by Grace Wilson

Having recently moved to a new city I know it can be a challenge to find the massage therapist of your dreams. There are so many out there who claim to have this or that expertise, but how can you know if the two of you will be a good therapist-client match?

The quest for a great massage therapist can be an expensive process if you don’t have a good plan. Here are some things you can do before you make an appointment to speed up the process and give you some better odds.

Know What You Want

Get a clear picture of exactly what you’re looking for. Start with gender: do you prefer a male or female therapist? If you have strong feelings about the gender issue, be honest! Don’t make an appointment if you’ll be uncomfortable with a man/woman touching you, no matter how good the therapist’s qualifications are.

Do you want someone who does bone-scraping deep-tissue sculpting, or do you prefer someone more gentle with a passion for energy work? Do you like long, flowing, oily strokes or do you like being stretched out? What about personality? Do you like talkers, or quiet therapists? Consider things like massage style/technique, experience, attitude, hourly rates and location. Get as clear a picture as possible so you’ll know what questions to ask when you call.

Ask the Right Questions

Definitely call (or even e-mail) to conduct a pre-massage interview. Write down your important questions and take notes while you listen to the therapists’ responses.

In my experience, if you ask a therapist what modalities they practice, and they rattle off more than three, be prepared to work with a general practitioner. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s something you should know. The therapist might also be fresh out of school. Going to massage school is a lot of fun, and part of the fun is in taking lots of different classes to get exposure to all that’s out there. Ask how long they’ve practiced professionally. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a therapist with five or more years of experience who would say, “I do Swedish, Deep-Tissue, Reiki, Cranial-Sacral and Thai.” That’s a rookie response. After a few years in the biz you figure out what you’re good at, what your passion is, and you do mostly that. It’s the same with any business or service.

If you’re very picky about the type of massage you want and the skill level of the practitioner, look for a specialist. Ask how long they’ve practiced the modality you seek and ask about their training. I only do ayurvedic massage, and I’ve done it full-time for ten years. I don’t care how much you might want me to come to your office to do chair massage, I just don’t do that, and I’m going to let you know I’m not right for that situation. You’re going to get something much different from a specialist than from someone who has one or two ayurvedic treatments on a long menu of services.

I once got a phone call from a woman asking me what acupressure was. I tried to explain what I know about it in 20 seconds or less, and when I was through she asked me, “Why can only men get it?” If you call somewhere and they only do men, it might be because they’re offering other services (if you know what I mean). It’s situations like this that should give you the motivation to call first to get more information.

Ask for What You Want

If you feel the therapist you’re talking to might be someone you’d like to try, lay it all out there. Tell him or her exactly what you’re looking for and ask if he/she thinks they can help you. If you get a confident yes, it’s probably worth a try. But if they seem wishy-washy at all, something’s not right.

Don’t feel like you have to make an appointment right away. Take time to compare all the pre-interviews you’ve done. Sit with the information, see how you feel about it. Listen to your gut instincts! You can always call back when you’re sure he or she is the one you want.

Ask for Referrals

During your pre-massage phone interview, if the therapist doesn’t appeal to you, ask for a referral. Massage therapists travel in packs – he or she will probably have a friend that they can turn you on to, or at least point you in a better direction.

If you’re not sure where to start on your quest, word of mouth is probably best when it comes to massage. Fancy advertising and sales-y receptionists aren’t going to give you the information you need to make an informed choice before you lay down your hard-earned bread. Ask your friends and your friends’ friends who their favorites are and enjoy the process. You may not hit the nail on the head with the first try, but hopefully you’ll at least get your money’s worth. Virtually any day you get a massage is a good day in my book.