As with the other actual real review, exact same thing happened to me…read more
My appointment was 6:30PM for a Deep Tissue massage. Sadly after making this appt., I saw that Stephanie practices "Reiki", and I'd never have made an appt. with her going in knowing this. According to her own website, it is a "BELIEF that disturbances in energy fields in and around the body result in illness, and that improving the flow and balance of energy can improve health and relaxation. Energy is transferred from their own hands to the client by gently touch."
So what happens here is instead of massaging the Client, Stephanie rubs her hands together, makes them warm, then holds them above you...looking for your Energy Field or other invisible nonsense. I get enough pushback for myself with believing in Ghosts and Hauntings, I don't believe in Reiki, nor was I requesting this service. Wrongly thought this would be OK.
Got to her location on Jefferson, I couldn't tell if I should go in or what was going on. They're smaller buildings in an office park and at a little after 6PM, there were many cars around, people in and out of the parking lot. At 6:20 I head to her suite, the door is locked and it's dark inside, no sign, thought I had the wrong place. Walked around the side, slipping on snow and ice, tried another door, it was unlocked. If this isn't 100% Creepy, she's sitting in the dark suite, all lights are Off, she had just sat in there, with her German Shepherd, watching me try the door, but didn't open it or respond. Then she's sitting in the darkness, laughing as I came in. I'd never met her, given the very large dog and no lights on, I was now sure I was in the wrong place. Nope. She didn't bother to introduce herself, no signage, her space opens up to other attached offices where people are talking, loudly.
Stephanie gave me a standard "Massage" form to fill out but she didn't really care what it said or my "problem spots", she only used it as a Release form.
Stephanie ignores what I filled out, says she has her massages all planned out, apparently the exact same for everyone. She wants to do my thighs, calves, rear, etc., and so I stop her. I have immense unresolved pain in one part of my back from a very bad car accident, she had a car accident, I don't care really, that's what I want worked on. She informs me that she "does everyone's glutes". No, I am not asking for that, but she wouldn't hear it, she's doing the glutes and that's that.
I've never had a Massage Therapist come in while I'm still undressing, this was a first. I'm across the room, and maybe 15 seconds after she'd left, in walks Stephanie with her dog. Her dog was in the room for the entire massage. I love dogs, but that was totally weird. Nice dog, but inappropriate, she tried to explain, might have had something to do with a man, but I immediately tuned out her personal negativity because I'm not there as her Therapist, and I'm trying to relax.
The actual massage: Kind of Deep Tissue, more like Swedish. And the Reiki! I said no Reiki, yep, all kinds of Reiki! Hand clapping, her hands sitting for minutes above my back, I don't know if she was chanting or what back there. And the glutes! I knew that was coming. I actually had to stop her from doing my thighs after having an entire talk about I didn't need my legs done. She spent a lot of time on my skull too, I only asked for my back, pressing down on her version of "Trigger Points", which probably came from a book, and even they are controversial.
Stephanie apparently has a one-size-fits-all approach to Massage. All Clients get the same Massage no matter what you request, ask for, put on her intake form. You're going to get useless hand-clapping Reiki, your glutes, your thighs, an inordinate amount of pressing with thumbs on your skull. When you asked for and paid for a Deep Tissue Back Massage, that is not what you will receive. In fact, she argued with me that the deep tissue I requested "came later" in her own personal "program" of massage, after many visits. Nonsense! My back hurts now, I'm not agreeing to her program of anything.
When my massage ended, it seemed very short, I turned my phone back on. The massage didn't start until around 6:35, it was now 7:18! I couldn't believe it.
I tried to quickly get dressed and get out of there. Stephanie did not offer me a water, or to use the bathroom, as EVERY single other Massage establishment that I've ever visited for 2 decades has. She instead had her phone on, and wanted me to sign up for the following week for another massage. What do you say to that? When a 1 hour Deep Tissue Massage becomes a 40 minute rubdown, that includes lots of painful forcing thumbs down on my skull while searching for Trigger Points, hands clapping together, which startles you while trying to relax, and then being held above your skin for minutes on end while someone may or may not be chanting, No Way.
