Some Common Questions About The Massage Therapy Center

The Massage Therapy Center is a place where the most where Los Angeles’ most experienced and talented massage and skin care professionals practice their craft. Clients benefit from our therapist-led setting, and enjoy treatments in a boutique spa environment.
There’s no definite answer to this question – clients vary with different ailments, some chronic, some intermittent. The therapies to alleviate these conditions varies as well. Some people walk away from a single massage therapy session feeling immediate relief, others have felt a physical improvement from their massage session the next day or a few days later, and some have required a series of regularly scheduled massage therapy sessions in order to notice significant improvements. It’s important to speak with your massage therapist about your ailments and your expectation, so they can help you understand the benefits they anticipate you’ll receive and how soon you can expect those benefits from your massage therapy treatments. While it’s ultimately up to you to decide whether you want a single session or a series of sessions, if you plan to return more frequently you can take advantage of series packages or a monthly Spa Club membership.
There’s really no one definite answer to this question either. The estheticians who practice at the Center always strive to provide real skin care results, but benefits from facials can vary from client to client based on a number of factors. The professionals at the Center typically begin by talking with their clients about their history with any skin problems to try to determine its cause – whether it’s an environmental factor, a work issue, or even self-induced from using a harmful product. The practioners who practice skin care at the Center encourage their clients to ask any questions they may have about their skin and in return, they can offer their clients their professional advice as to how to proceed with skin care treatments to get the best benefits possible. Once your esthetician develops a plan to improve your skin, which may involve one or more sessions, it’s up to you how you want to proceed with your skin care treatment. The skin care professionals at the Center have chosen to work with Hylunia all-natural, vegan skin care products which offer real benefits to users and have asked us to convey that while they willl never try to push you into buying products, it is beneficial for you to use recommended skin care products between treatments should you decide to go with regular skin care sessions.
The massage therapists at the Center completely control how and when they practice their profession. Because of that, the Center only attracts master-level therapists who are comfortable creating their own practices and controlling every aspect of what they do. As in any field, working with someone highly passionate and professional typically costs more. Some massage centers charge rates that are less than what you may pay to work with a therapist at the Massage Therapy Center. To support those low rates other spas tend to hire new graduates from massage therapy schools who are hoping to gain experience rather than looking to offer you, the client, the best massage possible. They also force therapists to work on schedules that work for the business rather than the therapist, schedule sessions back to back with virtually no break time, and give clients 50 minutes of hands-on time rather than 60 minutes. Just as there’s a place in the world for both McDonalds and “world-class” restaurants, there’s a place for entry-level massage and master-level massage. The therapists at the Center have expressed to us that they strive to provide a “master-level” experience at a price that’s still accessible to clients who need and appreciate the difference.
Some day spas charge twice as much (or more) more massage or skin care than the practitioners at the Center have chosen to charge their clients. Most larger spas are more expensive than the Massage Therapy Center because more often than not they’re trying to cover expense of having a larger facility. While the practitioners at the Massage Therapy Center believe in providing their clients with a complete therapeutic experience, from the décor of the facilities to the amenities offered and products sold, the more expensive massage centers tend to go overboard on the extras to compete with their rivals. Because of this, what their clients end up paying for isn’t necessarily the quality of their massage, but the overhead of the extra amenities. Also, ironically, because these more expensive day spas have higher fixed expenses, they tend to pay their therapists lower wages, thus only attracting less-experienced, newer therapists. In other words, clients end up paying more for lower-quality massage therapy sessions. The practitioners who practice at the Center have chosen to locate their practices at the Center because they believe the Center offers the right balance when it comes to service, décor, facilities and amenities offered.
In massage therapy, contraindications are restrictions on what kind of massage treatments can be offered to a client based on medical factors. Generally, if you’re feeling sick or not well, massage therapy may actually make you feel worse than you already are; that’s why the therapists who practice at the Center have asked us to let their clients know that they should not book a session while sick. If you have any sort of medical conditions, then there may be restrictions on your massage therapy treatments at your therapist’s discretion. That’s why it’s important for everyone to ask about contraindications to massage before booking an appointment with their therapist.
The practitioners at MTC have an automatic 15 minute break between appointments to let them rest and prepare for each of their clients, and also to ensure that every client gets full 60 and 90-minute massage therapy and skin care sessions. Other massage centers offer 50-minute and 80-minute sessions, because they take 10 minutes from clients’ massage therapy and skin care sessions to use them as breaks for their massage therapists and estheticians. In the short-run they can cram more clients into their schedule to generate more profit, but in the long run clients lose treatment time while therapists and estheticians get short changed on breaks.
The technique that works best for you depends on how you’re feeling when you come in for your massage therapy treatment. Unlike other spas that charge extra for advanced massage techniques like deep tissue or Shiatsu, Massage Therapy Center generally does not charge extra for advanced techniques, because we try to incorporate these into every session automatically. The only thing that clients need to worry about is how long they want their massage therapy session to last. Everything else, including what techniques are used to treat each client, is left up to your massage therapist to decide after you have communicated with them what kind of problems you’re having. You can always request a specific type of massage and confirm ahead of time that your therapist specializes in that technique.
The Massage Therapy Center is an upscale facility that offers massage therapists and skin care professionals a warm and friendly atmosphere where they can practice and allow their clients to relax. The facilities include separate men’s and women’s locker rooms, large slate showers equipped with Brasstech Rain showerheads, and an extensive list of amenities including the same luxurious sheets, robes, towels, and slippers you’ll find at world-class resorts and spas.
Therapists offer free parking for your first two hours in the underground garage, but ask that you make sure to allow yourself ample time to find a parking space because the garage can become quite full during busy times. You are welcome to park in any spot that does not have a “reserved” sign. Your receipt serves as your parking validation, which you should present to the parking attendant on your way out of the parking lot.
The practitioners at the Center have asked that we remind their clients of the following: It’s important to shower shortly before your massage either at the Center or at home, even if you’ve already showered earlier that day. You’re welcome to use the Eucalyptus steam room before or after your massage therapy session. First time clients are encouraged by practitioners to arrive 30 minutes before their scheduled appointment so that they can fill out a brief health profile and enjoy the facilities before their session begins. If you’d like to use the eucalyptus steam room before your massage therapy session, you should make sure to turn the thermostat up before changing into your robe so that the room fills with fresh steam and is ready for your use. Towels and robes ranging from small to 5XL are available to clients in the locker room area. Fresh sandals are below the towels and robes.
Before your massage therapy session begins, you’ll be changing into a robe and sandals either in the locker room area or, if it’s more comfortable for you, in your room. During your massage, practitioners drape their clients with a sheet and will only undrape the areas that are being worked on. Clients are encouraged to wear underwear underneath their robes if it’s more comfortable for them.
After you change into a robe and sandals, all you have to do is walk to your room, close the door behind you, hang up your robe behind the shelves and lie down on the table underneath the top sheet, either face up or face down as your therapist has indicated their preference. Shortly afterwards, your therapist will knock on the door and walk in to begin your session.
Therapists have asked us to remind their clients that if there’s anything they can do to make your session more comfortable, please ask. The heating pad on your table can be turned up or down, the music to be louder or softer, or you can ask for a softer or firmer touch to ensure you experience the best massage therapy session possible.
The Massage Therapy Center is a tranquil space and a “phone- free” zone from the lobby back, in order to ensure the peace and relaxation of every therapist’s clients. During your massage therapy session, you’re welcome to talk (or not) with your therapist. Keep in mind, though, that voices carry, especially in the massage rooms and through the hallways, so please remember to be courteous to other therapist’s clients.
If you’d like to cancel an appointment with your therapist please call 24 hours before your scheduled session to avoid your being charged for half the session cost. If you unfortunately arrive late to your appointment, you are welcome to use whatever time you have left in your session but your therapist may be booked after your session and unable to your extend your time.
The Massage Therapy Center accepts cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. Unfortunately, we are unable to bill insurance companies but are able to provide detailed receipts for massage therapy sessions.
We do not recommend bringing any valuables to your sessions; however, our lockers have digital locks that allow you to set a personalized code for you to store your belongings.