Relaxation Massage - Sports Massage - Clinical Massage - Cancer Massage - CranioSacral Therapy - Reiki

George Allen Spencer, LMT, NCBTMB - 4256 N. Ravenswood, Suite #309, Chicago, Illinois By Appointment only. - 773.489.4374 - Email:

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Relaxation Massage	¤	Sports Massage	¤	Clinical Massage	¤	Cancer Massage	¤	CranioSacral Therapy	¤	Reiki

	Where are you located? Do you have a clinic?
	I see clients in my professional office in the Ravenswood neighborhood. The address is 4256 North Ravenswood and is within a block of the corners of Ravenswood and Montrose. Both the CTA bus line #81 and the CTA Brown 'L' line service the area. The building is wheelchair accessible. Street parking is available. Sessions are by appointment only.

	What is your availability?
	My practice is set up to accommodate the hectic schedule of business workers and others where an evening appointment are easier and more appropriate. I see clients by appointment only Tuesdays through Sundays from 5:00pm to 9:00pm.

	Making an Appointment:
	To make an appointment, please call me at 773.489.4374. As my schedule can quickly fill, I recommend that you call rather than email. I suggest you schedule your appointment at least 24 hours before your desired appointment date/time.
	I generally do not schedule same-day appointments for new clients unless you're being referred to me by a current client. If, however, you can't wait, please call me. We'll discuss your situation and I'll make a decision at that time.
	Appointments will not be taken for anyone other than the person scheduling the appointment.

	Do you accept insurance payments?
	No. However, some of my clients have a flex medical spending account through their employers. They set aside x amount of dollars throughout the year to help pay out-of-pocket payments for medical issues and then submit the receipts for approval. Depending upon the particulars of your flex spending account (if you have one), you may be reimbursed some of the cost of the massage. I will be more than happy to either mail you a hardcopy receipt or send one to you via email. Just let me know.

	What forms of payment do you accept?
	For a first-time client, I accept cash and money orders. For returning clients, I accept cash, personal checks, or money orders. If your check is returned, a $25 fee will be charged.

	Is a gratuity necessary?
	A tip, although appreciated, is never expected. The important thing is that you receive the service and help you need. Whether you tip or not will not in any way impact your session.

	Do you ever have specials?
	Yes. As a way of thanking new and current clients, I offer specials throughout the year such as Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas, and more. I also offer random specials throughout year, so check back here periodically.

	Do you offer discounts?
	Yes. As a new client, you will receive a $10 discount off your second appointment. In addition, in order to give back to the community, I offer $10 for certain occupations (such as teachers, emergency response personnel and police, and active-duty service personnel).

	Late Arrival.
	If you are running late for your appointment, please call me at 773.489.4374. I will try to accommodate you; however, I cannot promise that you'll receive the full duration of your appointment.

	Canceling an Appointment.
	The time allotted for your appointment has been set aside for you. In order to avoid a cancellation fee of 75% of your session rate, please call within 24 hours of your appointment. If I cancel your appointment at no fault of your own, I will call you. It rarely happens, but if it does, your next appointment will be at half of your session rate (even if you upgrade to a longer time).

	No-Shows for Coupons, Daily Deals, Gift Certificates, and Wellness Massage Membership sessions.
	No-shows are appointments where the client has scheduled an appointment but has neither shown for the appointment nor has a cancellation call been made. Should you no-show for an appointment, your coupon, deal, gift certificate, and/or Wellness Massage Membership session will be considered used. In order for the missed appointment to be considered a cancelled versus a no-showed appointment, a telephone call must be made notifying me of the cancellation at least 24 hours prior to your appointment time. Neither a text message nor an email will be considered for a cancellation.

	When should I arrive for my first appointment?
	Please arrive for your first appointment 15 minutes early in order to complete the health form and intake interview.

	Please read the contraindications page prior to your appointment.
	In order for you to be seen, I ask new clients to please read through the contraindications page. This page explains what contraindications are. Even if you have an appointment, if you have a physical condition that precludes you from receiving massage or CranioSacral Therapy, I will not be able to work with you unless you have a doctor's release.

	How deep will you work?
	I will always strive to work to your comfort level; and, together, we'll discover what this is. We do this in two ways:
	¤  One of the questions on the health form asked if you prefer light, medium, or deep pressure
	¤  Before the massage begins, I'll ask you to tell me if the pressure is okay and if anything hurts
	It's important that you maintain this communication during the session. My goal is not to create any pain; but should it happen, it means that I may need to work a certain area more slowly so that your body accepts the work properly. Some people believe the myth that when you're receiving deep work, it should hurt (no pain, no gain). This is definitely NOT true.

	Follow-Up Calls.
	48 hours after your massage, I will call to see how you're doing in relation to the work performed. Because of this, please make sure you provide me with the telephone number you wish me to use and if it's okay to leave a message.

	What qualifications do you have?
	I am a graduate of Chicago School of Massage Therapy, having completed 710 hours of hands-on education. In addition, I volunteered 90 hours of massage therapy while in school (the required being 30 hours). I have also completed extra hands-on instruction for myofascial release techniques, CranioSacral Therapy through The Upledger Institute, and working with people living with cancer.
	I am an Illinois-licensed, nationally-certified massage therapist and bodyworker, and a member of the National Association of Massage Therapists, as well as a member of ABMP.
	Perhaps my greatest qualification is my experience. Since becoming licensed, I have worked fulltime, successfully working with new and recurring clients with varying muscular issues, offering client- specific work to help relieve those and associated issues.

	Your massage is tailored to your needs and preferences.
	Even when receiving a massage for stress reduction, your body requires different levels of attention to the various areas of your body. This is especially true for therapeutic, clinical, sports massage work, and oncoloy massage.

	What types of massage do you offer?
	I perform stress reduction/management, therapeutic, clinical, sports massage, oncology massage, as well as CranioSacral Therapy. The techniques I use include (in no particular order): Swedish, stretching and body mobilization, myofascial release, deep tissue, and trigger point therapy. My general approach to therapeutic, clinical, and sports massage is to work conservatively and at a pace at which your body safely accepts the work being performed. For CranioSacral Therapy, I perform the 10-step protocol developed by The Upledger Institute.

	Rates are based solely upon the time allotted.
	My sole purpose in seeing you is to provide the type of work that is going to serve you the best. I use whatever techniques I have in order to meet the goals of the session and to help you get back to your life as quickly and as safely as possible.

	How long will my massage last?
	For new clients, add 15-20 minutes to your appointment. Regardless of whether you're a new client or returning client, when you book a half-hour session, you receive 30 minutes of work; an hour, you receive 60 minutes; when you schedule a 90-minute session, you receive 90 minutes. While I try to keep to the time, I may need to add a couple of minutes to finish to finish something. If you need to leave on time, please let me know when you get here.

	I take session notes after each massage.
	Session notes are a record of the session particulars (your issues/complaints, the type of work performed, the techniques, the general effectiveness of the session). All of this information is strictly confidential.

	Confidentiality.
	All information received (health form, intake interview) and all session notes are completely confidential. I will not supply any of your information unless you direct it or as required by law.

	Please go to the FAQs page for more information.
	If you have any questions not covered by the Policies page, please go to the FAQs page. If you have any other questions after reading the FAQs, please call me at 773.489.4378.