future. You will be charged the full service fee regardless of the length of your session. Depending on the behaviour exhibited we may also file a report with the local authorities if necessary. Treat your therapist with respect and dignity and you will be treated the same in return.
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Abusive, racist, political or non-inclusive discussions not tolerated in the treatment room. Please refrain from discussions that are not related to your health or massage therapy treatment.
Consent & Open Communication
Consent to Assessment, Treatment and Covid-19 risks is in your control. You have the ability to stop or modify the treatment at your request and at any time. I encourage open communication and ask that if you feel your health is being compromised at any point to express yourself freely and we will find a modification you are happy with or refer you to another practitioner who may be a better fit for you.
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Direct Billing
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I offer direct billing to several insurance companies. You will be required to sign a form that you understand that you are ultimately responsible for the cost of the treatment, regardless of insurance coverage. This form may need to be signed by the plan member depending on the insurance policy. I do not direct bill if treatment is related to a workplace injury or a motor vehicle accident. I will direct bill for the primary insurer only and you will be responsible to pay for the portion not covered and submit manually to any other coverages you may have.
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I do not currently direct bill to ICBC, Worksafe BC or MSP.
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Payments
I prefer etransfer to reduce payment fees and to help keep the cost of my services lower. I use Square (a contactless POS system) that allows debit and credit to be use with minimal contact and I sanitize the machine often. If the system is unavailable, I will email and invoice you and you can send payment by e-transfer. I will accept cash if it is the only form of payment available.
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