It is the objective of Hope In Hands to assist all clients in reaching their health & wellness goals through intentional, therapeutic massage and bodywork. In the interest of your time and therapeutic needs, as well as to maintain professionalism and set expectations, the following policies have been adopted for all first-time and regular clients of Hope In Hands:

 

1. Booking & Payments

1a. Types of sessions: please visit the Massage Services page for the types of massage and bodywork sessions available for booking at Hope In Hands.

1b. To book a session: please call 925.899.0946 or book a massage session online via a secure scheduling and payment system. Sessions can be booked up to 30 days in advance of the desired session date.

1c. Booking by phone: the client is required to give Hope In Hands their first name, last name, email address, phone number & debit or credit card (MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or AmEx) information to schedule a massage session by phone. This information is entered directly into the secure scheduling and payment system and is not held in any other capacity by Hope In Hands. Please note that the client may still pay in person with cash or a different card at the time of the session if preferred.

The client is required to give debit or credit card information when booking a session by phone in case of a “no show” situation. The card will not be charged unless the client fails to appear for their session, at which point the card will be charged a $25 fee. The debit or credit card information is purged from the scheduling and payment system after this charge occurs and is not held in any other capacity by Hope In Hands.

Please keep in mind that repeated “no shows” can result in refusal to accept future attempts to book sessions. The decision to refuse future bookings is solely at the discretion of Hope In Hands. For related information, please read Cancellations, Late Arrivals & Forgiveness policies.

1d. Booking online: all new clients who choose to book their first session online (any single session or the first session of a bundle) are required to create a new account in the secure scheduling and payment system. Account creation requires the following information: a valid email address, the client’s first name, last name, phone number, and a password.

After creation, the client may access their account at any time to schedule new sessions (any single session or existing bundle session); to update existing session dates or times (per Hope In Hands availability); or to cancel an existing session. For related information, please read the Cancellations policy.

When booking the second and third session of an existing bundle online, please select a relevant single session option rather than a bundle option. For example, if the client has already had their first session of a 90-minute NMT bundle and wants to book their second neuromuscular therapy session online, they should select and book a single 90-minute NMT massage session.

Single 60-minute and 90-minute sessions booked online do not require prepayment. All single 2-hour sessions and all massage bundle options require prepayment via debit or credit card at booking time.

1e. Payment options: massage sessions booked at Hope In Hands may be paid for in person with cash or a debit or credit card (MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or AmEx), or online by debit or credit card only. Some sessions booked online require full prepayment at booking time. Personal/business checks are not an accepted method of payment for any session.

Single 60-minute and 90-minute sessions booked online do not require prepayment of any kind. All 60-minute and 90-minute sessions are paid for in person with cash or by debit or credit card on the client’s appointment date after the session.

Single 2-hour massage sessions booked online require full prepayment at booking time with a debit or credit card via the secure scheduling and payment system. 2-hour sessions booked over the phone require a debit or credit card to be held in case of a “no show,” as explained above in the “Booking by phone” section of this policy.

All massage bundles booked online require full prepayment at booking time with a debit or credit card via the secure scheduling and payment system. Massage bundles booked over the phone require a debit or credit card to be held in case of a “no show,” as explained above in the “Booking by phone” section of this policy.

For all debit and credit card payments made in person, there is an additional fee of $3.00 per single massage session and an additional fee of $5.00 per massage bundle added to the client’s payment total at the time of transaction.

2. Privacy / HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule provides protection by federal law for an individual's health information held by Kaitlin Driskill, LMBT #16813, the sole practitioner at Hope In Hands.

HIPAA maintains client rights to their health information while permitting disclosure of health information needed for client care and/or further client safety purposes. Everything the client discloses, whether about the health of the client or personal information shared by the client to the practitioner, is strictly confidential.

3. New Clients

Please arrive at least 10 minutes early to the first appointment. This time will be used to complete the new client’s initial client intake form (download the new client intake form now & save time) and to communicate their therapeutic needs.

Before beginning the first session, a 10-15 minute period will be spent speaking about the new client’s reasons or needs for the session (pain, stress, relaxation, etc.), health issues that could affect the new client during the session, and the new client’s goals for the session.

Should the new client require more than 10-15 minutes to discuss these matters, the extra time will be deducted from the massage session time so as to constrain or conflict with sessions scheduled afterward.

4. Cancellations

Sessions may be canceled by phone or online through the secure scheduling and payment system. Cancellations made via email will not be accepted and could result in a “no show” fee. For information on “no shows” fees, see Booking & Payments policies; see also Forgiveness policies.

Cancellations made up to 12 hours before the session is set to begin will be accepted by Hope In Hands without consequence. Cancellations made within the 12-hour window could result in a “no show” fee. See Booking & Payments policies & Forgiveness policies for more information.

Habitual cancellations and/or repeatedly “no shows” may result in a refusal to accept future appointments. Refusals will be made on a case by case basis and remain at the discretion of Hope In Hands. For more information, please see section 6c. of the Forgiveness policy, Habitual late cancellations and reschedules.

5. Late Arrivals

Arriving late will result in a shortened massage session. Adjustments cannot be made to session times due to a late arrival, as doing so could interfere with the next client's session.

6. Forgiveness

Sometimes things happen that are out of a person’s control, like emergencies and bad weather. Hope In Hands’ “Forgiveness” policies exist to address these serious and sensitive situations. Please note that this policy applies to single sessions and bundle sessions.

6a. Late cancellation or rescheduling due to an emergency: canceling or rescheduling within the 12 hour window before a session begins is forgiven if it’s the client’s first time canceling or rescheduling late and if the client’s reason for doing so is related to an unexpected and/or unavoidable emergency.

Please note that forgetting about a session or being “double-booked” are not regarded as emergencies per this section of this policy. Being called into work is considered an emergency per this section of this policy but is still subject to the repercussions of section 6c. of this policy, Habitual late cancellations and reschedules.

6b. Late cancellation or rescheduling due to intermittent weather: while the client is expressly required to follow the above sections of this policy whenever possible, they are not expected to risk traveling to and from a scheduled session if conditions are not safe for such travel, i.e. snow/ice, hard rain, high winds, or other unpredictable or dangerous driving, walking, or cycling conditions, etc.

Poor and unsafe weather will not be counted against the client. The session will be rescheduled without consequence, per Hope In Hands availability.

6c. Habitual late cancellations and reschedules: canceling or rescheduling sessions due to consistent expressed emergencies will be assessed on a case by case basis at the discretion of Hope In Hands. Such habitual behaviors could result in a “no show” charge being added to a future session, to be paid for with cash or a debit or credit card in addition to the cost of the future session, or in a refusal to accept booking attempts.

7. Cleanliness Policy

Cleanliness issues can have a serious effect on the cleanup time required between client sessions. Timeliness and keeping the massage space sanitary are highly regarded by existing Hope In Hands clients.

Any of the following issues occurring after having been verbalized to the client could result in the rescheduling of an appointment. Any occurrence after the initial instance will be assessed on a case by case basis at the discretion of Hope In Hands.

7a. Body odors and applied scents: because Hope In Hands does not provide a showering facility, it is preferred that the client bathe prior to their session and refrain from heavy applications of perfume, cologne, aftershave, etc.

These scents, including body odors, can permeate the multiple padded layers of the massage table, linger & affect following sessions after the client’s sheets have been removed and replaced.

7b. Smoke odors: it is preferred that the client not smoke immediately prior to their massage session. Like body odors & applied scents, smoke has a tendency to linger and can affect following sessions.

8. Client-Therapist Boundaries

8a. Violating ethical boundaries: should the client make inappropriate or sexual comments, show suggestive or aggressive behavior, commit any unwarranted touching, or purposefully expose their groin area (regardless of sex, gender, or gender expression), the client’s session will end immediately and the client will be asked to leave.

Violations of ethical boundaries can result in permanent termination of the client-therapist relationship.

8b. Draping & treatment of gluteal, pectoral & breast areas: draping these areas ensures privacy, comfort, and safety. With informed consent, treatment in the gluteal, pectoral & breast areas can be performed. Drapes may be removed temporarily in order to treat structures in these areas; draping procedures will be explained to the client prior to their session.

9. Therapist-Client Boundaries

Hope In Hands espouses the utmost level of professionalism in all client relationships.

At no point in time before or after the client’s session will they be regarded, acknowledged, addressed, or physically touched in a way that is not professional. At no point in time during the client’s session will they be regarded, acknowledged, addressed, or physically touched in any way that is not strictly therapeutic, to their level of comfort, and safe.

10. Tipping

Tipping remains at the discretion of the client. Tips are always appreciated but never demanded or expected.