Welcome we are currently accepting new clients!
Welcome!
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).
Massage and What to Expect
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.
Prior to the treatment
Ensuring my clients are healthy prior to treatment is important and you will be asked to use the Self-Screening Tool. Please complete assessment and confirm your health status as healthy and symptom free prior to your appointment. If you would like to pre-fill out the Confidential Client Health Form, it will allow more time to assess and treat you rather than using up precious appointment time.
A mask is still recommended for close encounters by PHO. 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 during the assessment time we will discuss your specific needs. 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. 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
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 particular, I will be looking at muscles that I can massage and give corrective exercises as self-care. Photos are a great way of visually seeing how posture can be related to your areas of concern. I am trained in Orthopaedic Assessment, Neurological assessment and 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 physician to determine.
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.
During the Treatment
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.
After the treatment
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.
Schedule of Treatments
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
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.
Insurance
Many people have coverage for massage therapy under their extended health benefits. Every insurance company does things a little differently and may require a doctors referral. I suggest you reach out to your insurance company to see if they require anything specific prior to your appointment. I will issue you a receipt with my contact information along with my RMT # which you may be able to submit to your insurance for reimbursement if they approve. 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.
*** I currently am not acceptting WorksafeBC, ICBC or MSP claims at this time. I apologize for the inconvenience.
Direct Billing
Policies
Cancellations
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 is given full payment will be required for your booked services. I set aside the time specifically for you and appreciate as much warning as possible so that I may be able to offer that time slot to those on my waitlist. 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.
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.
Late Arrival Policy
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.
Inappropriate Behaviour Policy
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.
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.
Payments
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.