When you reserve a session, I'll be ready and waiting at the appointed time. 

Closed until further notice

Reservations for First-time or Out-of-town Clients

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed massage therapy for the foreseeable future. The prolonged, close contact of massage invites the exchange of SARS-CoV-2. Practices that were reasonable before simply aren’t now that the highly contagious novel coronavirus may be floating in the air we breathe and on the surfaces we touch (including our skin, on which the virus survives more than 9 hours). We lack key knowledge about antibodies and immunity. Testing is still not sufficient. New, more contagious strains are emerging. Under these strictures, the long incubation period and possibility of asymptomatic transmission (40-50% of cases) dictate strategic measures to avoid passing the virus during the close contact of bodywork. While many have a mild illness, the stakes for those who develop serious and life-threatening illness are too high to gamble with. "Long COVID" is emerging as another serious complication of infection. So, as we resume massage we’ll be doing some things differently.

Just a few steps to create the safest environment for all at the massage studio.

• Call 713-799-1606 or email ashiatsubycarol@massagetherapy.com to schedule a phone consultation. Sessions for new clients will not be reserved without this brief conversation. Texts are not accepted. If you're flying into the Houston area, please email.
   
• Receive the Health Check Questions via email, complete using the Fill and Sign function and return to me by email. This will save us from scheduling, then canceling an appointment that should have been postponed.
   
• When you receive the confirmation email for your appointment, follow the link to return here to make the $52 deposit.
   
• Complete the Client Intake form attached to the confirmation email using the Fill and Sign function. Return to me by email.
   
• Within 24 hours before your session: answer the Health Check Questions attached to the reminder email and email them back to me. The questions will need to be answered and submitted twice: first to make sure an appointment isn't reserved when it should be postponed, and second to screen for illness as close to your appointment as possible.
   
• Know what to expect. Read Massage Protocol Until the Threat of COVID-19 Passes and review Known Symptoms of COVID-19 below. Put your last worry to rest by reviewing my Cleaning Protocol.

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Massage Protocol Until the Threat of COVID-19 Passes

• No same-day sessions or walk-ins. Precautions take time. As good as it feels, massage therapy is a healthcare service.
• Only the client enters the studio; fellow travelers are not invited.
• Clients answer Health Check Questions the day before each session to create an ongoing screening of everyone who enters the practice.
• Both client and therapist wear unvented, well-fitting 2-layer masks from door open to door close.
• Shoes are removed at the door. Fresh, laundered footies are offered.
• A touch-free namaste greeting clears energy as it also sanitizes the hands of each arriving client.
• Hugs and handshakes are on hold.

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   Please cancel your session without penalty if you have any of these.  
                                                                                                           

Delta variant symptoms are more like a cold and may be mild.

Known Symptoms of COVID-19

• Unusual fatigue/persistent tiredness
• Headache
• Persistent cough 
• Runny nose/congestion  
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Sore throat
• Hoarse voice 
• Unusual muscle or body aches 
• New loss of smell, taste or appetite
• Chest pain 
• Nausea or vomiting 
• Diarrhea 
• Fever or chills
• Confusion
• Abdominal pain 

Are you more vulnerable?

Those in groups known to be more vulnerable to COVID-19 complications, such as immunocompromised, with hypertension, diabetes, cancer or heart disease, or over age 65, may wish to postpone massage therapy longer. But when the time is right, a single therapist private practice like mine is the safer choice because traffic is low (fewer people sharing microbes) and the therapist is personally responsible for all preparations and the appointment schedule. Nothing will get lost in the shuffle and no appointments will be “squeezed in” to satisfy the pursuit of profit. All of which translates to lower risk for you.

Thank you for all your effort to keep practices safe,
allowing massage therapy to continue!

Reservation Deposit and Touch-Free Payment

A side benefit of my work is the wide variety of people from all over the country and the world I am blessed to meet and work with. Please be advised that all new clients and those flying in within 24 hours of their appointment must make a $52 deposit via PayPal to reserve their session. Your payment will not be claimed until your session is less than 24 hours away. $50 will be applied to the cost of service and $2 is a non-refundable administrative fee. If you cancel your session, $50 will be refunded to you provided you’ve given at least 24 hours advance notice or are ill.

It's a snap! Unblock Pop-Ups, then choose a PayPal button at the bottom of the page.

Or use this link:  PayPal Carol

Or you can send payments via PayPal using:  ashiatsubycarol@massagetherapy.com

The balance can be paid at your session with a credit or debit card, or PayPal.
(Established clients also have the option of paying by check or through their bank’s bill pay service.)

In this era of identity theft, your reluctance to provide credit card data is understandable. This way, only you handle your credit card and the number remains private. Now that coronavirus is circulating, there are also questions around the safety of cash. But if cash is your preference, it is also accepted.