Check out our latest post on what it means for a massage therapist to be “consent-driven.” This is the primary tenant of my practice and I hope whether you’re able to visit me or not, knowing more about consent will help you when you are able to seek out massage therapy for your aches and pains.
What does it mean for a massage therapist to be “consent-driven”?
At Nepantla Bodyworks & Massage, it’s our priority!
But whether you’re able to visit us in breath-taking Taos, NM or you’re interested in picking up sessions with someone else, here are some helpful tips about consent and massage:
- Whether you’re new to massage or have been seeing your therapist for years, it’s important that they check in with you about how you feel. Pressure, timing, and connection to breath are key and should be under your control.
- You always have the power to say “less pressure,” “more pressure,” or anything in-between. And for trauma-survivors, this can (and often does) change from moment to moment. Nepantla encourages our clients to speak up, or otherwise signal their therapist to change it up for comfort and ease within the session.
- The “no pain, no gain” approach is out the door! Pain responses are teachers, not dictators, and definitely a sign that the body has reached its limit. We find that a pressure level of 3-5 out of 10 (with 10 being unbearable) is where healing occurs. Sure, more pressure can feel good at the time, and can even have a therapeutic effect in short duration, but is not ideal for helping our clients return to homeostasis.
We commit to elaborating upon our tagline: “consent-driven, trauma-informed, culturally-responsive, as well as all-ability and 2SLGBTQIA-friendly.”