When you book a therapy you may find there is a choice between half hour, hour, and an hour and half appointments, and if you’ve not booked a therapy before you may be unsure about which one to choose. Regardless of which one you select, you will find that for your first appointment there needs to be a consultation. If you’re wondering about why you would need a consultation, you can read my previous blog post, why do I need a consultation?

Why do you offer different therapy lengths?

An hour session is the usual standard for a therapy session, but if you’ve not had a therapy before you may be unsure if you like it, so you may want to try a half hour session. Sometimes I encourage people to have a half hour massage session if they think an hour costs a lot and they’re not sure if they’ll like my style. Choosing your therapist is a personal approach and not a one-size-fits-all. One person may love a therapists’ style, while another may find it too light, too deep, not quite the right one for them. Sometimes people will choose their first session as a half hour and then decide to choose an hour session if it works well for them. 

Sometimes I have regular clients who have a particular problem area, so they will have their usual 4-6 week therapy and will then ask for a half hour session between. This top up session is one to just focus on the problem area and sometimes, a client may choose a different therapy for their usual one, as they feel it will be more beneficial in sorting the problem. In many cases, these mini additional top-ups can be enough to get on top of the issue.

Another reason people choose half hour sessions is due to time constraints, financial constraints, or because they only want focus on one area. Some older clients may also find that a half hour session is enough. It is all about personal preference and your circumstances.

So, why choose an hour and half?

Personally, I only offer massage for an hour and half. I find people will choose this option for the full body hot stone massage, or so they can receive a massage which focuses on several issues. Often people will book an hour and realise that I am unable to complete as much work as they would like because they have problems in several areas, so they will choose an hour and half. The extra time means they don’t have to prioritise which problem area should receive the most attention and I can provide more in-depth work on the areas they’ve identified.

So, when you see the different lengths of time, think about what you’re wanting to achieve during your session – if you have chronic back pain, you won’t find one half hour massage is going to help much, however, if you want to see what that therapy is about then half hour will be sufficient. If you’re looking for a standard session to help you relax, then an hour will be suitable, and if you’ve got several problem areas that need a lot of focus then you may want to consider the hour and half.

Louise is an holistic therapist who owns the Therapy Centre, BS14 9HB, a clinic offering a range of holistic and beauty therapies. Louise offers reflexology, aromatherapy, aromatology, holistic massage, Indian head massage, reiki, baby massage and story massage. She is a mum of two boys and when she is not working she enjoys getting outdoors with her family. For further information visit louise-morgan.co.uk or contact her clinic on 01275 217160