Hi all
I am lucky enough to have a therapy room at home where i am happy to give clients their treatments.
However, a new client who does not drive has asked me to go to her home to give her reflexology. I dont have a problem with this at all (she is a work colleague) but I just have a few queries about being a 'mobile' therapist that are in my mind before I set off to do the treatment tomorrow ....
How long does it usually take to set up your chair/cover etc?
Is it easy to create the right sort of ambience for the client? - this is something that is easy to do at home, when my room is made ready for their arrival, but I am wondering how best to do this in unfamiliar surroundings.
Would you take an appropriate choice of CDs with you (I usually play some appropriate 'therapy music' unless clients dont want it ....)?
Would you charge extra for travelling? (As I am new and trying to build client base, I feel reluctant to charge on top - the client lives only around 5 miles from my home)
Many thanks for responses to what are really quite basic questions, but may be useful for others too.
Regards
AndreaC
Hi AndreaC
Set up time is about 5 minutes and allow a few minutes to centre yourself. I don't take a couch with me, as I use the Lafuma for home visits. I prefer working from home, because I have a space that I use for therapies, obviously when you go to a client's home you are either put in the bedroom or some other living space and you cannot controll the environment you work in i.e. phone's ringing, children, other household noises.
I do charge more for a home visit, depending on how long it takes me to get there, although I am sure this doesn't accurately reflect the time it takes me.
The last treatment I did I added £5 to account for this.
I don't use music as I am quite happy with no sound.
Love Binah
xXx
About 5 minutes should be enough to set up. As you can't control the 'environment' ask if it would be possible to set up somewhere quiet - if there are no children or pets around, then it shouldn't be too difficult. You could take a CD with you if you wanted, but most home based clients either have their own music choice, or prefer just to be quiet.
As for what to charge? I have a fixed home-visit rate which is higher than my clinic rate, plus I add 40p per mile for travel (make sure it covers the return journey!).
Definately 5 minutes is adequate to set up. I usually take my Ipod and have these speakers that run off the ipod battery, they were really cheap too, only about £12. They are small and compact, I give my clients the option of music, and usually play calming 'therapy' music. I do also tell them to let me know if it gets on their nerves as its not for everyone, I make a joke of it so they won't feel funny about asking me to turn it off if they don't like it. I personally don't charge more for mobile treatments unless they are in west or north london, and I also charge for congestion zone charges if I have to go through the zone.
Many thanks for these helpful replies. I will be taking my chair with me rather than a couch, so that is quick for set up.
It's interesting to know other views on music also, I generally use calming 'therapy room music' and have a good range of CDs from Buddhist chant to seamless reiki sounds to vocals like 'Bliss', whatever the client prefers, but am also mindful that some people prefer treatments to be minus music.
The advice to take time to centre myself is well received. I think as this is my first mobile treatment I will be a little nervous at being outside my comfort zone, but will go well prepared .... even more so now, thank you for your input.
Andrea
Just feeding back following my first 'mobile' treatment last week
Set up was quick and the treatment itself was fine ... but although the client was not expecting any callers, the doorbell rang twice during the treatment and the phone rang at the end! (I volunteered to answer the door so as not to disturb her too much, the first caller was a charity collector, the second a neighbour).
It was a little difficult to get back to the 'tranquil therapy space' after each interruption, but we managed eventually.....
I guess a way to avoid it would be to put a 'do not disturb until after xxpm' notice on the front door, but although I might do that in my own home, I am not sure that clients would want to do it .....
this aside she has booked a second treatment in two week's time:)
regards to all
Andrea x