A: It depends. Pick Swedish if your goal is to relax. Chose Deep Tissue if you are wanting something more therapeutic. However, no massage is supposed to hurt, even if your therapist tells you, “You need this.” On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most painful and you want to scream “Uncle”, 7 is the maximum you should ever feel. And if you’re not a numbers person, 7 basically means it hurts so good (thank you, John Melancamp). In other words, it’s not too painful to where you are about to tense up and fight your therapist. Again, it’s your session. So don’t be afraid to tell your therapist if you want or need less or more pressure throughout your session. 

A: It’s completely up to you. If you would like a quiet session, don’t be afraid to tell your therapist. But if you want to talk during it (and you’re not interrupting another massage session), feel free to do that, too. Remember, it’s your massage session and not your therapist’s.

A: Just because the therapist is soliciting the service doesn’t mean he/she is a certified or licensed therapist. Instead of saying that they are (certified or licensed), you’ll hear them say “Masseuse/Masseur or Ralaxational Therapist”. When scheduling a session, don’t be afraid to simply ask if the therapist is certified or licensed. (Hint: most states require the therapist’s certificate/license to be physically posted either in the lobby or their studio.) And if you ever want self-reassurance, you can always log onto the state website ( www.[instert your state here].gov and verify.

There are four states that still don’t require a certificate or license. Just because Alaska, Wyoming, Minnesota, or Kansas don’t require it, doesn’t mean your Massage Therapist isn’t educated in their practice. So don’t be afraid to ask him/her about their education level and experience. And if you decide to call a franchise place such as Hand and Stone, Massage Envy, or Massage Heights, rest assure all Massage Therapists will be certified/licensed as it is required by their Headquarters.